During the past decade, pop music has experienced temporary aches, then outgrown numerous fads and passing fantasies. America's ears have been bombarded by a multitude of fusions of various idioms with rock: folk-rock, psychedelic-rock, blues-rock, soul-rock, jazz-rock, classical-rock, and country-rock.
Poco was one of the innovators of the country-rock movement. But their versatility and creativity prohibit them from being branded country-rock and fading with the trend. They are a highly competent quintet, too diversifed to adhere to the limitations adopted by the multitude of artists who jump on the bandwagon and ride with it outside the boundaries of what's fashionable.
Poco music is still buoyant, knee-slappin', wide-grinnin' music. But Poco music has expanded to incorporate intricate Latin rhythms, plaintive blues rendition, experimental techniques, prismatic and contrapuntal harmonies, and sophisticated phrasings and lyrics.
New York music critic, Al Rudis, on Poco: "Poco's music, no matter what they may think, isn't country. Poco is too original to fit into the country bag. It has the country flavor, of course, but seasonings don't make a meal."
Another critic confrims this opinion: "Poco seemed to have been a trend setter in adopting country rock, but they and it were only passing through a phase. "What Poco is doing now, just as what C,S,N,Y, etc, is doing, what John Sebastian and Laura Nyro and a dozen others are doing now, isn't really rock. It isn't folk or showtunes either. "Poco and lots of others are headed off in a new direction what we can call good music, for lack of a better work. "So dig Poco for what they were as well as for what they are becoming, and don't get hung up in the label."
Sometimes Poco music is a steel guitar being played through a Leslie and sounding like an organ. Sometimes Poco music is an exuberant, impulsive scream of joy. Sometimes Poco music is the melodic web of two guitars or the eliptical meshing of two voices. Always, Poco music is people music: wonderful, magical music. It's personal music about people and experiences that unlatches the door to memory's special storing place.
A little about the people who make Poco music:
Richie Furay, twelve-string guitar, was born in Yellow Springs, Ohio. He learned how to play guitar when he was eight and hasn't stopped. There were a series of high school and college folk groups before he ventured to New York, where he met and teamed up with Steve Stills to form the short-live Au Go Go Singers. They left for L.A., where the music scene was getting higher and higher. It was there that the Springfield was born. Richie writes and sings much of Poco's material: carefree, lilting melodies with innocent, poetic lyrics. His warmth and sincerity are felt immediately by an audience and there is an instant rapport.
Rusty Young plays pedal steel guitar, the group's lead instrument. He was born in Long Beach, California, and was raised in Colorado. He was the only male in an all-girl (almost) band when he was fourteen. After attending the University of Colorado for one year, he left to become a full-time musician with a Denver group, Boenzye Creque. When that group had run it's course, he made his way to Los Angeles to become a top studio musician. He was session man on "Kind Woman", a track on the last Springfield LP. Young, who doesn't confine himself to the restricting techniques of the purist country steel guitarists, has experimented and created some remarkably novel sounds and effects from the instrument.
Drummer George Grantham, another former member of Boenzye Creque, is an Oklahoma boy who provides an excellent percussive backbone for Poco. He, too, is venturing into the world of the unconventional and incorporating many unusual rhythms into their music. In addition, he provides much of the high-ranged vocal back-up.
Jim Messina, electric guitar, son of a country muscican; born in Harlingen, Texas; formed his first group when he was 13, in Colton, California. group worked steadily in the San Bernardino area. After high school he was signed to produce for a small record company. Joined Buffalo Springfield for the last seven months of it's two-year existence.
Timothy B. Schmit (the B., he says, if for Bruce), bass guitar and vocals, son of a musician, was born in Oakland and grew up in Sacramento, California. About the time he realized that he only had a few units left before he received his degree in psychology from Sacramento State College, he also realized that he'd rather make good music; so he dropped out. Poco was making good music, and they were looking for a bass player; so Tim dropped in, just in time to start recording the group's second album, "Poco".
The first album was called "Pickin' Up the Pieces," and they did that all right. They picked up the pieces and put them back together in grand style. That first album sold over 100,000 copies. Now they have a new album out, called simply, "Poco." They've started to build on the foundation they've already laid. It's gonna be quite a building.
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