Paul Cotton

Paul Cotton is a country-rock guitarist and singer who has enjoyed a five-decade career in music. Born in 1943, in Fort Rucker, AL, he reached his teens just as rock & roll was dominating the charts. Cotton took up the guitar at age 13, influenced by the music of Les Paul and Duane Eddy, among others, and was good enough at it to aspire to play professionally…

2008 five CD box. The Original Album Classics series, courtesy of Sony/BMG, packages together five classic albums from one of the most popular artists on the label's roster, housing them in an attractive slipcase. This set from the Country rockers features the albums Pickin Up The Pieces (1969), Poco (1970), From The Inside (1971), A Good Feelin' To Know (1972) and Crazy Eyes (1973).

Combining the natural excitement and added vibrancy that a live performance provides, while recording in a studio environment with better acoustics, proves the best of both worlds for a recorded concert. The small invited audience to this label showcase consisted mostly of family, friends, and music company executives from the Columbia/Epic imprints, giving the proceedings a homey, more comfortable vibe. Poco's live album of predominantly new material, Deliverin', which came out earlier in the year, was a big seller and the band had just released the studio follow-up, From the Inside, which introduced Paul Cotton into the outfit, replacing Jim Messina. This was Cotton's first tour with the existing members, and although his contributions on electric guitar and soon-to-be primary songwriter are still on low boil, it's clear that Poco is headed in a more commercially rock-oriented direction.

There are two albums on this CD: the first (tracks # 1-10) "Ghost Town" was released in 1982, while the second (tracks # 11-20) "Inamorata" was released in 1984. Both were of course released on vinyl. This compilation (2 albums on 1 CD) was released by Rhino Records in 1995.

The song "Keep on Tryin'" from Head Over Heels kicks off this two-fer of Poco albums (released in 1975 and 1976) and is a reasonable metaphor for the band's continued desire to break into the mainstream and enlarge what had been an appreciative but somewhat minor cult following. The quartet also relocated from the Epic label which had been home since their 1970 debut, to ABC (later MCA). With the business change came a burst of creativity, as the strong voices and songwriting skills of the Tim Schmit-Rusty Young-Paul Cotton creative nucleus dovetailed for a terrific set, shifting to a slightly more pop vein, while remaining firmly ensconced in the country, folk, and even bluegrass roots of their previous output. A cover of the rare Becker/Fagen composition "Dallas" (available only as a single before Steely Dan's full-length debut but not included on it) is an inspired choice. Paul Cotton blossomed as a songwriter with "Let Me Turn Back to You," a warm-up of sorts for "Heart of the Night," the track that three years later would ultimately provide the crossover hit they were searching for.

Richie Furay started his musical career playing folk clubs as a solo artist in the 1960s, as well as with bands like the Monks and the Au Go Go Singers (which included Stephen Stills in the lineup). After meeting Neil Young they formed Buffalo Springfield with Bruce Palmer and Dewey Martin…

Richie Furay started his musical career playing folk clubs as a solo artist in the 1960s, as well as with bands like the Monks and the Au Go Go Singers (which included Stephen Stills in the lineup). After meeting Neil Young they formed Buffalo Springfield with Bruce Palmer and Dewey Martin. The band cut its first album, Buffalo Springfield, in 1967; it included the single "For What It's Worth." Buffalo Springfield recorded two more albums – Buffalo Springfield Again and Last Time Around – before disbanding in 1968…