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Poco Poco 1 - Hurry Up The first two-thirds of Poco's second album is 25 minutes of some of their best music. These songs represent the group's blend of country and rock at its finest and brightest, with the happy harmonies of "Hurry Up" and "Keep on Believin'" totally irresistible. Jim Messina's "You Better Think Twice" is a perfectly constructed and arranged song, one that should have been a huge hit but mysteriously never found its place in the Top 40 pantheon. The knock was "too country for rock, too rock for country," but in fact, they were just ahead of their time, a tough spot to be in the world of popular entertainment. What about the last 15 minutes of this disc? It's a lengthy instrumental called "El Tonto de Nadie, Regressa." A cynic would say it's filler, but given the trend at the time toward side-long cuts, it's probably simply Poco's attempt at hipness. In retrospect, it can be seen as the forerunner to Messina's lengthy jams with Loggins & Messina a few years later; the sound is remarkably similar.
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Three Dog Night It Ain't Easy 2 - Out In The Country Track was lifted off the compilation titled "The Complete Hit Singles" After a remarkable string of hits through 1969, Three Dog Night released It Ain't Easy, its fourth album in less than 18 months. Once again, it was a hot seller, going to number eight. Once again, it consisted primarily of songs written by some of rock music's best, but as yet unheralded, composers. And this time, the group had its first number one hit, a memorable version of Randy Newman's fear-of-partying song "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)." Although much more melodramatic than Newman's own understated take on his 12 Songs album, Three Dog Night's rendering was cleverly orchestrated and impossible to escape. It Ain't Easy also included another Newman composition, "Cowboy," the song he'd written for Midnight Cowboy, which was rejected by the filmmakers in favor of Fred Neil's "Everybody's Talkin'." The album also provided a taste of Free with "Woman," Paul Williams' attractive "Out in the Country," and a Cynthia Weil-Barry Mann composition, "Good Time Living." The Elton John classic "Your Song" makes its first appearance on this album as well, predating his own recorded version by several months.
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The James Gang Rides Again 3 - Woman With their second album Rides Again, the James Gang came into their own. Under the direction of guitarist Joe Walsh, the group -- now featuring bassist Dale Peters -- began incorporating keyboards into their hard rock, which helped open up their musical horizons. For much of the first side of Rides Again, the group tear through a bunch of boogie numbers, most notably the heavy groove of "Funk #49." On the second side, the James Gang departs from their trademark sound, adding keyboard flourishes and elements of country-rock to their hard rock. Walsh's songwriting had improved, giving the band solid support for their stylistic experiments. What ties the two sides of the record together is the strength of the band's musicianship, which burns brightly and powerfully on the hardest rockers, as well as on the sensitive ballads.
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Eric Clapton Eric Clapton 4 - Let It Rain Eric Clapton's eponymous solo debut was recorded after he completed a tour with Delaney & Bonnie. Clapton used the core of the duo's backing band and co-wrote the majority of the songs with Delaney Bramlett -- accordingly, Eric Clapton sounds more laid-back and straightforward than any of the guitarist's previous recordings. There are still elements of blues and rock & roll, but they're hidden beneath layers of gospel, R&B, country, and pop flourishes. And the pop element of the record is the strongest of the album's many elements -- "Blues Power" isn't a blues song and only "Let It Rain," the album's closer, features extended solos. Throughout the album, Clapton turns out concise solos that de-emphasize his status as guitar god, even when they display astonishing musicality and technique.
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Led Zeppelin III 5 - Tangerine Led Zeppelin III provided the band with the necessary room to grow musically. While there are still a handful of metallic rockers, III is built on a folky, acoustic foundation that gives the music extra depth. And even the rockers aren't as straightforward as before: the galloping "Immigrant Song" is powered by Robert Plant's banshee wail, "Celebration Day" turns blues-rock inside out with a warped slide guitar riff, and "Out on the Tiles" lumbers along with a tricky, multi-part riff. Nevertheless, the heart of the album lies on the second side, when the band delve deeply into English folk. "Gallows Pole" updates a traditional tune with a menacing flair, and "Bron-Y-Aur Stomp" is an infectious acoustic romp, while "That's the Way" and "Tangerine" are shimmering songs with graceful country flourishes. |