Long May You Run - THE STILLS-YOUNG BAND***

Long May You Run/Make Love To You/Midnight On The Bay/Black Coral/Ocean Girl/Let It Shine/12-8 Blues (All The Same)/Fontainebleau/Guardian Angel

The Stills-Young Band was the final permutation of the CSNY grouping with Long May You Run the sole collaboration between these two artists. The Young songs find more critical favour than those from Stills. (US:26 UK:12)

“A bit of a lost odyssey in the Neil Young canon as he and old band mate Stephen Stills formed a new band for just one album. Buffalo Springfield fans must have rejoiced to hear the news. Sadly, it's nothing ground breaking. It's a shame that Stills, previously a hip and relevant songwriter, has become a mainly adult contemporary pap writer by this point, and so had very little besides harmonies to add to the table. So yes, all of his songs are sadly filler but Neil's are all pretty good.”

“This is a cohesive and carefully assembled mood album which flows from one track to the next as Neil and Steve play a lazy backyard catch, throwing the ball to each other. Standout tracks are for me Stills' organ-driven Make Love To You and Young's Fontainebleau, possibly the most beautiful song he ever recorded.”

“The Neil songs are good and worth acquiring if you're a big fan. Stills' songs pale in comparison though he does contribute some neat fretwork in places. So a patchy album at best.”

“Long May You Run was a quite successful album, mostly thanks to Neil's classic title track. The reviews were pretty negative, but it's far from a bad record. Neil does deliver better songs than Stills, with Let It Shine and Fontainebleau being great compositions. Stills wrote songs that were good enough, but the contrast with Neil's work is too big, and besides, we all know he could do much better.”

“Neil's stuff isn't exactly revelatory, but it has a certain relaxed charm. Stills' tunes, meanwhile, have a sort of overbearing pretentiousness to them, while still being pretty low-energy.”

“Well, at least the Neil Young songs are good. Unfortunately that only makes up half the album. And even the Young songs aren't among his best. That is, with one notable exception. I love the song Fontainebleau, it's a Neil Young classic that actually makes it worth the album purchase.”

Children Of The World - THE BEE GEES****

You Should Be Dancing/You Stepped Into My Life/Love So Right/Lovers/Can't Keep A Good Man Down/Boogie Child/Love Me/Subway/The Way It Was/Children Of The World

The Bee Gees continued their resurgence with the release of Children Of The World. For this album they cast off the last vestiges of their earlier musical style to fully embrace disco featuring their soon to become trademark falsetto. Includes the US No. 1 You Should Be Dancing and No. 3 Love So Right. (US:8)

“This album is classic Bee Gees disco, although none of them will say the ‘D’ word out loud, instead relying on the euphemism of unique blend of pop and soul. For a group that helped define a genre, this is a cop out. Nonetheless, the music on this album is high disco and pop for the era.”

“A perfectly listenable album this from the Gibb brothers, if you can take pretty much ten songs sung in piercing falsetto and backed by the type of cheesy synth you'd expect to hear at the local social club do.”

“A fine piece of the Bee Gees' disco period. It cannot compete with its predecessor, Main Course, but it is loaded with some great R & B and funk arrangements. In order to enjoy this album though, a falsetto tolerance is essential.”

“This is Brothers Gibb at the peak of their disco-funk-soul sound. Barry rules almost every song with his very special high voice, and Robin's few lead vocal contributions are simply awful.”

“Although The Bee Gees had included some soul into their sound on their two previous albums Children Of The World is the first where they decided to concentrate on this style exclusively. However, much of the soul found here tends to have a softer edge, particularly with the uptempo tracks.”

“It's still a classic example of the tasteful writing and the trademark voices of a truly class act. As in a lot of records, the best tracks are not the songs released as singles, like Subway, with its driving beat and haunting melody, and the passionate beauty of The Way It Was.”

“This album features some of their finest songwriting and vocal moments. You Should Be Dancing encourages people to get on the dance floor and start dancing the night away. It also features Barry's best falsetto at the time. Love So Right describes the difference between love and infatuation.”

Boston - BOSTON****

More Than A Feeling/Peace Of Mind/Foreplay-Long Time/Rock & Roll Band/Smokin'/Hitch A Ride/Something About You/Let Me Take You Home Tonight

Self titled debut album from the US melodic hard rock band Boston. They would repeat the highly successful formula a couple of years later, but fans would have to wait a long time for a third helping. Features the US top five hit More Than A Feeling. (US:3 UK:11)

“With their first LP, Boston achieved two things; they made one of the strongest debut albums in history of rock, and secondly they started the whole arena rock genre that became globally popular in the late 70s.”

“More Than A Feeling is an ultimate, timeless hit, an evergreen and of course it's a highlight and Peace Of Mind is no less good either.”

“More Than A Feeling is a great song, immaculately structured with that guitar led chorus that just seems to emerge out of the ether. It sounds good for its time and I can't imagine its star ever dimming. What I wasn't prepared for is how the rest of the album takes the hard rock elements of Boston's most famous son, and builds a cohesive whole around them.”

“This is an absolute must-have for guitar lovers who can take a moderate dose of radio-friendly choruses and infectious melodies in their music diet.”

“This album is great fun as a whole. Many hate it because it was radio friendly and sold millions of copies, but this is not necessarily a bad thing, especially when the music was actually pretty good. Yes, the lyrics are not complex or deep, but the unmatched melodies and unique guitar sound manage to blow you away. This is the pop face of hard rock, and it's great.”

“I wonder if the even more excruciating wave of AOR bands that formed in the wake of this record had never existed, would people just remember this as a harmless heavy rock album with pop songwriting and particularly extensive production. Maybe, but the sound Boston became responsible for is pretty much the death rattle of rock n' roll and the American Dream.”

“Perhaps the greatest appeal of Boston was the utterly classic sound they created on their first album. With the incredible harmonics of both guitar and vocals, each song is a toe-tapper, never losing its powerful allure.”

No Reason To Cry - ERIC CLAPTON***

Beautiful Thing/Carnival/Sign Language/County Jail Blues/All Our Pastimes/Hello Old Friend/Double Trouble/Innocent Times/Hungry/Black Summer Rain

No Reason To Cry is another less than inspired release from guitarist Eric Clapton, whose solo albums were always less satisfying than those where he was part of a group. This one has a guest appearance by Bob Dylan. (US:15 UK:8)

“At first listen, it sounds like a watered down version of the previous album because it has only one stand-out track, Carnival, the rest being slow-burning and not very inspired doodling. Unexpected appearance of Bob Dylan does nothing for either artist except for the surprise factor of two superstars collaborating where Clapton's playing by far overshadows Dylan's singing.”

“The guitar god mystique is starting to fade and that seems to be OK with Eric, but not necessarily so for most of his fans. He seems to have settled on laid back country-blues, and that's too bad because I believe he had more to offer. Pleasant enough I guess but where did Eric Clapton go?”

“This was made during a period when you were waiting for EC to let it rip but instead he was more into napping. It got aggravating buying his records then. However, this is still a pleasant little piece of work.”

“It's actually quite a nice album with members of The Band providing a little vocal, instrumental and songwriting support. Bob Dylan appears as well on his own Sign Language. This is perhaps not Clapton at his absolute best, but No Reason To Cry should be a strong consideration for fans of Clapton, Dylan or The Band.”

“The songs are well-written and consistent from beginning to end, with a good mix of slow and fast tunes, though none rock hard. Of course, he included a couple of blues covers, of which County Jail Blues is the best.”

“Eric Clapton and a variety of friends contribute to this assortment. The music is as diverse as the contributors. Eric does country and blues, and at times he sounds like he's in The Band. Most of the songs are good, but he holds back on his guitar playing. My favourite comes when he does what he does best: blues with his guitar at the forefront, on Double Trouble. Also Black Summer Rain must be one of his best compositions. It's a nice album, but too much of a hotch-potch.”

Spirit - JOHN DENVER***

Come & Let Me Look In Your Eyes/Eli's Song/Wrangle Mountain Song/Hitchhiker/In The Grand Way/Polka Dots & Moonbeams/It Makes Me Giggle/Baby You Look Good To Me Tonight/Like A Sad Song/San Antonio Rose/ Pegasus/The Wings That Fly Us Home

Country-rock singer songwriter John Denver enjoyed considerable popularity during the early 1970s. By the time of the release of Spirit his appeal was beginning to wane and his future albums would chart much lower. (US:7 UK:9)

“The drippiness of this album in general is saved in the final track with the arrival of the most formative and evocative song of my youth, The Wings That Fly Us Home. Ignore the rest, buy it simply for the power and sheer spiritual depth of this one song which surely provided the vehicle for the rest of this weak album to travel upon.”

“The whole album is very good, but the last song is exceptional. Words cannot describe the feeling I get whenever I hear it. I can almost feel my own spirit wanting to take flight. When music brings tears to your eyes, that says something and this one did. This is John Denver at his best.”

“This might not be the best John Denver album but it sure has some great songs on it. Baby You Look Good To Me Tonight is one. While I love the whole album some of it is a bit cheesy and there are tracks that I would skip.”

“This is a great example of John Denver's wonderful talents as a singer and songwriter, one produced at the height of his popularity in the mid-1970s. Here we see some of the monster hits that propelled him into amazing popularity and superstardom in the early 1970s. In his heyday no one was outselling his albums or out-booking John for concert appearances, and considering the incredible talents on the scene at the time, that is a pretty good indication of just how popular he was, and just how universal was John Denver's appeal. No one else sang of the wide-open possibilities and seemingly limitless prospects for a good life awaiting those who would free themselves from the bonds that confined them and just dare to soar along with him in the wild open spaces.”

“I was hoping for more really beautiful songs by John, but this was disappointing. One of the reasons was that many of the songs were written by other writers, and these were not the best of picks.”

Hasten Down The Wind - LINDA RONSTADT***

Lose Again/The Tattler/If He's Ever Near/That'll Be The Day/Lo Siento Mi Vida/Hasten Down The Wind/Rivers Of Babylon/Give One Heart/Try Me Again/Crazy/Down So Low/Someone To Lay Down Beside Me

Vocalist Linda Ronstadt was heavily dependant on cover songs to which she provided her own interpretations. Hasten Down The Wind exemplifies the problem with this approach. Why would anyone want to listen to alternative versions of Crazy or That’ll Be The Day when the originals are so perfect? (US:3 UK:32)

“Linda Ronstadt has a great voice, with great musicians and a good taste in songs. Maybe some people consider this music to be hollow, shallow and facile, but I don't agree. She catches perfectly the worn-out, rock/pop zeitgeist of the mid-1970s more than any other artist out there.”

“This is definitely my favourite Linda Ronstadt album. The songs flow effortlessly into one another, and her voice has discovered a subtle texture.”

“Much of Linda Ronstadt’s Hasten Down The Wind is bordering on filler. Some of the songs have a interesting moments, but overall, most of what’s here is disappointing. However, there is one song here that is a masterpiece, Crazy which saves the album. Here Linda is in complete control and command of her voice. Her inflections and nuances show that she fully understands what the song is all about.”

“The album showcases Ronstadt's big, rich voice in a selection of down-so-low songs. Her take on the classic Patsy Cline song, Crazy, is wistful as well as woeful, and the entire album would be my first choice if I were spending a rainy night remembering old, lost loves.”

“Hasten Down The Wind garnered her a Grammy for best female pop vocal performance. It's a very real, raw album with Ronstadt's sweet vocals pierced by a touch of grit.

“That'll Be The Day is one of her best; she completely reinvents the song, and it's jet-propelled throughout. Crazy, revered as Patsy Cline's classic, is perfectly captured in a stark arrangement, in which Ronstadt represents the emotional details of the lyrics with exceptional skill. Down So Low comes complete with a large chorus and thrilling lead vocals lines and is remarkable.”

Whistling Down The Wire - CROSBY & NASH***

Spotlight/Broken Bird/Time After Time/Dancer/Mutiny/JB Blues/Marguerita/Taken At All/Foolish Man/Out Of The Darkness

Whistling Down The Wire was the third Crosby & Nash 1970s partnership by two artists with very differing musical styles. Although this one is rather undistinguished, they would again team up with Stephen Stills the following year to release a top selling album. (US:26)

“By this time Stephen Stills was not the only one who was going downhill after he switched to a new label; Crosby & Nash weren't at their best either. This album has some good moments, but most of it is disappointing and totally unmemorable. The band plays good, but the songs mostly lack the inspiration of previous records. It's all above average, but seldom great.”

“There are a couple things with Crosby and Nash albums that you can always count on. One of course is the fine harmony vocals. The other is that Crosby's songs will always be more interesting than Nash's. This hold true once again on Whistling Down The Wire.”

“Whistling Down The Wire is the perfect musical companion to their previous release which continues and expands the poetic songs and harmonies that they are famous for. What strikes one the most are the incredible harmony vocals, as the songs are relatively quieter the distinctive Crosby-Nash vocal blend stands out more.”

“The music has an urgent, almost raw feel, and it comes as no surprise to discover that most of the tracks were recorded ‘live’ in the studio with very little overdubbing. Crosby may have been close to running on empty at the time, yet Time After Time and Foolish Man remain, two of the greatest moments in his vast body of work. As for Nash, his Marguerita has always been unfortunately overlooked, as has Broken Bird, co-written with Crosby.”

“The mood of Whistling Down The Wire is different, there's a certain melancholy to it, particularly in Nash's tunes, a more sombre tone than in previous compositions. Marguerita and Broken Bird are gorgeous examples of Graham's depth of feeling, proving that his sweet and tender spirit does not mean that he is a light composer.”

“The album-opening Spotlight is a wonderfully joyful song about playing live and sharing experiences through music. Nash contributes two of his all-time great solo compositions and Crosby gets in a spellbinding solo composition of his own.”