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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I Beg to differ!, December 11, 2006
I have to offer a rebuttal to A. Cushman's review of this release. Yes, I do agree that it's wonderful music. In fact, these two albums represent two of the finest country-rock albums ever made, and that's saying something considering some of the competition that would put them up against. But where Andy and I part company is on the sound quality of this disc. It is absolutely, definitely, far superior to the earlier domestic RCA release. I know, because I have both. Two years ago I wrote another review of the domestic version, in which I blasted RCA for turning out such a thin, tinny sounding piece of crap. When I first listened to this new remastered release, it was like a breath of fresh air. Unless RCA has remastered the newer domestic pressings without telling anyone (which I seriously doubt), there is no way you can listen to both and say that they sound alike. With all due respect, Mr. Cushman, what kind of system do you own? Maybe it's time for an upgrade!
That having been said, let me re-emphasize that this disc does indeed contain two very fine albums. The better of the two is "Bustin' Out", which contains what has to be the group's best known song, "Amie", bookended by the very beautiful, acoustic "Falling In And Out Of Love". My other personal favorite is "Early Morning Riser"-- a great song for cruisin down the highway on a warm sunny day with the windows down. This album is simply great, in my opinion. Their debut album, simply titled "Pure Praire League", is also included and also excellent-- though not quite as polished-- and contains a number of really great songs as well (my personal favorite being the melancholy "Harmony Song").
After those two albums came the very unfortunate departure of Craig Fuller, and the group and their music were never quite the same from that point on. Not genuinely bad, please understand, but definitely not the equal of what you'll hear here. This disc represents this band at its finest, the price is right, and it sounds great too. By all means, pass on the vastly inferior domestic version of "Bustin' Out" and go for this excellent 2-fer import. It's a far better value, and just plain more enjoyable to listen to. And enjoy it you will. If you're a fan of bands like Poco or the Eagles-- or quality country rock in general-- this is a must-have!
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