Poco -Legacy

Legacy

This is the album that diehard Poco fans love to hate. Like most reunion albums, this one does not turn out to be what you would expect. When the original five members of Poco (Richie Furay, Jim Messina, Randy Meisner, Rusty Young, and George Grantham) reunited for the first time since the recording sessions for their debut album (Pickin' Up the Pieces), most hardcore Poco fans hoped and expected that they would again "pick up the pieces" and start right where they left off 20 years before. Legacy doesn't - it is a continuation of the individual careers of the members, and the music shows how they had each progressed in the 20 years since they last played together. The other thing that disappoints fans is that this album is not an equal mix of the five band members. Singing drummer George Grantham appears very sparingly, as he was not available for the majority of the recording sessions. His role was limited to providing backing vocals, while his place behind the drum set was filled by session men. In addition, founding father Riche Furay was held to two cuts and also appears very little on the rest of the album. Legacy was pretty much a collaboration between Meisner, Young, and Messina.

Once I got over the disappointment of not hearing "Pickin' Up the Pieces - Part 2" and the limited role of Grantham and Furay and gave this album a chance, it really grew on me. It opens with Furay's great Poco autobiography "When it all Began". The next cut, Rusty Young's "Call it Love", rightfully put Poco back on the commercial radar for the first time in many years. Young's "What Do People Know", another Poco autobiography, is another highlight. Jim Messina's "Follow Your Dreams" is one of the best songs he ever wrote and is simply amazing. Randy Meisner's incredible vocal work is all over this album and is another highlight, as is Rusty Young's lap steel guitar.

The reunion turned out to be a one-off effort and the lineup did not even survive the supporting tour, as Furay found his dual role of Calvary Chapel minister and rock performer to be too incompatible. But Legacy stands out as a great record that features great legends of the country-rock era and I think stands up well against other works by band members during their days with Poco, Buffalo Springfield, Loggins & Messina, and the Eagles.