This is Poco's third album, their first live album, and as such it serves to render the first two nearly superfluous. Five of the numbers on Deliverin' were recorded on the first album Pickin' Up The Pieces when the band was in an infantile stage of development and before they had acquired bassist and second vocalist Timothy Schmidt. Each of these numbers is infinitely more exciting and competent on the newer versions. But it is not simply a question of added experience and talent which causes the difference. Poco will always be better off keeping away from studios and staying out in front of people. It keeps them honest.

I don't know what it's like other places, but they come running on to stages in Eastern cities, nearly knocking over the MC, immediately making themselves so at home that soon you begin thinking that it's you, the audience, that's been bused out of the city to a show in the country.

The words to their songs are usually about some kind of pain. "Look at me, sitting, staring at the rain/Knowing that the days we once knew won't ever come again" (from Richie Furay's "Consequently So Long") or: "Here it comes another heartache bringing me pain and misery,/Sneaking round the bend, saying hey my friend/Sit down and keep me company" (from Timmy Schmidt's "Hard Luck"). But the country melodies which the words fall on and the three part rock and roll enthusiasm which brings them across tend to make that pain seem like a very inconsequential thing. Muy Poco.

I'm usually turned away by an inbred hairspray decay present in straight Grand Ole Opry country music. Poco delivers a freshness that comes to the city, comes on clean and makes good. Richie Furay singing his own "Just In Case It Happens, Yes Indeed" is about as close to Sonny James as I care to get.

There are five previously unrecorded songs on this album, which is somewhat of a novelty for a live album. There are also two songs, "Kind Woman" and "Child's Claim to Fame" which Richie recorded with The Buffalo Springfield. Again the spontaneity of the live voices adds freshness to both songs.

Both sides of the album end with three song medleys, which demonstrate Poco's ability to sustain an energy level by varying melodies, messages and vocal leads. On side one Timmy's vocal lead on "Hard Luck" flows into Richie's lead on "Chile's Claim to Fame" which leads into "Picken' Up the Pieces" bringing drummer George Grantham's falsetto voice into the foreground. On side two "Just in Case It Happens. Yes Indeed" and "Consequently So Long" are bridged by Rusty Young's exciting dobro and steel guitar on his own "Grand Junction." Young should soon gain a popular admiration to coincide with the respect he has achieved from professional colleagues like Jerry Garcia and Tom Bromley.

Lead Guitarist Jim Messina has left the group since producing this album to concentrate on future producing endeavors. He has been replaced by Paul Cotton, formerly of the Illinois Speed Press. The stage leadership has always been handled by Richie with Timmy as the lieutenant coming up through the ranks. Richie's the kind of field general who can be heard yelling "Right On" at the end of one side and "God bless you all" at the end of the other. It makes a city boy smile. (RS 77)

STU WERBIN