On its eighth album Poco still clings to the countrified cowpoke trappings it has sported since it began. Both the album's packaging and titles are redolent with western imagery, while the first two songs are innocuous country-folk ditties in a familiar vein. More's the pity because, while the group plays countryish material better than most, they shine when they play rock. "High and Dry," "Western Waterloo" and "One Horse Blue" serve as the album's best examples (while there are scattered others on the preceding four albums). Cantamos has a passable ratio of three good rockers out of nine cuts, with an additional rocker, "Another Time Around," that is unimpressive and a ballad, "Bitter Blue," that compensates. Overall, it's a good solid LP. But if Poco pulled out all the stops and rocked straight on through just once, the results could be exceptional. (RS 179)

KEN BARNES