Bread 5

The reputation of Bread as a soft rock band isn't quite accurate. Yes, all of the bit hits were ballads by David Gates BUT there were rock songs that weren't released as singles that are the albums by the other two songwriters in the band–the late Jimmy Griffith and Rob Royer (who collaborated on a number of songs together). The band is certainly underrated due to all of the hit ballads by Gates but the albums themselves exhibit strong song craft, precision playing and production…

Rare enough edition of the best hits of Bread from Pickwick International. Bread were the melodic soft-rock band, best known for the hits "If" and "Make it with You". The band were formed by singer/keyboard player/producer David Gates and singer guitarist James Griffin in 1968, originally the idea had been to continue Griffin's, already established, solo career, by having producer-Gates work on Griffin's next album. However, when another guitarist Robb Royer was brought onboard, Bread were formed. They released their self-titled debut album in 1968, which showcased the soft rock sound that the band became famous for, however sales were slow and they would have to wait for the follow-up for success. The next album On the Waters included "Make it with You" which topped the US charts, the band added a drummer, Mike Botts, to the line-up and took to the road. The album became the bands' first gold-seller.

Bread's third album, Manna, isn't so much a step forward as it is a consolidation of strengths, as the group sharpens their skills and carves out their own identities. It's clear that the rift between David Gates and Robb Royer and James Griffin is beginning to take shape, as the album is evenly divided between Gates tunes and Royer/Griffin compositions. This benefits the album, since it spurs each member to greater heights, and they even tend to sequence the record in ways that support that sentiment – Gates' "Let Your Love Go," complete with its rockin' harpsichords, is followed by the hard-driving verses of "Take Comfort," which, admittedly, is tempered by a dreamy chorus.