Search - The Back Porch Majority :: Best of Back Porch Majority

GREAT GROUP SINGING AND GOOD SOUND

R. A POKATILOFF | ZION, IL USA | 03/22/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I would have given this title 5 stars, but the person who picked the songs did not do a good job. They left out THE SANTA FEE FREELINE, one of their best. What they did was take some material from each of their albums, instead of selecting the best, even if most are from one release. I know that this group probably has many more good tunes then heard here. However, I counted about 11 excellent cuts: A SONG OF HOPE, FRIENDS, THE ROAD, THAT'S THE WAY IT'S GONNA BE, FREEDOM BIRD, LET'S GET TOGETHER, SAME OL' HUCKLEBERRY FINN, HAND ME DOWN THINGS, LONG TIME AGO, THE FAR SIDE OF THE HILL, and RIVERBOAT DAYS. That's a lot of great listening, by a group with maybe the best harmony ever. Just listen to THE ROAD: MAGNIFICENT!! Randy Sparks wrote most of their stuff: what a talent! It is too bad that his outstanding act never got a chance for airplay. The crap from England in the mid 60s did them in. So, buy this, and maybe someone will release all their albums on CD, or do a box."

For Michael

davequ | 11/05/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A decade or so after the BPMaj broke up, I ended up doing some commercial recording in Colorado with Michael Crowley (Mike Crumm), pictured on the far left-bottom of the album photo.



Michael was a multi-talented singer & writer who started out in a band with Gene Clark of the Byrds, then later an original with the Back Porch Majority, then some touring backing up John Denver later in the 70s.

Michael also did some commercial recording with some of the Dirt Band. He knew and played in the early days with almost everyone in the LA / "Troubador" folk scene, from early Linda Ronstadt on.



The previous reviewer is correct, "Santa Fe Freeline" should have been included, and for what it's worth, one of the best cuts (and one of Michael's favorites) on this offering is "That's the Way It's Gonna Be."

Dino Valente's "Let's Get Together" classic on this one is probably the first time I heard that song, long before I heard the Jefferson Airplane and later Jessie Colin Young's versions.



It's nice to see some of Michael's stuff is still available.

I was told recently that Michael has passed on. If true, Michael Crumm (RIP), gone but not forgotten.



If you're a fan of the pre-British Invasion folk scene circa 1961-1963, you will like the Back Porch Majority."

The Back Porch Majority CD

Arthur D. Rutledge | 05/24/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I went to Ledbetters in the sixties and heard them perform many times. This CD is the best of the Back Porch Majority and was excellent. I still have a audio tape of four of their records. The CD is a lot clearer.



You will enjoy their folk music of the 1960's."