Paul Cotton - Firebird

One listen to Paul Cotton's 2000 album, Firebird, should be enough to convince even the casual listener that Paul and his Poco bandmate Rusty Young don't deserve the semi-obscurity to which they've been relegated by the capricious whims of the recording industry.

Firebird was produced by Cotton, John Thaler and David Knauer, and they've managed to make an album with state-of-the-art sound quality that still carries a rustic, hickory-smoked, aged-in-wood, charcoal-mellowed feel that recalls nothing as much as the first few albums by The Band. That's quite an accomplishment. The sound is spare, which yields a welcome simplicity and a clear sense of stylistic direction. It sounds like a letter from a close friend that has been too long out of touch.

Cotton's easy, muscular singing and his sure-handed approach to chord structure prevent the material from becoming samey. Plus there's just enough imagination in the arrangements (Bill Lloyd's deft mandolin work is an especially welcome touch) to keep things interesting. ~ Full Review at Futuredge Music

Track Listing :

• Woman With a Broken Heart
• There's a River
• Firebird
• Not Out of Mind
• Bad Weather
• Across a Painted Sky
• Do What You Do
• Carnival
• All the Way to You
• Ride the Country
• Let the Wind Blow

More information about Paul Cotton can be found at the Paul Cotton website