Poco

"Too country for rock and too rock for country." Probably the most common criticism of a band that, for all it's greatness, never quite decided what it wanted to be. For this listener's money, "Poco", the band's eponymous second effort affectionately refered to as "The Orange Blossom" album back in the day, is hands down the group's best record. From the opening Richie Furay vocal on "Hurry Up" to the closing cymbal flourish by George Grantham on "El Tanto De Nadie Regresa", this album shimmers with the promise of its inviting cover art- an american pastoral of snow-capped mountains, green fields and sunshine. The hope of a new decade that, well, didn't quite live up to youthful expectations. But, back to the music. For those of you who like your country rock with the emphasis on ROCK, with blues and jazz phrasings that truly swing tossed into the mix, this album delivers (no pun intended as to its successor) like none other by the band and like few other bands. "Hurry Up" is an immediate departure from the tight, pleasant country rock of "Pickin'Up the Pieces", featuring deeper contemplation of loves many sides by Richie, and an extended, funky break fueled by Jim Messina's guitar, the tune culminating in a classic Poco 5-part vocal harmony. "You Better Think Twice" follows, an up-tempo country-rocker sung by Jimmy, which became the band's first big radio song. Good effort, but frankly, the all-accoustic version on "Deliverin'" is more memorable and captures all the joys of upbeat Poco in 4-plus minutes. Next up is "Honky Tonk Downstairs" a nod to country-side Poco fans which now plays as a pleasant, if uneventful tune, but at the time was nothing if not a distraction from the momentum built through the first two songs. Would that there had been programmable CD players back when; this tune would have magically disappeared. The group rebounds on "Keep on Believin'", a title which just about summed up the socio-political optimism which drew so many of us to the band at a time when there was increasingly less reason to feel that way. "Good times have finally arrived, it's been so long..." The vocals soar and the gutiars drive the tempo. Side one ends with a true masterpiece, the often overlooked, achingly beautiful "Anyway Bye Bye." I cannot think of a better vocal performance by Richie Furay in any song, at any time, for any band or label, than this one. Even the closing yowls resonate with deep feeling, and the musicianship is first-rate. The extended jam allows the band to show off its versatility, with Tim Schmit's jazzy bass leading the way. Rusty kicks in with his "is that a steel guitar or organ" tricks, and George and Jimmy help carry the jam to a place of blended country funk, blues and jazz where no band (least of all the Eagles - had to get one jealous insult in) would dare to tread. Truly remarkable, only to be followed by the sit-up-and take-notice second side, one that established Poco's short-lived reputation as among the most innovative, happening bands in America. A full-sided suite of love, betrayal and revenge, opening with the sweetness of "Don't Let It Pass Bye" (a must through the headphones late at night), perhaps the band's vocal harmony tour-de-force. This dreamy love song of waking up with your perfect love beside you, gives way to "Nobody's Fool", a new and improved take on the version included on the first album, and a jarring departure in theme from the romantic reverie of "Don't Let It Pass Bye." The boys segue impressively into "El Tanto de Nadie, Regresa" from there, and the 15 minutes of fun begins. Mad percussion (thank you Joe Lala ) blending with Tim's rolling bass and George's precise timekeeping propel this jam with Jimmy and Rusty taking turns in the lead. Think of the Stones' classic "Can't You Hear Me Knockin'" as an apt comparison to this funkified jam. (which came first?) The music simmers and soars, never drags, then climaxes with a positively scorching lead rave-up by Rusty (reminding one and all how truly remarkable are his chops). As a nice closing touch, the boys pull out of the jam to culminate ("Regresa"?)their brilliant effort with one final burst of thematic harmony: "Cause I got the same...from you." As perfect a side of music as could be. Say what you will about Poco, and they certainly have their detractors, it's hard to deny them their due on this album. Why they didn't stay with this winning formula of combining the best of rock, country blues, and jazz, who knows. Perhaps the quest for the all-important Top 40 hit got the best of them; perhaps too much of the talent drifted away. All I can say is that it was a rare moment on subsequent albums in which the band reached for, or grasped, the musical highs that distinguished this album from those that came after. But for all the disppointments which followed, Poco can still point to this album and say, in 5-part harmony of course, we did this. And few have done it better.

Antony & The Johnsons

Well, this may be one of those "love-it-or-hate-it" cases, the kind of album you'll consider an extraordinary discovery that made your year, or the kind of music that makes unexplainable how the friend who turned you onto it, loves it so much. What everyone might agree on, though, is that such strong reaction to it comes from one source, the band's powerful presence and distinct identity. Practically every song hits a deep chord on you, each a different one, and a huge part of it is the exceptional dramatic range of Antony's voice, which infuses of a certain pouring of his heart. Imagine a more romantic and desperate, yet less operatic, Rufus Wainwright, without necessarily going over the edge. Whether "Hope There's Someone" with its mournful tone, or the gorgeous and chant-like "My Lady Story," or "For Today I'm Not A Boy" which is lovely and difficult -and a high moment in this album- as the music and the lyrics build together. Just in the first three songs, the group shows that they are a new and genuine sensibility. As comparisons go, Antony and the Johnsons belong to the same emotive thread than the Tindersticks, most present in "Fistful of Love", and taking his own path on "You Are My Sister." Yet, they would not be out of place backing Marianne Faithful or doing covers of Kurt Weil's songs. The rest of the songs don't fall far behind from those I mentioned. Each may end up your favorite, and can be the code to a secret frequency in your heart, evoked not necessarily by the lyrics but a consistent -not repetitive- feel of being late-night and being alone remembering your life. What is puzzling and particular about Antony is the innocence of his lyrics, even when addressing dark personal places, being just as true as the weary heart that he evokes in his voice. All in all, this is the most impressive album I heard all year, even if it's so likely to divide the waters between worshipers and those stunned that anyone may like it.

Steely Dan - Aja

Not many albums have influenced me as much as Steely Dan's Aja. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker have created a most unique flavour of Jazz meets Rock where beatiful melodies, genius production and perfect performance blend to produce a timeless masterpiece. This album should be on the A-List of everyone who appreciates the beauty of music. The album is full of complex musical concepts which immediately remind the progressive rock fan some of the common manoeuvres in classic progressive rock albums. Take the title song "Aja" for example. This piece takes you on a eight minutes ride to diverse musical patterns that vary between rock and jazz moods, amplified by rich orchestration. Other songs such as "Decon Blues" and "Home At Last" constantly prove to be intriguing while "Black Cow" is captivating. The presence of saxophonist Wayne Shorter on "Aja" is blessed - as a serious Shorter's fan I was delighted to see his inclusion on the album and I regard this decision as a wise one - the solo part he plays is terrific, bringing his genius and gifts to combine perfectly with the different environment he plays in. I would also like to add it is worthwhile for Steely Dan fans to get the remastered version of the album, just for the sound quality. Usually I cannot tell the difference, but since I had the original CD release and heard it so much, I could compare. The difference is amazing, the quality is much better - you can actually hear new sounds and appreciate the separation of the different instruments. The liner notes are quite disappointing, so I ordered the DVD to learn more about making of this unusual album. This album made me buy all of Steely Dan's albums, so if you like it I would recommend underrated "The Royal Scam" and "Countdown to Ecstasy" albums, although all are excellent. Get this album, it may be one of your best musical purchases ever.

Taj Mahal - Recycling the blues and other related stuff

Recycling the Blues and Other Related Stuff" is most likely Taj's best album and definitely his best album side. At a time that blues meant listening to a wailing electric guitar, Taj swam against the current, and produced an awesome minimalist format. The first cut, "Cakewalk into Town" is adorned with Howard Johnson's tuba and some handclaps. Nobody but Taj could have pulled that off. You see great guitarists like Mark Knopfler use steel guitars as album cover ornaments, and Johnny Winter even cut a song with one, but Taj really knows what to do with one. In fact, whether it's an upright bass, banjo, or whatever, he will get incredible sounds out of it. Brian Jones move over. The album's version of "Sweet Home Chicago" is a simply definitive version, dare I say it, blowing away the track we have of Robert Johnson. Why this song and this version of this song isn't Chicago's theme song instead of The Chairman's is pretty obvious. The Pointer Sisters' background vocals are perfect. Ditto on "Texas Woman Blues," but the striking aspect of this song is the listener's recognition of how Taj has changed the texture of his voice from an edgy gravelly sound in the previous songs to a rich warm baritone. Anyone that picked up on the cd issue of "The Real Thing" will notice this quality throughout that album. And of course, on both albums, Taj shows us he can whistle better than anyone else. He is just so musically talented, especially during this period of his career, as to be disgusting. What is truly disgusting is that this cd is out of print and wasn't reissued with the reissues of his other early albums.

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