Shinin' On - Grand Funk

This is the eighth album by rock band, at the time, under the title Grand Funk. This was released in 1974 and what I don't understand is their August 1969 debut album, On Time, they were Grand Funk Railroad. Then their next album was the December, 1969 self titled Grand Funk. So there isn't really a consistency to the use of one or the other. These guys are probably best known for We're An American Band. The thing that's cool about this album is it comes with 3D glasses and is in 3D. I'm not huge on the album cover, but that's still a cool idea. Todd Rundgren produced this album for them, and also their previous 1973 album We're An American Band and also plays guitar on this album for the song, I have to check back later but I'll put it in there. Their first 7 albums, including live albums too, were produced by Terry Knight. Now I didn't know were I knew his name from, but he was present for some of the recordings sessions of the 1968 self titled double album The Beatles. He was present for some, and was there when Ringo temporarily quit. I guess that he was surprised they fought so much and couldn't negotiate a contract to do it. Their final album, before the first break up Good Singin', Good Playin' was produced by the one and only Frank Zappa. Now I think it sucks that that was their last one before the first break up, but still, whatever.

1. Shinin' On: This is the title track and it kicks ass. This song surprised me, I thought I'd be bored. There is a synth or Moog or mellotron solo kind of, but it's not like overpowering. It sounds kind of like something that Jon Lord would play. The guitar part followed by that isn't so much solo as it is filling. But it's better that it didn't has a "solo". It sounds way cooler. It's the longest song at 5:56. The ending of this song reminds me of the 1971 Moody Blues song Story In Your Eyes ending, the 2nd song on Every Good Boy Deserves Favor.
2. To Get Back: This song reminds me of a gospel-esque song. This doesn't sound like something that I pictured them playing. There's trumpets and, I think, saxophone. There's this jam at the end of the song that I feel like it reminds me of something Zappa would do. Not style or sound, but they didn't go insane, stoner, Jimi Hendrix or Jimmy Page about the jams, they stayed pretty together on the song.
3. Loco-Motion: This is a big song, I don't really like it all that much. I don't know, I feel like it's gotten old. It's like the some Led Zeppelin songs, I really don't like them anymore because I've heard them so much before. I am almost positive that you've heard this song before. It's also a cover song. I don't hate this song. The guitar distortion reminds me of Jimi Hendrix.
4. Carry Me Through: The vocalist of the songs sounds kind of robotic. It's kind of "scary" compared to the last track, that was really happy and stuff. The vocals are deeper and its sound like the vocal track was slightly slowed down. It reminds me of the original 1973 studio album version of Turn the Page off Bob Seger's 6th album Back in '72. That version of the song is almost impossible to find. #NEEDTHATALBUMONVINYL. Todd Rundgren does guitar on this song. The solo sounds like a Pink Floyd solo that would be on The Wall of maybe Wish You Were Here, possibly The Dark Side of the Moon. The very end of the songs is piano chords and its like the end of the song Epic off Faith No More's 1989 hit album The Real Thing. But more chords than the arpeggios on Epic.
5. Please Me: This is pretty much a Foreigner song feel with Lou Gramm style vocals and Mick Jones guitar. Everything about this song screams Foreigner. The drums on this are bad as at the ending.
6. Mr. Pretty Boy: This is a bluesy song. That starts out with drum hits., then the vocals and bass plays along with the vocals. Then keys come in and a little atmospheric guitar feedback. Then comes the strings. This song also has that Foreigner feeling to it, like the choir vocal chorus feel. The guitar on this song is more buried, but still awesome.
7. Gettin' Over You: The guitar is sick and the whole entire pumping feeling wants me to stay listenin to the album and re-listen. This song is sick, it's very epic. I feel more than Bohemian Rhapsody. Like I don't think that there is much thought that went into that. The keys on this remind me of the song Surgeon by St. Vincent's 2011 album Strange Mercy. The ending of the St. Vincent song has this Floyd-esque keys feeling. There is a drum part in the beginning and then another one later that reminds me of Whole Lotta Love off Zeppelin's 1969 sophomore album Led Zeppelin II. 
8. Little Johnny Hooker: This is a blues song. This is totally Stevie Ray Vaughn before he even existed in music. No debating this sounds like him. It's sounds so much like his style, maybe not the vocals as much at parts of the song, but still the style. It would be one of his faster song, like maybe Crossfire. It towards the ending though has this part where it reminds me of Judas Priest with the way the screams in the background. I don't 

Overall I have to give this a 8.5/10. I really liked this more than I thought I would. I think that this was a surprise. I didn't think that they would make something like this. This album was sick and I think that it should be heard. I think that after realizing that this was so sick I can't wait to do the Live album.