Closer To Home is in the same vein as the two Grand Funk albums that preceded it, heavy on under-produced blues-rock with a blue-collar sensibility. Unlike those, this one really sees the trio branching out their sound a bit and is one of their better early efforts, should you be in the mood for such a thing.

Vocal harmonies propel the chugging rhythm of "Nothing Is The Same," funky bass work can be found in "Aimless Lady" and the ballad "Mean Mistreater" -- a first for the band -- has much more soul than most other syrup of the early 70s.

Of course, the title track is one of the band's best, their attempt at a "Hey Jude" epic, with strings piled on the end to give it that end-of-the-movie feel. The first half is stronger, especially the minor-chord break; would that the lyrics matched the ambition of the music.

Like any Funk album, there is some unexciting filler, such as "Get It Together" and the misogynistic "I Don't Have To Sing The Blues," which is just tasteless and boring. "Hooked On Love" is another longer song that belonged on the debut On Time, though again the bass work is what elevates this.

The two best songs are on any hits collection, but if you are looking to dig deeper into Grand Funk's back catalog for whatever reason, this is a fine place to start.

Rating: B-

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