Search - Poco :: Indian Summer

Pleasant, Melodic effort though somewhat ordinary

IJEFF | Milwaukee, WI USA | 10/16/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I think its ludicrous to call this the sound of a desperate band as one reviewer has. Its overall a very pleasant outing, well sung, well played and typical melodic songwriting from the various band members. I listened to it a lot when it first came out. It hasn't quite stood the test of time and does show some signs of a band on their last leg (at least in this formation as T.B. Schmit was to leave soon thereafter for the greener pastures of the Eagles).



Strong melodies and great singing do have their place in rock music and there are some nice ones here. Lyrics have never been a Poco strong suit and are typcially slight here. T.B. Schmit's 3 songs are all very good. I always thought it was unfortunate when he moved to the Eagles where he would be limited to 1 song per record rather than the 3 he would normally get with Poco. If you listen to the body of work he did with Poco as compared to the Eagles you will understand. That said none of his songs here are quite as good as his best, but all are worthwhile.



The Paul Cotton songs are pretty good. The title song is one of his best and the rockers such as "Living in the Band" and "20 years on" pretty much delivery the goods. The 10 minute extended 3 part Rusty Young song, "The Dance" is o.k. Unfortunately, when you do the Eagles comparision here to lets say, "Hotel California" you do get a sense of how the Eagles grew as a band while Poco seems to be treading water at this point. None of this should be taken to diminish the impact this band had whether that be on country rock in general or specifically the Eagles.



At this point, Richie Furay was long gone and nobody can dispute the fact that he was the true architect of this sound and Poco itself. Still, this record brings a smile to me even to this day. For die hard Poco fans its still recommended. For others, there are better places to go rather than this effort. In conclusion I would say for the end of the T.B. Schmit Poco era, you would really be better off looking for the live cd, The Last Roundup. It contains a number of songs from Indian Summer in arguably better versions plus outstanding versions of other Poco songs including Rose of Cimarron and a guest appearance by none other than Richie Furay."

Poco Indian Summer

M. Roberty | 01/23/2007

(1 out of 5 stars)

"This is a four or five star album, but I have only given one as Lemon Records cds are often mastered from vinyl. This is no exception and the Japanese edition is far better with no vinyl noise. Unfortunately, it is more expensive, but if you like this album, it is certainly worth it."

SAD SAD SAD

DAVID CARPENTER | 02/13/2009

(1 out of 5 stars)

"THE LEMON LABLE GOT A HOLD OF THE GREAT ALBUM AND MADE A MESS OUT OF IT. THEY THE 'LEMON LABLE' RECORDED THIS OFF A LP AND THEY CALL IT A REMASTER.SAVE YOUR MONEY! IF YOU ARE A POCO FAN, WRITE LEMON AND COMPLAIN."