Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Poco- From the Inside

From The Inside
By the time Poco released their third studio album From the Inside in 1971, Richie Furay was allowing more and more songs from other band members. [Furay wrote or co-wrote ALL of the tracks on their debut.] The newest songwriter is former lead guitarist for the Illinois Speed Press Paul Cotton, who filled the spot vacated by founding member Jim Messina. Cotton wrote and sang "Bad Weather," "Railroad Days" and "Ol' Forgiver" and added another distinctive voice to the band. And the gorgeous title track was written and sung by bassist Timothy B. Schmidt, his first solo writing credit. Also pedal steel and Dobro player Rusty Young co-wrote the toe-tapping "Hoe Down" with Furay.

Still, the album's highlights are Furay's. The sprightly "You Are the One" evokes the country sounds of Furay's previous band, the Buffalo Springfield, as do "Do You Feel It Too," "What If I Should Say I Love You" and "Just For Me and You."

This is engaging country/rock at its best. Why Poco never had the kind of chart success the Eagles had remains a mystery to this longtime Poco fan. Furay would stick around for only two more albums before leaving the band in 1973 following the release of Crazy Eyes.

Poco continues to perform today around the nucleus of Young, Cotton and (just recently) original drummer George Grantham. But From the Inside contains numerous treasures and stands tall among the albums released by the Furay-led version of the band. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 

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