Poco- Live at the Columbia Studios, Hollywood, 1971

 Live at the Columbia Studios, Hollywood, 1971

Unlike the new material debuted on Deliverin', this hour-long set cherry-picked material from all four of the band's previous albums, with half drawn from their latest studio release. The medley of "Hard Luck," "Child's Claim to Fame," and "Pickin' Up the Pieces" had appeared on their previous live outing, and remains notable for the inclusion of Furray's Buffalo Springfield-era "Child's Claim to Fame." The live arrangements were generally kept concise and tight, though they allowed themselves to jam a bit on "Hurry Up," and the single "C'mon" is stretched to five minutes with a breakdown and guitar solo. They also slow down mid-set for a pair of acoustic tunes, "You Are the One" and "Bad Weather."

Cotton's role as lead guitarist and singer gave this line-up an edgier sound than the founding quintet. Young's pedal steel is still prominently featured on songs like "Ol' Forgiver" and "Bad Weather," and the band sings fine country-rock harmonies, but the electric guitars cut a bit deeper, and there are some progressive elements in the melodies and vocal arrangements - particularly in the newer material. Furay would leave the band a couple of years later, making this the only officially released document of this line-up's live prowess. Collectors' Choice digipack includes a four-panel booklet with detailed (but unsigned) liner notes; this is one of four previously unreleased live albums the label is releasing concurrently.