HiRez Poll Graham Central Station - GRAHAM CENTRAL STATION [Blu-Ray Audio]

[rtbluray]

Please post your thoughts and comments on this brand new reissue of the classic self-titled album from Graham Central Station.
This reissue on Blu-Ray Audio is part of Rhino's ongoing Quadio series and is the first release of the original Quadraphonic mix since the 1970s!

 

[MikeT]

Good surround mix, good album. I gave it a 9 overall.

 

[RustyM]

So much fun. I sense that they may have influenced Prince.

 

[steelydave]

Larry Graham was a huge influence on Prince, and toured with him a number of times in the late '90s/early '00s era. Prince also produced Graham's GCS 2000 album, and covered The Jam (from AIn't No Bout-a-Doubt It, the other GCS album with a quad mix, and a phenomenal one at that) a bunch of times in concert.

 

[privateuniverse]

I was totally unfamiliar with Graham Central Station, but after my first listen I want to know more! The is pure 70's funky goodness with a great 4.0 mix.

....AIn't No Bout-a-Doubt It, the other GCS album with a quad mix, and a phenomenal one at that....

Bring it on!

10!

 

[Matt Wilson]

Oh yeah, right up my funk alley, so to speak. Never heard this album before, but some of these songs could've been on a Sly LP. Got it cranking with the bass turned up right now!

9

 

[beerking]

Graham Central Station set a gold standard in funkiness.
This album just makes me smile with it's gorgeous, funky sound.
Yep, Prince knew a good tune alright and Larry Graham knew how to get your feet a tapping with them funky licks.
How lucky are we to have these albums reissued with Rhinos remixing in fantastic quad.
A funkylicious 10

Wiki extract...
Larry Graham Jr. (born August 14, 1946) is an American bassist and baritone singer, with the psychedelic soul/funk band Sly and the Family Stone and as the founder and frontman of Graham Central Station.[1] In 1980, he released the single "One in a Million You", which reached the top ten on the US Billboard Hot 100. He is credited with the invention of the slapping technique on the electric bass guitar, which radically expanded the tonal palette of the bass, although he himself refers to the technique as "thumpin' and pluckin'".[2]

Still going strong at 77

 

[atrocity]

Larry Graham was a huge influence on Prince

In more ways than just musically.

 

[steelydave]

In more ways than just musically.

I'm not going to break the same rules (#4 in particular) that I have to enforce, I'm smarter than that...most of the time.

 

[atrocity]

I'm not going to break the same rules (#4 in particular) that I have to enforce, I'm smarter than that...most of the time.

If it read like I was trying to start something negative, I apologize. I meant to just agree with you and point out that the influence ran deep.

 

[atrocity]

My only quibble with this disc is a weird, obscure one: The 1974 WB Loss Leader Hard Goods opened with "We've Been Waiting" immediately followed by "Can You Handle It." So for half a century that's been the "proper" flow in my head.

But it's still a 10.

 

[steelydave]

If it read like I was trying to start something negative, I apologize. I meant to just agree with you and point out that the influence ran deep.

Oh no, not at all, I was just trying to find a clever way to say I had a thought about mentioning that in my initial post too but it felt like it just wasn't going to end well, so I self-edited.

 

[MIDIQ]

I was originally going to give this a 9, but upon further listens, I have to go with a 10. Really good. I just hope we get Ain't no bout... which is even better. I think we need an 11 on the poll.

 

[par4ken]

While I've heard of Graham Central Station I was not familiar with it before purchasing it. As was pointed out it is a bit like Sly & the Family Stone. Perhaps a bit denser mix than most Sly. I think it was track five "Tell Me What It Is" that was the most Sly like, if you didn't know the artist you might have guessed that track to be Sly & the Family.

Great sound quality and great mix. I'm voting nine.

 

[Dynamic Editor]

The bass is sometimes just so flabby in this mix. Other times it's much more clear and reasonable.

 

[Clement]

This one is a LOT of funky fun! The star of the show is Larry Graham's bass, which comes strong and serpentine and downright greasy from all four speakers. When the groove is right and the lyrics are thoughtful, it really soars (take "Hair," for example). Even when things don't totally mesh together, it's hard to resist the driving groove that Graham establishes with his funk thump! As previous reviewers have noted, the album sounds very much like a Sly and the Family Stone release (and why wouldn't it, given Graham's roots). Some of the songs feel very much like pop and soul ("It Ain't No Fun To Me" and "Can You Handle It?"); some of them are straight funk ("We Be's Gettin' Down"); some add searing guitar runs ("People"); and some hit so hard with layers of drum machines, keyboards, and vocals all driven by Graham's relentless bass ("Tell Me What It Is" and "Why?"). The fidelity is great, and this disc shines when CRANKED! If you are a fan of funk, you need this release!