I didn't realize it has been well over a year since I last uploaded a video. So, thought this recent discovery was a great time to return!
This Grand Funk Railroad show at Shea Stadium is a bit of a holy grail. The group was at the top of their game at this point in time. This concert is notorious for selling out faster than the Beatles show at same venue in 1965. And when you watch this, listen to the crowd as they were cheering and screaming throughout the GFR show, similar to what went down at concerts by the Beatles.
The other interesting aspect of this gig is that it was fully filmed by the Maysles Brothers, the duo who brought you the Gimme Shelter film featuring the Rolling Stones Altamont disaster.
The 50th anniversary of this concert recently passed just a few months ago and it would have been fantastic if the legal and personal differences amongst the band could have been set aside to allow for the full release of the concert in its entirety. I still hold out hope that some day, we will get the full gig, in excellent quality!
But, at least this 40 minute segment has come to light! Previously there was just the footage of GFR performing I'm Your Captain that was available (that song is also included in this footage but not as much crowd footage is shown during the song). Are You Ready, Paranoid, T.N.U.C., I'm Your Captain and Inside Looking Out are the songs contained in this video. For me, the standout portion are T.N.U.C. and Inside Looking Out. The quality of the footage is not that great, but I did some slight cleanup and enhancing to make it a bit brighter and vibrant.
Sadly, from my view, just a bit too much time is wasted on slow-mo effects during Don's drum solo in T.N.U.C., a bit too long showing Mel shaking the maracas and showing Mark's shoes while he was jiving around the stage. As I said, the Shea concert by Grand Funk Railroad is for me at least one of those Holy Grails, and I am beyond thrilled that at least we get to see more of the show then what was previously available. I just pray that if they do end up releasing the full concert footage, they get rid of the effects and just concentrate on the group playing! Cause they are fucking playing their asses off big time!! GFR always did whenever they played live, but other than the MSG 72 footage and the LA Forum 74 footage and the odd song from some other gigs, there is just not that much footage of GFR in action kicking around.
And listen to that crowd and watch them shake the stadium off its foundations! They got their $5 bucks worth that night! If you only watch one concert video in your life to get a feeling of what it would have been like to attend a fantastic rock concert and see and hear a band that were absolutely tight and in the groove, then this is the one to see!
Grand Funk Railroad said it all and on this night, the power of rock and roll, funk and blues just poured off that stage. Simply an incredible performance is in store for you! ENJOY!!!!!
Are You Ready 0:00
Paranoid 3:30
I'm Your Captain 9:31
T.N.U.C. 15:27
Inside Looking Out 24:36
11 ноя 2021