I wonder if we’ll finally get those album reissues now that Matthew Katz is no longer with us? I think he still had the copyright to the artwork or something? I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s still causing the band problems from beyond the grave. RIP Jerry Miller.

Back in the USSR Dear Prudence Everybody's Got Something to Hide... Glass Onion Hey Bulldog While My Guitar Gently Weeps Happiness is a Warm Gun Revolution Savoy Truffle Ob-la-di Ob-la-da Helter Skelter Don't Pass Me By Birthday Black Bird Hey Jude

Wow is a great album. Your assessment is way off. I like it much better than the first one. It was perfect for the moment of time it dropped. 🐇🐇🐇

I thought Jerry Peloquin was the original JA drummer!

Mickey Rooney Jr. was also in a group named "Song" - check out their LP from 1970, esp the Badfinger-esque "Like we Were Before".

I grew up listening. Bob moseley was a fantastic bass player and singer who influenced me to play bass.

RIP Jerry Miller he was an underrated talent who will be sadly missed. Also John Mayall of the Bluesbreakers fame who helped launched the careers of Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, John McVie and Peter Green among others.

Was the poetry/lyric contest for The Lake the same one that Buffalo Springfield got stuck with for In the Hour of Night Quite Rain?

And yes, Matt, that middle section of the Buckinghams “Susan” was wacko. Same on the Rascals single version of “It’s Wonderful” at the end. The era of “goofy but must be cool.”

I saw Moby Grape at the Anderson Theater in NYC (near the more famous Fillmore East) in Feb. 1968. Can’t say I remember much, except it was the NyC garbage strike and waiting outside even in the Feb cold was pretty fragrant. I do recall they did a good show, tight songs and not the endless jamming. Anyone else there?

Wow! Thank you so much for this extended history of my favourite 1960's San Francisco bands. I went to Woodstock 1969 with my older cousins (I was 12 years old, and my cousins left me alone to hang out with other kids my age at the fest). Seeing Jefferson Airplane in the morning was such a delight for me, because they were who I was most excited to see, and they didn't let me down. I'm an east coast person (born and raised in NJ, and I'm still here at age 67), so the San Francisco sound was my favourite genre of Rock music. I also saw the Grateful Dead for the 1st time of 153 shows through my concert history. I never listened to the Dead before seeing them at Woodstock, and even though they said that their performance at Woodstock was their worst ever show, they still hooked me in. Getting back to seeing The Airplane, was one of the kids who was hanging out near the helicopters that transported the artists to and from the show, and Grace Slick came over to a bunch of us and told us she loved us. I thought she was a pretty classy and gorgeous to take the time to do that. Those times were so long ago and the world has changed many times since then, but I am still that hippy kid inside, and I still believe in the things I protested against back then. I also still love Jefferson Airplane's music.

I remember the songwriting contest in 67-68 that resulted in "Lake" At the same time, there was a similar contest in Los Angeles for Buffalo Springfield that resulted in a song on 'Second Time Around'

There were some pretty boring bands back then but these guys take the prize. Just a huge snoozefest of mediocrety. Trower had some decent stuff when he went solo. Complete disappointment and didn't live upo to the hype.

If you listen closely to the debut album, each guitarist is playing a different part. Those arrangements are amazing. The later three guitar bands didn't do that.

Manfred Mann ? what a popular yet odd chart topping band .

After you finish the Moby grape series you should do one for the band they made some really neat stuff

Another great job on band reviews, Matt! A lot of fascinating details about a band I knew very little about, although I’ve had their first album for some years now - the whole thing is great! I’m looking forward to your part two of this series… Maybe you already had it in mind, but could you at least mention Skip Spence’s solo album “Oar” (I have that one also - with the extra cuts on it) - or maybe do that as a separate review?

RIP, Jerry. Huge influence to so many of us.

Rubinson’s work, to me, was a large part of the band’s downfall. When the band sounds musically competent, a major label pays the bills, and the record sounds like crap (my opinion), that’s on the producer, period. The producer chooses songs, styles, keys, arrangements, studios, session times, and most important, a sonic ‘cast’ for each song and the whole album. I don’t hear anything good in that last metric at all, more like the band winging it without any plan. I speak from personal experience. It is a hugely difficult job, mixed with a large helping of psychology. I hope David doesn’t read this. He’s probably a great guy.

They were a big influence on the 90's UK band the Verve as well. RIP Jerry Miller. Looking forward to part 2!

My choice would be HEY JUDE. I can’t stand that song and never could. Sue me!

Matt when I was seven years old in 1967, Mrs Johnson owner of the record shop in downtown Longview Texas knew Skip Spence and apparently used to come and visit the record shop. In 1985 Mrs Johnson opened up a new record store called Moby Grape, she got permission to use the name somehow, Skip approved. It.

I always loved "Wow" just as it is. R.I.P. Jerry

I still have my copy of their first LP, bought when it came out. I consider it to be one of the best records from the era but honestly, I thought the next one was awful and I still don't like it. What a sorry tale of mismanagement!

Explain how they recorded rubber soul so fast

RIP Jerry Miller, I met him briefly at an open jam a couple years ago, really nice guy. That 1st LP is great. Wow has its moments, but dragged down by too much gimmickry IMHO.

Hey Matt, another great video! I got a question that I feel like you might know the answer. For years I’ve been trying to listen to the first album on streaming services, but it doesn’t seem to be on Spotify or Apple Music. Only just a few tracks for some reason. Do you think this has to do with Matthew Katz? This guy is giving us Matt’s a bad name !

Thanks for this video on Moby Grape Matt! My name isn't really Bert if their debut didn't hit me like one of the very finest albums from the 60s! Not one to likely turn up in greatest albums ever lists though, surprisingly. After watching this first part I replayed the 2CD Vintage anthology in its entirety yesterday and enjoyed almost every second of it. They sure could be goofy though at times, especially Skip, whose solo album will likely feature in part 2. The production on Wow is at times distracting too, yes, almost weird for weird's sake. Never listened to the jam album but it's interesting that Led Zeppelin found yet another artist they could plagiarize within its grooves! And yes, FWIW, Murder in My Heart for the Judge should have been a hit for them... maybe the title was a little off putting for some... Looking forward to part 2 already, even if their story isn't really an upwards trajectory exactly.

Are any George Martin albums on CD.?

Anyone who thinks Best was fired because he wasn't as good as Ringo isn't a drummer. Lennon was jealous of Bests good looks and that was a step too far. I've played in many bands and i was proficient in my art having been trained in Jazz. No higher tech. But i found my way out of several bands because for singers and guitarists....... limelight is VERY important. Sorry if Beatles fans can't handle that but Ringo wasn't chosen for his looks.

Does anyone have a list of the songs played at the beginning?

Could they really be arrested just for "consorting" with underage girls? Or were they doing more?

was not expecting moby grape for some reason, but am so happy, one of my favorite bands of all time

Brilliant!

Really interesting episode, these guys did some great stuff.

The take that was used for Hey Jude was when Ringo was taking a 💩 and just made in back to the control room in the nick of time! 😅😅😅😅😅

Matt - very good first segment on this amazing band. Also good job on your treatment of Wow - their 2nd album. I believe it was both Rubinson / Sgt Pepper influence that caused that album to sound the way it did. But also, Peter Lewis was largely absent - only contributing one song "He" which was recorded in Aug. '67. Skip Spence, the heart and soul of the band had great songs that could have been included on Wow and made it much stronger: Skip's Song (Seeing), You Can Do Anything and Rounder (left over from the '67 album but not completed with vocals). All three could have made Wow a very good if not great album. Alas, Rubinson, for whatever reason, rejected those songs in favor of Skip's weaker material (Funky Tunk, Gene Awtrey and Motorcyle Irene). It was an overproduced album overall. Grape Jam also inexplicably does not have Mike Bloomfield on guitar ! Jerry Miller plays, but Bloomfield plays piano. The outtakes from those sessions really show Miller, Mosley and Stevenson's chops too - Bag's Groove and various jazz workouts... The Lake was an unfortunate gimmick, as was the munchkin vocals on Funky Tunk and the speed change for Gene Awtrey. In spite of it all, Moby Grape shines on this album. RIP Jerry Miller - you were the best guitar player of the 60's.

I loved Moby Grape, the lyrics, the tunes the musicianship, they were a big part of my musical education, but the Grateful Dead epitomized San Francisco in the 60’s like no other group could or ever will.

Great video about one of my favorite bands from my high school years. Look forward to the remaining episodes.

Oh thanks for this! Best band/debut album. Sitting By The Window --guitar work is spectacular!

I just purchased an edition of their first album with the hype sticker covering Stevenson's middle finger photo. The guy who owned the shop where I bought it knew nothing about this band or the fact that it was their debut album, so he sold it to me for $12.00, it's in perfect condition. I've had the Wow album with Grape Jam for a long time, but the debut album is pretty rare, especially with the banned cover.

Just saw on the news that Jerry Miller, a co-founder of MG passed away. R.I.P.

Columbia may have been just a little too excited about finally getting "their San Francisco band"? RCA picked up the Jefferson Airplane and WB got the Grateful Dead. Columbia wanted one of their own, and when they did, touted their prize to the world. This feeding frenzy for Bay area bands in 1966 was akin to the major labels swooping down on Seattle 25 years later trying to sign anyone wearing flannel. And just like in Seattle, many in SF considered in "selling out"

I was a bit underwhelmed when I heard Wow and after hearing the original versions vs the album versions, now I know why. Can't wait for Part 2!

Not sure if I am remembering this correctly but I seem to recall Moby Grape playing live on the radio in the UK in the late 60s. Did they tour the UK? Maybe Part 2 will reveal all!

Absolutely LOVE this album from beginning to end! Do people actually not understand that the album is supposed to sound like a newspaper? Do people not understand where John and Yoko's heads were at in 1972? "New York City" and "We're All Water" are kickass rock songs. AND a jam with Frank Zappa?! Play It Loud!

I bought Wow/Grape Jam new when first released. I believe they were simply shrink wrapped together. I recall some of my friends, who'd loved the first album, being really disappointed with Wow as a whole. Too many sound effects and extraneous stuff almost like novelty songs, and yes, too much overproduction. I largely agreed, though I agree with you, Matt, that there were some great songs on it.

I find it extraordinarily fascinating that trend-chasing in the late 60s took the form of throwing experimental sound collages and freakout sections into your music. Oh, how things have changed!

Hey, Matt; thank you for this and all your well-researched profiles & reviews. Glad for this overview of George Martin's work. As a teen in the 1970's I didn't appreciate the Hard Day's Night instrumentals until hearing (on Doctor Demento) Casey Kaysum's record entitled A Letter From Elaina, which used the And I Love Her instrumental as background. I recognized the music, and relistened to the soundtrack and enjoyed all the music at that point. Thanks again.

The lack of hit singles may not have been that critical. By 1967 album oriented rock rather than singles was becoming more important for "hip" music lovers. The Grateful Dead, Country Joe, Yes, Jimi Hendrix - none of these bands had hit US singles but all had an enduring legacy. The first Moby Grape album remains a classic, and that's enough accomplishment for any band.