After the dissolution of Buffalo Springfield, Stephen Stills and Neil Young retained the interest of fans, but Richie Furay was a distant third in popularity. Poco became his vehicle toward relevance, but their first album virtually killed any hope.

Marred by atrocious production, embarrassingly enthusiastic vocals, and abysmally juvenile cover art, it remains one of the worst album’s I’ve ever suffered through. Miraculously, things improved dramatically with the next release, followed by a steady pattern of artistic growth over the next few years.

“Crazy Eyes” was album number six for Poco, the last to feature Furay as their leader, and their best. Two unrelated details helped to make this Poco’s best record. The recent death of Gram Parsons made a significant impact on Richie Furay, and he wrote the magnificent title song in his honor, while also covering Parsons’ “Brass Buttons.” Bandmates Paul Cotton and Timothy B. Schmit also submitted some of the best tunes they’d ever written – Schmit’s “Here We Go Again” and Cotton’s “A Right Along” are forgotten masterpieces, but not just for the great songwriting.

Producers Jack Richardson and Bob Ezrin virtually reinvented Poco’s sound to include soaring orchestral sections supporting masterful arrangements that gave each song a luster so rich and full that they rivalled The Eagles’ best work. In three-years’ time, that is where Timothy B. Schmit would end up riding out the rest of his career.

Featured Tracks:

Blue Water

Fools Gold

Here We Go Again

Brass Buttons

A Right Along

Crazy Eyes

Magnolia

Let's Dance Tonight

September 1973 - Billboard Charted #38