We Can Fly

Cowsills | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 6, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Collector's Choice
• ASIN: B000BR6D9O
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #191,350 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Yes, the Cowsill brothers were the real-life inspiration for the Partridge Family, but by this, their third album for MGM released in 1969, they had moved beyond the bubblegum into a whole new, art pop realm. You’ll hear Kinks and especially Beatles influences on these lightly psychedelic songs, with great production touches, orchestral flourishes and, of course, superb harmonies. In short, this is a flat-out sunshine pop classic, here reissued with new notes featuring new Cowsills quotes...a Collectors’ Choice Music exclusive!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Poor remastering ruins a classic reissue!, December 21, 2005

By 

Somewhere in Texas (Planet Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: We Can Fly (Audio CD)

My mother bought "We Can Fly" for me in a discount store cutout bin in the early 70's when I was a kid. Despite the album being a few years old by then, it's been a favorite of mine ever since due to its great songwriting, huge orchestral arrangements that almost rival "Pet Sounds" (many by Charlie Calello - who arranged for the 4 Seasons) and those always wonderful Cowsills family harmonies.

Many 60's Soft Pop fans and the Cowsills themselves consider "We Can Fly" to be their best album. Compared to the group's first album and early singles which used mostly outside songwriters, this LP was the first album that the group self-produced and wrote themselves. Despite the album's high quality it wound up being a weak seller and a disappointment to MGM Records, which dumped thousands of deleted copies into the $2.99 album discount bins for years. Honestly, I never thought it would ever be reissued due to its low sales.

That said, I was happily surprised to see this album finally on compact disc and anxiously awaited it's arrival. When I first played the CD, I was quickly disappointed at the careless remastering. This CD has been remastered "Out of Phase" - which means the polarity of the left and right channels has been reversed. If you play this CD on a good stereo with the "Mono" button enabled the lead vocals mixed in the center will disappear. And if you listen in stereo (especially on headphones), the lead vocals will sound like they are behind you, instead of up front where they should be. This is NOT the way the original Stereo MGM album was mixed and originally mastered on vinyl (and I own 3 copies of it). The tracks from this album on the Polydor/Rebound Cowsills "Best Of" CD are not out of phase either!

To add insult, the track listing on the back is totally incorrect, more proof of a careless sloppy rush job. The track "We Can Fly" appears in its true stereo LP form on this release, not the mono 45 single version.

When I e-mailed Collectors Choice about the remastering, I got a response a few days later saying "When albums are remastered, they sometimes sound different" (well DUH honey!). This only goes to show that Collectors Choice (or Universal Music's reissue division) does not care about the way their music sounds, only that people buy it. Classy record reissue companies like Sundazed, Rhino and Ace Records in the UK take the time to make sure everything on a CD is correct before its approved for manufacturing.

I reluctantly suggest staying away from buying this reissue, unless Collectors Choice fixes this remastering problem.

5 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars WHY PUT OUT A SHODDY RE-ISSUE?, March 6, 2009

By 

Steve Goddard "Goddard's Gold" (Phoenix, Arizona) - See all my reviews

This review is from: We Can Fly (Audio CD)

I'LL MAKE IT SHORT AND SWEET: THE MUSIC ITSELF WOULD WARRENT 4 STARS.

HOWEVER THE LOUSY MASTERING (180 DEGREES OUT OF PHASE AND CHANNELS REVERSED FROM THE ALBUM) LEADS ME TO BELIEVE NO ONE IN THE MASTERING PROCESS CARED ENOUGH TO CHECK THESE BASICS WHILE PREPARING IT FOR RE-ISSUE TO CD. THUS 1 STAR. AND A NOTE TO TEXAS: HOW CAN YOU GIVE IT 4 STAR RATING WHILE MENTIONING THE ALMOST UNLISTENABLE MASTERING THIS CD RECIEVED FROM COLLECTORS CHOICE. YOU'RE BETTER OFF SPENDING THE MONEY FOR A MINT LP COPY AND TRANSFERING IT YOURSELF TO DIGITAL. THERE ARE MANY PROGRAMS OUT THERE THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO DO BETTER MASTERING THAN THIS HACK JOB. VERY DISAPPOINTING!

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Cowsills - We Can Fly, March 23, 2009

By 

Manic Obsession Music (ANAHEIM, CA. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: We Can Fly (Vinyl)

Songs Include :

We Can Fly

Gray Sunny Day

Heaven Held

A Time For Rememberance

Gotta Get Away From It All

What Is Happy Baby

I Need A Friend

Yesterday's Girl

Beautiful Beige

Mister Flynn / One Man Show