Customer Reviews

Deliverin

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I had the pleasure of seeing Poco live many times in the early 70's and they never failed to deliver, no matter which line-up this ever-evolving group featured. After the warmup acts had finished dismantling their huge stacks of amps and double drum sets, lil' ol' Poco would amble out with their modest array of equipment and tear the place apart. This excellent concert CD is from the Jim Messina version of the band and it rocks mightily. Amazingly pristine sounding for a live album, it was done with no overdubs, so what you're hearing is five superb singers and players blending their not inconsiderable talents effortlessly. My favorites ; the boppin' "C'mon",featuring unsung MVP Rusty Young's snarling Hammond organ-like steel guitar(I can't describe the steel guitar sound here. You've got to hear it to believe it!). I love Richie Furay's achingly beautiful "Kind Woman" and Jim Messina's high-octane "You Better Think Twice" too. Timmy Schmidt and George Grantham are an underrated powerhouse of a rythm section and excellent singers to boot. What's not to love? Well, I've used a lotta adjectives and superlatives to extol the charms of this CD, and this band, and yet I havn't come close to describing just how good they were. So, c'mon',why not get this CD and get out your thesauras and help me out. And help yourselves to a little fun while you're doin' it.

It's hard to do POCO justice in a little paragraph. "DeLIVErin'" gives you just a taste of the great songwriting, awesome musicianship, incredible vocal harmonies, and good nature that have carried POCO through their 30+ year career. I saw them live just a few weeks ago and they're just as amazing as they sound on this 1971 recording. The band's enthusiasm for the material and appreciation for the crowd are clearly evident in real life and on "DeLIVErin'".

I saw Poco perform this very set on the same tour in the Fall of 1969 in Lewiston, Maine. They played with conviction and heart. One of the tightest country rock rythmn sections on record. Neither they, nor any country rock band before or since, played so well on one recorded night. It is absolutely criminal that, in this day of audio sophistication, this masterpiece has never been remastered with bonus tracks from the same concert tour. Are you listening, Epic?
Jack Cooney; Ellington, CT; jcooney55@comcast.net

Ahhhh Poco live! Yes it is true, this is perhaps one of the best live albums that is not a double Every song on here makes you smile. Every song is excellent on here, from the opening "I Guess You Made It" to the closing medley of "Just In Case It Happens, Yes Indeed/Grand Junction/Consequently So Long" the albums just flows so well right into each other.

Yes!!! Let's here it for the good guys!

Definately a must! Get this and "The Forgotton Trail" for starters and you'll be hooked!

I still have my vinal copy of this album. I went to my first concert the year this album was relesaed. I was a young rock musician going to see Emerson Lake and Palmer. I had never heard of Poco, but they were the opening act. Simply put....FANTASTIC! Poco turned me on to country-rock within the first 8 bars of their opening number. They validated a whole new direction for me in music. I credit these guys with making country-influenced music "cool" for me at a pretty young age. My musical path ended up taking me to Nashville and a string of recordings, number one records, and tour dates. This is a great album. Be sure to listen closely. This is what it's all about for the players and the audience. It will make you feel good. The connection is so strong!

Poco's "DeLIVErin" is what a live album should be. From the opening song,"I guess you made it" to "A man like Me" to the ending "Consequently so Long" the energy is here, and what energy it is. The music is heart thumping, hand clapping, good time country rock and roll. Also included here is Richie Furay's classic "Kind Women". All who love country-rock should have this collection of tunes in their CD player.

When I want to revisit my youth, these guys were there. Pickin', harmonizing, and having fun with their music. Like the Beatles, the music has melody and an uplifting message missing in most of today's angst and poor vocalization. Of course, the review is not about how a generation chooses to copy Coldplay or worse....If you enjoy hearing a great, fun band and a positive message in the lyrics, Richie, Jim and the guys will do it for you. Beatles, CSN, Buffalo Springfield, Poco, Eric's early stuff...all this is indispensable, lasting music. Country, rock, bluegrass fusion from guys that bothered to learn how to sing and play their instruments before stepping into the recording studio. Great live shows, too. This is the best of the best for them.

Rusty Young, in a Gold Mine Magazine interview many years ago, remarked how poorly this album was mixed. The band, as was with any band in those days, really had no say as to whom would get the recording and mixing "gig" for the album. The union made these decisions. Deliverin' suffers from a poor mix, but the saving grace here is that the material is strong enough to overcome it. The songs are all great, my personal favorites being the two medleys. The mixing problem, though, kind of washes out Richie's vocals and electric guitar (the album credits him for electric guitar, but good luck finding it). But for the most part, the great energy was captured and preserved. The crowds sounded really into it! This album was also released as a quadraphonic back in the 70's. If you're into vinyl, it's worth tracking down. The mix is a little better, and it features more band/crowd interplay between songs. It's also a little amusing at the beginning, when the band is being announced. When the announcer says "And there's no smoking out there....let's hear it for the bad guys!, the crowd reaction seems to go from eager anticipation, to utter dismay, possibly even some booing. On the stereo mix, you hear continued upbeat cheering during this period. I guess you had to be there to know what really happened.

POCO LIVE....lots of memories and listening to the CD brings al those memories back. All LIVE CD's should be half this good. This is great music and FUN. If you can listen to this and not smile, sing along, or tap your feet, then put a mirror under your nose cause your dead.

poco enters to a darkened stage. with just the lights of the amps. Then the drummer starts up, and it never lets up from then. the vocals are from heaven sent to deliver us all who want to believe. believe in happyness and good times! leave the show and fell happy , pass it on!