A more complete set that included a healthy mix of Poco classics and material he recorded as a solo artist, this Richie Furay show will please most country rock and acoustic rock fans. Furay had taken a year off in 1977 but returned with a renewed vigor and a desire to break his new Christian-oriented pop rock crossover to a wider audience. He used his most popular Poco hits, such as "You Better Think Twice," "Pickin' Up the Pieces," "C'mon," and "Kind Woman" to win over the crowd, who were obviously more excited about his past than his present. Furay had taken the band Love Song, and…entire summary
Richie Furay - vocals, guitar
Billy Batstone - bass
John Mehler - drums
Gabriel Katona - keyboards
Charlie Crews - guitar
A more complete set that included a healthy mix of Poco classics and material he recorded as a solo artist, this Richie Furay show will please most country rock and acoustic rock fans. Furay had taken a year off in 1977 but returned with a renewed vigor and a desire to break his new Christian-oriented pop rock crossover to a wider audience. He used his most popular Poco hits, such as "You Better Think Twice," "Pickin' Up the Pieces," "C'mon," and "Kind Woman" to win over the crowd, who were obviously more excited about his past than his present. Furay had taken the band Love Song, and formed a new solo group around its members. The lineup (with some additional musicians) remained intact for his '76 and '78 tours.
Richie Furay has been called "a founding father of country rock" and that title is by no means an exaggeration. As a founding member of Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills and Neil Young, Furay was instrumental in creating the earliest examples of the country/rock blend (along with a handful of others such as the Byrds and the Flying Burrito Brothers). There is no doubt that Furay's post-Springfield band, Poco, was a huge influence on the Eagles, and that group even grabbed Poco's bassist, Timothy B Schmidt, shortly after Furay left.
This show is from the second night of a two-night stand at New York's legendary Bottom Line club. Originally recorded for broadcast on the King Biscuit Flower Hour, it came after Furay had taken a year off to re-tool his music and his career. During that time, he became a Born Again Christian, and the new music reflected that philosophy, although in a very subtle way.
Furay, who had seen substantial success with Poco, and later with Chris Hillman and JD Souther, had to readjust to opening band status and smaller venues. He provides a warm and intimate performance on both nights that included newer solo material, as well as classics from his Poco and Springfield days. In 1989 and 1990, he participated in a Poco reunion.
Although he has made his ministry his primary focus, he continues to perform and tour, doing sets that include material from his solo Christian solo albums, Poco, and the Buffalo Springfield.
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