Quad LP/Tape Poll Grand Funk Railroad: We're An American Band [Q8]

[EMB]

Capitol Q8W-11207, from 1973.


Program 1:

We're An American Band
Stop Lookin' Back
Creepin'
Black Licorice

Program 2:

The Railroad
Ain't Got Nobody
Walk Like a Man
Loneliest Rider


ED

 

[Q-Eight]

I'll keep this one simple. Too much echo, not very discrete.

 

[winopener]

Agree. The sound structure doesn't allow for a fully discrete mix, however it is a nice listen, especially if you're going to Omaha.

 

[EMB]

I'll keep this one simple. Too much echo, not very discrete.

Pretty much my opinion on the Jim Croce Q8's, which aren't nearly as bad, but echo is a problem with these. Sure wish someone who knew what they were doing had mixed them, but they is what they is. The #1 hit helps to compensate for the deficiencies, it's still killer.

ED

 

[winopener]

Don't think that WAAB would had allowed for a more discrete mix, since the sound structure is not so layered as the followers Shinin' on or All The Girls. There is some quad effect used here and there (railroad, the ending of Loneliest rider...) but the quad is used mainly for presence (and it does!). Craig Frost was the new guy in the band and Mark Don & Mel didn't rely too much on him, so the sound structure is still the "power trio".
Then, with Shinin' On, things changed musically and allowed for more layered sound, thus more element in the recipe ready to stir in 4 channels.

 

[par4ken]

I just got around to digitising my Q8 tape. Soundwise it has a rather muffled sound quality. Boosting the midrange helps the sound a lot, too much high end boost just increases noise. Q8's aren't always the best for fidelity although there are exceptions.

Putting the fidelity issue aside I don't mind the mix. The performance while IMHO is not up to the same standard of the early stuff is still top notch. It is a much better album than the subsequent releases.

As I recall this is my second copy of this tape, the first I couldn't fix. Stereo cartridges are much easier to work with as they contain only half the tape. What do you do with a mess of unspooled tape?

Do to fidelity issues I'm voting a six.

 

[winopener]

As I recall this is my second copy of this tape, the first I couldn't fix. Stereo cartridges are much easier to work with as they contain only half the tape. What do you do with a mess of unspooled tape?

Do to fidelity issues I'm voting a six.

There was a reason these carts were nicknamed cRapitol...
With a mess of unspooled tape, there you can buy another one, in USA are (relatively) easy to find. Outside USA, if that happens - and sometimes it does happen - you just get a 6pack of patience, use two gloves, find the splice, cut and respool carefully. Had to do it long ago with a BTO cart, i know isn't fun, but it was loooooong before that album had a DV sacd release. I don't like to trash a nice tape just because one time it went belly up!

 

[par4ken]

I listened to the Captain Beyond rip of "Shinin' On", which I assume was equalised a bit as it sounds better than my copy of this release. Normally I run with a bit of bass boost but I noticed that these tapes sound better without any bass boost applied. Added bass makes them sound muddy as there is little high end to balance the sound out. I'm thinking of a comparison with AM radio, boosting bass and treble usually makes the sound worse. When I boosted the midrange it helped compensate for the bass boost.

Revisiting a few tracks, I think that the mix is actually very good however there is definitely too much echo on the vocals. That echo coupled with limited high frequency response and the bass boost that I was using all contribute to that muffled sound quality.

I have "All the Girls in the World, Beware!!!" as well but I'm almost afraid to play it! In the past I've simply removed the foam pressure pad for each tape as the old ones either disintegrate or squish into a gooey mass. Most tapes seemed to play OK without the pad, however I recently purchased some replacements from 8trackavenue.com. Actually I need to place another order as they are nearly all gone now. I successfully replaced the pads in "We're An American Band" and "Shinin' On", however at the same time I tried to replace the pad in the same type cartridge "Godspell" and the center of the spool of tape dropped out! The tape was never even played so the splice is readily accessible but to fix it it looks like I would have to pull out all the tape from the center and then wind it back around the spool! I'm not looking forward to that prospect at all!

I would love to hear a modern release of these "CRapitol" recordings.

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