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Grand Funk Railroad On Time Release Date: 1969 Running Time: 50:50 Label: Capitol Rating:

Grand Funk Railroad's 1969 debut is a wildly uneven affair. Although the exuberant energy and power-trio theatrics that would fuel their 1970s hits are in place, the group's songwriting and arranging abilities are very much in their infancy. The biggest problems in terms of songwriting are the often-amateurish lyrics: "Anybody's Answer" is a sincere but muddled attempt at a message song that expends a lot of energy without ever focusing on a particular target and "Heartbreaker" is a love lament that is content to trot out a series of well-worn heartbreak clichés. In terms of arrangements, the band often places an aimless jam where a tight instrumental break should be. The standout example of this problem is "TNUC," a loose-limbed tune that wears out its welcome with an overlong and unstructured drum solo. Despite these problems, there are some strong tunes in the mix: "Are You Ready" is an exuberant rocker built on one of Mel Schacher's trademark walking basslines and "Into the Sun" is a clever tune that starts as a mellow mid-tempo jam before blossoming into a stomping rocker with a funky guitar riff. Both of these sturdy tunes appropriately became mainstays of Grand Funk Railroad's live show for many years to come. "Time Machine" is another highlight, a bluesy shuffle built on Mark Farner's wailing vocals and a catchy, stuttered guitar riff. All in all, On Time is way too patchy of an album to please the casual listener but provides a few hints of and contains enough worthwhile moments to please the group's fans. Donald A. Guarisco, All Music Guide

Tracks:

	Title	Composer	Time
1	Are You Ready	Farner	3:28
2	Anybody's Answer	Farner	5:17
3	Time Machine	Farner	3:45
4	High on a Horse	Farner	2:56
5	T.N.U.C.	Farner	8:42
6	Into the Sun	Farner	6:29
7	Heartbreaker	Farner	6:35
8	Call Yourself a Man	Farner	3:05
9	Can't Be Too Long	Farner	6:34
10	Ups and Downs	Farner	5:01

Other Releases:

On Time [Bonus Tracks] Release Date: 2002 Label: Capitol

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