The Grass Roots: “Let’s Live For Today” (2022) CD Review

I was fourteen years old the first time I saw The Monkees in concert. That tour wasn’t just a Monkees reunion, but a celebration of 1960s music, and the lineup also included Herman’s Hermits, Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, and The Grass Roots. Of those three groups, the one I was most excited to see was The Grass Roots, in large part because of “Let’s Live For Today,” a song I loved then and still love. I’m not sure how many original or early members took part in that tour, but I know that none of them are in the band any longer. Yet, Let’s Live For Today, a new album that is a celebration of the band’s music, does feature the vocal work of lead singer Rob Grill, who died more than a decade ago. His vocal parts were recorded in 1997. On these tracks, he is backed by different musicians, including Wayne Kramer and The Fuzztones.

This album opens with “Wait A Million Years,” a song that was a hit for The Grass Roots in 1969. This version features The Courettes. Flavia Couri is on vocals, guitar, bass, piano; and Martin Couri is on drums and percussion. They are joined by Soren Christensen on mellotron. And they totally rock this song. This track has a great, full sound that explodes around you, and is certainly one of the disc’s highlights. It is the first of two versions of this song included on this disc. The second version is a bit shorter, and is more in line with what you are likely used to regarding this song. It is good, but not quite as exciting as that first track. Then Wayne Kramer, from MC5, plays guitar on “Midnight Confessions.” This is the first of three versions of this song included on this disc, and, as you might guess, the guitar work is the focus here. There is even some cool guitar work in that short section toward the end where we usually hear mainly the vocals. This track rocks. The second version, listed as “The KVB Remix,” has quite a different sound and vibe, giving us a fresh look at the song. There is a cool and strangely haunting feel, making this the most interesting of the album’s tracks. This is a much longer version too. The third version of this song is the disc’s final track, and is much closer to the band’s original version.

There are two versions of “Let’s Live For Today” on this disc, and the first features The Fuzztones, a band I’ve been digging for a while. Rudi Protrudi is on guitar and bass, Lana Loveland is on organ, and Marco Rivagli is on drums. And, yeah, this is probably my personal favorite track. It’s such a great song, and The Fuzztones do such an excellent job with it. It is a faithful rendition, but still manages to sound fresh. The second version is slightly shorter, and is a good track to listen to with headphones. “We’re never meant to worry the way that people do/And I don’t mean to hurry as long as I’m with you.” This disc also includes two versions of “Temptation Eyes.” The first is labeled “Night Beats mix,” and features Danny Lee Blackwell, who is the only permanent member of Night Beats. This is a kind of pretty rendition, a bit slower than the original version, and it works really well. I especially like the instrumental section at the end. This version is approximately a minute longer than the original Grass Roots version. The second version contained on this disc is approximately the length of the original.

This disc contains two versions of “Sooner Or Later,” the first featuring Dead Ghosts. That’s Bryan Nicol on guitar and vocals, Andrew Wilkinson on guitar, Michael Wilkinson on drums, Craig Pettman on organ and percussion, and Maurizio Chuimento on bass. It’s a fairly fun rendition, with some cool work on guitar. I particularly like the way they conclude it, with that brief instrumental section. This song was a hit for The Grass Roots in 1971. The second version is a bit shorter, but with a good energy. “Sooner Or Later” is followed by “Bella Linda.” This was originally an Italian song, with English lyrics then written by Steve Barri and Barry Gross for The Grass Roots. It’s an unusual sort of pop song, and has become one of my favorites. “Heaven Knows” is a song that was included on The Grass Roots’ 1969 LP Leaving It All Behind, and was also released as a single. It has a cheerful sound. “With a song in my heart/And a chance to be yours forever/I couldn’t feel more secure/I couldn’t feel any better.” “Things I Should Have Said” was included on The Grass Roots 1967 LP Let’s Live For Today, where it is the lead track. It was also released as a single. “Things I should have said to her/That maybe would have changed her mind to stay.”

CD Track List

1. Wait A Million Years
2. Midnight Confessions
3. Let’s Live For Today
4. Temptation Eyes
5. Sooner Or Later
6. Bella Linda
7. Heaven Knows
8. Midnight Confessions
9. Things I Should Have Said
10. Sooner Or Later
11. Wait A Million Years
12. Temptation Eyes
13. Let’s Live For Today
14. Midnight Confessions

Let’s Live For Today is scheduled to be released on September 9, 2022 on Cleopatra Records, and will be available on both CD and vinyl.