Pickin Up the Pieces

I remember this as better than it actually is - a lot of this music dates badly and doesn't match up to the likes of Firefall, Pure Prairie League and JD Souther.Sound quality on this release is really good but for me personally it just isn't as good as I thought it was based on memories of playing it all those years ago on vinyl.

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Poco, which was formed in 1968, plays country-rock. These days the band is still playing, although the line-up of the band has changed several times since it was founded back in 1968. Poco has an official website on the internet where you can find information about their recent activities. Over the years the band has released several albums:* Studio-recordings* Live-recordings* Compilations[For more information about the band I refer to Jerry Fuentes,  Legend: The Story of Poco  (which was published in 2008 when the band could celebrate its 40 year anniversary).]"Pickin' up the Pieces" - Poco's album # 1 - was released on vinyl in 1969. There are 14 tracks on this album (including a bonus track), and the total running time is about 42 minutes (including track # 14, the bonus track).On this album the line-up of the band is as follows:* Jim Messina - vocals, guitar* Ritchie Furay - vocals, guitar* Rusty Young - vocals, steel guitar, banjo* Randy Meisner - vocals, bass* George Grantham - vocals, drums[Jim Messina later left Poco to become half of the famous duo Loggins & Messina.][Randy Meisner plays on this album, but he left just before it was released. There was some disagreement over who could mix the tapes for the album. Messina and Furay did not want anybody else to interfere. Meisner's head was removed from the picture on the front cover of the album and replaced with a dog! Later Meisner became a founding member of the famous band the Eagles.]Here are the tracks and the names of the composers:1. Foreword (Furay)2. What a Day (Furay)3. Nobody's Fool (Furay)4. Calico Lady (Furay / Messina / Skip Goodwin)5. First Love (Furay)6. Make me a Smile (Furay / Messina)7. Short Changed (Furay)8. Pickin' up the Pieces (Furay)9. Grand Junction (instrumental) (Young)10. Oh Yeah (Furay / Messina)11. Just in Case it Happens, Yes Indeed (Furay)12. Tomorrow (Furay / Goodwin)13. Consequently, So Long (Furay / Goodwin)14. Do you feel it, too? (Furay)As you can see from the list, all songs are written by members of the band (sometimes with outside assistance). Ritchie Furay contributes several tracks (alone or collaborating with others). Rusty Young contributes only one track (an instrumental). On subsequent albums he would contribute many (great) songs.I bought this album when it was released on vinyl. Now it is available on a CD. The technical quality is fine. The music sounds exactly as it did when I played the LP many years ago.Poco has a unique sound and style. When they play their instruments (including the banjo and the steel guitar), when they use their voices (often with beautiful harmonies), they create a unique sound and style. Most of their songs are original compositions. They are not only good musicians, they are creative as well.But some tracks are better than others. This is, after all, the band's first album. Sometimes it takes a while for a band to find the sound and style that is right for them. On this album they are still searching, but it is a promising debut. If you ask me:* Some tracks deserve 1 star = tracks # 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 12, and 14* Some tracks deserve 3 stars = tracks # 4, 10, and 13* Some tracks deserve 5 stars = tracks # 8, 9, and 11This is a pioneering album; this is the beginning of country rock, but the members of the band are still not quite sure where they want to go. On the best tracks of this album you can hear the great potential that came out on subsequent albums, for instance:* 1976 -  Rose of Cimarron * 1978 -  Legend * 2002 -  Running Horse "Pickin' up the Pieces" is important and interesting for historical reasons; this is Poco before they became great. But at the time they were not yet great. When I look at the album as a whole, I think it deserves a rating of 2 stars.