Poco
From the Inside

THE REVIEW

Curiously produced by Steve Cropper, the recently deceased rock'n'roll guitarist who also appeared in the film “Blues Brothers” alongside stars Aykroyd and Belushi, the fourth album (1971) by the country rockers Poco marks the arrival of Paul Cotton as guitarist, songwriter, and singer, replacing the departing Jimmy Messina.

Cotton is a different kind of musician compared to his new bandmates: hailing from cold, windy, and rhythm & blues-loving Chicago, in him the balance between country and rock undeniably tips towards the latter. With Cotton taking Messina's place, the band's sound shifts perceptibly toward grittier, more rhythmic, more electric atmospheres, though the band's music stays within the semi-soft realm.

The newcomer immediately contributes three songs to the group's cause, the best of which, in my view, is “Bad Weather”: certainly not an immortal ballad, but classy, a good showcase for the new arrival's baritone—yet fairly clear—tone, which is in fact a novelty and a perfect complement for the ensemble’s previously tenor-heavy vocals.

The ballad giving the album its title, however, comes to the group from bassist Tim Schmit. His extremely high and silky voice, improbably in tune and versatile in many situations, would soon enable him to collaborate as a backing vocalist on an almost unreal number of records. Setting aside his future, long, and enriching career with the Eagles—including their solo albums—this gentleman has lent his voice to productions by Steely Dan, Bob Seger, Toto, Crosby Stills & Nash(!), Richard Marx, Dan Fogelberg, Sheena Easton, Stacey Q, America(!), Ringo Starr, Elton John, Sheryl Crow, Jackson Browne, Jimmy Buffett, Vince Gill, John Fogerty, Julian Lennon, Warren Zevon, Clint Black, Twisted Sister(!), Randy Newman, Firefall… But there are certainly just as many, if not more, names that don’t come to mind right now.

This work, in any case, is among the least interesting in Poco’s discography: the excellent Messina is out of the picture, so Richie Furay’s often mediocre songwriting and his tedious, if ringing, voice dominate. Rusty Young has yet to realize that Cotton is a lead guitarist—and a man—capable of greater democracy than Messina, to the extent that he deserves much more space, both in writing and performance.

Furay’s departure after the seventh album, and, five records later, that of the best vocalist—Timothy B. Schmit (the B. stands for Bruce, his middle name)—would finally set the main axis on which Poco’s history rests, namely the rapport, collaboration, and harmonious sharing of responsibilities and honors between the two guitarists Paul Cotton and Rusty Young.

The two even died in the same year, 2021… Truly close companions, despite their (fruitful) artistic differences.