Poco- Live 1976

Live 1976

Poco's "Live" was released in March, 1976 to complete a contractual commitment the group had to Epic Records after the group had signed with MCA/ABC. Poco, the quintessential high harmonizing, good timin' quintet who first mined the fields of pure country-rock, was down to a 4-piece band for this live compilation(original co-founder Richie Furay had left the group a year or so earlier)which contains selections from November, 1974 gigs in Milwaukee, St. Louis and at Yale University. While the group had settled into a comfortable groove as a quartet, the record doesn't quite capture the raucous excitement of a bonafide Poco concert---but not for lack of quality material. The songs of "Live", will get you up and buzzing, although none of the Poco tunesmiths included (Timothy B. Schmit, Rusty Young and Paul Cotton) had hit the full stride as songwriters that future years would hold for all three. Cotton's "Ride the Country", "Bad Weather" and "Blue Water", coupled with Schmit's "Restrain" are typically excellent. The instrumental skill of pedal steel guitarist extraordinaire Young is well demonstrated on "Fool's Gold" and "Rocky Mountain Breakdown" while his "High and Dry" gives the record some rocker zip. Schmit also does a superb cover of Furay's "Good Feelin' to Know" to close out the LP, tying together the newer Poco songs with one of the best Poco tunes ever. An added benefit is being able to hear drummer George Grantham singing several impressive high harmony parts, which were much more subdued when the band was a quintet. Nonetheless, Poco "Live" is a group in transition, and at the time the band was upset that Epic chose to release a concert set to complete its obligation, feeling that they had left a myriad of other studio tracks in the can from which Epic could have compiled a quality Poco recording. This was one of the last Poco recordings to be released on CD, (11/00) and contains only 9 tracks (3 of which are in a medley). Still, it is essential to anyone who prefers the upbeat, tight harmony country rock that was Poco's trademark.