Survival (Grand Funk Railroad album)

Survival
Studio album by Grand Funk Railroad
Released	April 1971
Recorded	January, 1971 at Cleveland Recording Company
Genre	Hard rock
Length	40:55
Label	Capitol 764
Producer	Terry Knight
Grand Funk Railroad chronology
Live Album (1970) Survival (1971) E Pluribus Funk (1971)
Singles from Survival
"Feelin' Alright/I Want Freedom" Released: April 1971 "Gimme Shelter/I Can Feel Him in the Morning" Released: August 1971

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Robert Christgau	(C)[2]
Rolling Stone	[3]

Survival is Grand Funk Railroad's fourth studio album and was released in April 1971 by Capitol Records. It was produced by Terry Knight. Drummer Don Brewer was never happy with the drum sound on the album, due to Knight's insistence of having Brewer cover his drum heads with tea-towels, after seeing Ringo Starr using that technique in the Beatles' film Let It Be (1970).

Track listing

All songs by Mark Farner unless otherwise noted.

1. "Country Road" – 4:22
2. "All You've Got Is Money" – 5:16
3. "Comfort Me" – 6:48
4. "Feelin' Alright" (Dave Mason) – 4:27
5. "I Want Freedom" – 6:19
6. "I Can Feel Him in the Morning" (Don Brewer, Farner) – 7:15
7. "Gimme Shelter" (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) – 6:29

Bonus Tracks – CD Release

1. "I Can't Get Along with Society (Remix)" – 5:41
2. "Jam (Footstompin' Music)" – 4:40
3. "Country Road" (Original version) – 7:37
4. "All You've Got Is Money" (Original version) – 8:18
5. "Feelin' Alright" (Original version) – 5:57

Differences in Bonus Tracks

The bonus tracks on the 2002 reissue labeled "Original Version" have extended sections and extra lyrics compared to the tracks as released on the original LP.

"Feelin' Alright" is a different take of the song, as heard by the different inflections in the lead vocal, placement of the instruments in the stereo mix, and musical differences in the playing. Additionally, a third verse is included that is not in the LP version.

"Footstompin' Music" became a staple at Grand Funk Railroad's concerts, having been recorded at the Survival sessions but not included on the original release. It was brought into their next album setlist, E Pluribus Funk (1971), with a slight different arrangement and without the word "Jam" on its title. The song is featured on the live albums Caught in the Act (1975), Bosnia (1997), and Live: The 1971 Tour (recorded in 1971, released in 2002).

Musicians

• Mark Farner – vocals, guitar, harmonica, keyboards
• Mel Schacher – bass
• Don Brewer – vocals, drums

LP extras

The original LP release came with 8x10 photos of each of the three bandmembers, in similar poses as the caveman image of the three from the album cover.

Charts

Album

Year	Chart	Peak Position
1971	Billboard 200	6[4]
	Australia	9[5]
	Canada	4[6]

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1971	"Feelin' Alright"	Billboard Hot 100	54[7]
		Canada	20
	"Gimme Shelter"	Billboard Hot 100	61[8]
		Canada	49
		Germany	42[9]

References

1. Allmusic review
2. Robert Christgau review
3. Rolling Stone review
4. Grand Funk Railroad, Survival US Chart Position Retrieved March 23, 2015
5. Grand Funk Railroad, Survival Australian Chart Position Retrieved March 23, 2015
6. Grand Funk Railroad, Survival Canadian Chart Position Retrieved March 23, 2015
7. Grand Funk Railroad, "Feelin Alright" Chart Position Retrieved March 23, 2015
8. Grand Funk Railroad, "Gimme Shelter" US Chart Position Retrieved March 23, 2015
9. Grand Funk Railroad, "Gimme Shelter" German Chart Position Retrieved March 23, 2015