Graham Central Station

by Graham Central Station, Larry Graham

Overview

This promising 1973 album represents bass wizard Larry Graham's first post-Sly and the Family Stone work. Much like his previous band, Graham Central Station was a multiracial unit that blended soul grooves and pop hooks to create an exuberant hybrid. However, Graham Central Station gives Graham's bass work a more upfront role in the sound and adds further layers of rhythms with drum machines and rhythmic-sounding keyboards like the clavinet. The result is a disc that is equal parts pop-soul ("Ain't No Fun to Me") and funk ("We Be Gettin' Down"). The blend isn't as seamless as one might hope, which means some songs are stronger on groove then they are on melody: "Tell Me What It Is" has a great groove built on a seamless mix of thumping bass and throbbing drum machine, but lacks the melodic hooks necessary to make it a truly memorable song. Another problem is that the lyrics are underdeveloped in places: "People" rails against injustice but fails to point the finger at a specific cause, and "Why?" treads on too-familiar love lament territory. Despite these problems, Graham Central Station remains an engaging listen thanks to fine musicianship; even when the songs are lacking in hooks, there is an abundance of cool riffs and stellar vocal harmonies that will make funk fans smile. When this musicianship is applied to the right songs, the results are pure magic: "Hair" wraps a clever lyric about tolerance around a huge groove driven by one of Graham's serpentine basslines, and "Can You Handle It?" effectively fuses a pop melody built on a sing-along chorus to a propulsive bass/keyboard groove (it also became the group's first chart hit). In short, casual listeners may want to pick up this album's highlights on a compilation, but funk lovers will find plenty to enjoy on Graham Central Station. ~ Donald A. Guarisco

Product Details

Release Date:	10/25/2024
Label:	Warner Records
UPC:	0081227815240

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Graham Central Station   Primary Artist
Larry Graham   Primary Artist,Bass,Drums,Organ,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Clavinet,Fuzz Bass,Percussion,Vocals (Background)
Larry Graham & Graham Central Station   Primary Artist
Robert Sam   Piano,Vocals,Keyboards,Vocals (Background),Organ
Patryce Banks   Drums,Vocals,Guitar (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Lenny Williams   Vocals
Milt Holland   Percussion
Freddie Stone   Guitar
David Vega   Guitar
Hershall Kennedy   Wind,Vocals,Trumpet,Clavinet,Vocals (Background)
Freddie Stewart   Guitar
Willy Sparks   Drums,Vocals
Pascal Caboose   Sax (Tenor)

Technical Credits

Clarence McDonald   String Arrangements,Arranger
Russ Titelman   Producer
Posie Knight   Composer
Larry Graham   Arranger,Composer,Lyricist,Producer,Horn Arrangements
Freddie Stone   Composer,Arranger
Mallory Earl   Engineer
Al Green   Composer
Tom Flye   Mixing,Engineer
Donn Landee   Engineer
Stephen Barncard   Engineer
Lee Herschberg   Mixing
Mike Salisbury   Cover Design
Jerry Weaver   Composer
Freddie Stewart   Composer
Trudy Portch   Production Coordination
Herbert Greene   Photography