Truly Fine Citizen

Truly Fine Citizen is the fourth studio album by American rock band Moby Grape. It was released on July 30, 1969, by Columbia Records. After completing the album, the band went on hiatus until 1971 when they reunited with Skip Spence and Bob Mosley to record the reunion album, 20 Granite Creek.

Truly Fine Citizen
Studio album by
Moby Grape
ReleasedJuly 30, 1969
RecordedMay 27–29, 1969
Genre
Length29:54
LabelColumbia
ProducerBob Johnston
Moby Grape chronology
Moby Grape '69
(1969)		 Truly Fine Citizen
(1969)		 20 Granite Creek
(1971)

Background

After the departure of Bob Mosley, the remaining trio headed to Nashville where they cut this album in just three days with legendary Columbia Records producer Bob Johnston. This album fulfilled the band's contract with Columbia Records. At the time, the band was in the midst of legal disputes with their manager, Matthew Katz, with the result that certain songs written by band members were instead credited to their road manager, Tim Dell'Ara.[1] In particular, songs written by Jerry Miller and Don Stevenson became Tim Dell'Ara songs, to counter Matthew Katz withholding royalties on previous recordings.[2]

Replacing Bob Mosley on bass was famed Nashville session musician Bob Moore, who had played bass on many Elvis Presley sessions and was one of the founders of Monument Records, for many years the recording home of Roy Orbison.

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[3]
Rolling Stone originalnegative[4]
Rolling Stone[5]

In a contemporary review for The Village Voice, music critic Robert Christgau gave the album a "C+" and wrote, "In which what should have been America's greatest rock group gasps its last. Quite mediocre, despite a couple of lovely Peter Lewis songs."[6]

Track listing

Side one
  1. "Changes, Circles Spinning" (Peter Lewis) – 2:27
  2. "Looper" (Lewis) – 3:02
  3. "Truly Fine Citizen" (Tim Dell'Ara, but see above) – 1:47
  4. "Beautiful Is Beautiful" (Dell'Ara) – 2:29
  5. "Love Song" (Dell'Ara) – 2:22

Side two
  1. "Right Before My Eyes" (Lewis) – 2:02
  2. "Open Up Your Heart" (Dell'Ara) – 2:36
  3. "Now I Know High" (Lewis) – 6:10
  4. "Treat Me Bad" (Dell'Ara) – 2:17
  5. "Tongue-Tied" (Jerry Miller, Skip Spence) – 2:01
  6. "Love Song, Part Two" (Dell'Ara) – 2:41

Bonus tracks on 2007 CD edition
  1. "Rounder" [Live] (Spence) – 2:02
  2. "Miller’s Blues" [Live] (Miller, Bob Mosley) – 6:06
  3. "Changes" [Live] (Miller, Don Stevenson) – 4:17
  4. "Skip’s Song" ["Seeing" Demo] (Spence) – 3:26
  5. "Looper" [Demo, previously unreleased] (Lewis) – 2:06
  6. "Soul Stew" [Instrumental, previously unreleased] (Mosley) – 2:18
  7. "Cockatoo Blues" ["Tongue-Tied" Demo, previously unreleased] (Miller, Spence) – 3:41

Personnel
Additional personnel

Charts

Album - Billboard

Year Chart Position
1969 Pop Albums 157
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References
  1. Allmusic Review of Truly Fine Citizen
  2. Moby Grape discussion group--"More B. Grape" thread, May 17, 2004.
  3. Allmusic review
  4. Gerson, Ben (18 October 1969). "Records". Rolling Stone. San Francisco: Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc. (44): 37.
  5. Christgau, Robert (October 18, 2007). "Mixed Grapes: Moby Grape". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 25, 2013.
  6. Christgau, Robert (January 15, 1970). "Consumer Guide (6)". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved December 25, 2013.
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