Legendary Grape

by Richie UnterbergerAlthough credited to the Legendary Grape, this is in essence an album by a reunited Moby Grape, originally issued on a cassette-only release in 1990 by Herman Records that was credited to the Melvilles. Only 500 of those cassettes were made, and in 2003 it was reissued on CD with eight bonus tracks. It's a curious record, and not only because of its tangled history and use of different names for a band that's actually Moby Grape. Many of the elements that made Moby Grape distinctive in its original incarnation in the late '60s are here. There's the fusion of rock, blues, country, R&B, and folk along with the brisk execution, the sorrowful lead vocals and the multi-part harmonies, and the mix of tender ballads with bar band stomp. But there's not as much substance as form, since many of the songs are basic, simplistic, and repetitive, sometimes giving off the aura of a considerably above average bar band that's relying on original material. Generally they're better on the reflective folk-country tunes, like "Nighttime Rider," "Forbidden Love," and "Rodeo," than the uptempo tunes, which at their worst can sound like clichéd roadhouse boogie.