Essential POCO albums ?

I think Crazy Eyes is amazing. The title track is like a progressive country rock song like no other I have ever heard.

I have a few of their albums and 3 comps!

I think every Eagles fan needs a copy of this CD in their car at all times to sample their radio-friendly mid-period:


And this one for their early classic material:

 

I sure do like Legend. Isn't side two just great?

When the bass comes in on the second chorus of Crazy Love, I am transported!

 

From The Inside
Crazy Eyes
Picking Up The Pieces

 

For me these are the titles I usually reach for first when I want to listen to something by them:

From The Inside
Good Feeling To Know
Crazy Eyes

 

I love all their work but, the first 3 or 4 I always reach for and a few favs are:
Crazy Eyes- this is the album that turned me on to Poco. Love Blue Water and Fools Gold, A Right Long
Indian Summer- the title song, Livin' in the Band & Stay
Legend- Heart of the Night and Crazy Love
Rose of Cimarron- the title track, Too Many Nights Too Long, Starin'n at The Sky
When I'm feeling nostalgic I pull out The Forgotten Trail.

 

.... sure do agree with the entrance of the bass. Really enjoy this whole album.

 

Totally agree. Call it love and Who else are superb songs, but the overall production of the album is just not very good, IMHO.

Crazy Eyes is superb all around. Richie frequently uses Let's Dance Tonight to open his live shows.

 

I always grab the first two, cantamos, seven and good feeling to know.

There are gems on everything up to Legend. The Forgotten Trail is a great collection from the classic era. This band could benefit from a box set.

 

Poco was one of those bands that managed to transcend the loss of key members by adding new blood and having others step forward to play a more central role.

Jim Messina's departure resulted in Paul Cotton joining and his writing/singing/playing transformed the band.

When Ritchie Furay left the band, the following quartet albums were great as Cotton and Schmit became the main writers.

Later, Rusty Young, always a brilliant player but a relatively minor writer of primarily instrumental tracks over the years, became both a major writer and lead vocalist and ultimately contributed one of their biggest hit singles, "Crazy Love".

 

The post Furay four piece is my definitive line-up with TBS & Paul Cotton sharing vocal leads & Rusty Young chipping in with some of the songwriting. Keep On Tryin', Rose Of Cimmaron & Too Many Nights Too Long really capture the strengths of their respective writers & the variety of music is a clue as to why this line-up is particularly special.

Going backwards, it has to be said that all of the albums prior to Seven are also excellent & a must have for any country rock fan. Don't know how they managed to prosper losing talents like Messrs Furay & Messina but they did!

After the Great Schism with TBS & GG, the quality dropped a bit, for me at least. Rusty's lead vocals just aren't quite first class & the harmonies from the erstwhile members were particularly missed. Equally, the two remaining core writers struggled to carry the load without Tim's helping hand.
Having said that, they all have their moments & the last two studio albums with Jack Sundred on bass, Running Horse & All Fired Up! are really respectable efforts (even if Paul Cotton is sorely missed on the latter.).

If pushed I would say that the double whammy of Head Over Heels & Rose Of Cimmaron are the two Poco discs that would come with me to a desert Island.

 

Favorite Poco Albums:

A Good Feelin' To Know
Cantamos
From the Inside
Indian Summer
Crazy Eyes
Head over Heels
Pickin' Up the Pieces
Poco-Oranges LP
Rose of Cimarron
Legend
Seven
Deliverin'
Blue & Grey

 

Of partial relevance here: thoughts on recently-released Rusty Young solo album?...

 

I think we have a winner ...

 

In my opinion, everything from 1969 through 1978 is solid. Poco was a very consistent band with no less than 3 strong songwriters at any time, up to Legend. Somehow, Rusty Young and Paul Cotton pulled off Legend on their own, and it was a great album. Things get uneven after Legend, although you'll still find plenty of good tracks on the post-1978 albums.

Poco Album-By-Album Thread

 

That is an amazing thread and a fine resource on all things Poco.

 

Have to say I LOVE Seven...And post-Richie through Legend...

 

It's excellent. Full of great songs & gently rocking.

 

Just found a late 70s reissue copy of Poco and I’m blown away by its excellence. My new favourite of theirs. And yes, I really like the side 2 instrumental...very much!

 

I’d get Picking Up the Pieces and all albums through Poco Seven AND, if your apt to download tracks - Cherry pick every album after that for songs you like - plan on a lot or those!

 

the one that has Bad Weather on it. : )

 

From the Inside.

 

thanks...not a huge fan, but I love that song and a few early ones as well...just listening to Bad Weather today...

 

Indian Summer is really great isn't it? An Eagles-buster album.

 

I have all their 60s/70s albums and the reunion one. I'd say Pickin Up the Pieces, Indian Summer, and Deliverin' are my trifecta, but there's much, much more. (Much).

 

Same. Crazy Eyes is essential. Jack Richardson production. The title song arranged by Bob Ezrin, and it just winds around rises. And the cover of Gram Parson's "Brass Buttons" is as good as the original (and some things are sacred). ... Near-perfect '70s country rock..