Translated magazine article from Italy

In MobyGrape@yahoogroups.com, wayne hawes wrote:

Speaking of the vocal harmonies of West Coast music, it is commonplace to cite, mistakenly, as initiating this musical style, "Deja Vu" of CSN&Y, ignoring completely the genius of Alexander "Skip" Spence and of his Moby Grape, to whose debut album is ascribed the merit of having forged this genre.

Fated to be forgotten due to their quite short career, Moby Grape left us a very interesting musical legacy, brought to light thanks to the tribute project "Forever Mo'" directed by Bill Morse. This third volume, even though not boasting a cast composed of the big names that often populate tributes, in its simplicity (see the excessive artistry
of some tributes) unveils a level of quality that is quite high.

The renditions, being live rather than in a studio, are not simply carbon copies, but on the contrary allow themselves a wide margin of exploration. Interesting in this sense is the tentative experiments of some passages in parallel versions. In particular excels the
driving chorus of "Murder in My Heart for the Judge" by Mike Fornatale (who participated also in the Moby Grape reunion tour of 2001), the excellent country version of "Funky Tunk" by the Juvenators and an explosive "Seeing" by the Italian "Hypnodance," the legendary Florentine band led by Ernesto de Pascale. A final colorful note is the presence among these interpretations of Bob Harvey, bassist of the first formation of the Jefferson Airplane with Skip Spence as drummer, author together with Brian Fowler of an excellent rendition of "Hurting for the People."

Vote: 6.5

Reason: It is a courageous project birthed across the oceans that merits applause and an attentive listen.

ALBUM OF THE MONTH - SAN FRANCISCO BLUE IDIOTS VISION

How did the band get together? The story begins in the early 1990's. Bob and Brian were in the same Sea Bee (Naval Construction Battalion) that went to Saudi Arabia during Desert Storm. Bob and Brian started playing together and after returning to civilian life in May 1991 they did some writing and recording. But when Bob had a family tragedy and he had his hands full dealing with it, they lost touch. In the fall of 1998, Bob and Brian found each other again through Jeff Tamarkin who was writing a book on the Airplane and was looking for Bob. Brian answered Jeff's query on the internet and gave him Bob's Atlanta address. Jeff's letter was forwarded to California where Bob had moved. After meeting Grace Slick in Malibu, Jeff drove to Riverside, California and spent a few hours interviewing Bob. He also gave Bob Brian's E-mail address. Bob contacted Brian and they began working on songs again. Bob would send lyrics and Brian would add music. He would record the music and send it back to Bob. This was how San Francisco Blue was formed and how the project called "Idiot's Vision" was begun in October 1998. The year 2001 is a time of renewal and promise. Bob and Brian are very pleased that "Idiot's Vision" has now been released through Cranium Music in New Zealand. It is a limited pressing of 1,000 CDs. Get one while they are still available

Record Collector Magazine UK - January 2001