University of Virginia Library

RECORDS

Chickens, Pigs, And Country Rock

By ROB PRITCHARD

There is something
inherently satisfying about the
popular revival of country
music. Perhaps, since it all has
been said before, there is no
feeling of anxiety about where
the music is going, and perhaps
also, the willowy slide of the
steel guitar kindles
recollections, if only vicarious
ones, of warm and lazy
summer afternoons sittin' on
the back porch in a rocking
chair overseeing the bucolic
squalor of pig pens, chicken
coops and, yes, that little old
shack out back with the
quarter moon over the door.

Such is the case of Pure
Prairie League's album entitled,
Bustin' Out. Blending the old
traditions of country music,
behind the unmistakable
influences of such groups as
Poco and The New Riders of
the Purple Sage, Pure Prairie
League succeeds in putting
together a good record.

But good albums, ones
which are at least competent,
are being churned out often
these days. And this is
especially true of country
music with its easily patterned
rhythms and thesaurus-like
options for construction. In
fact, country music has
reached the stage which "rock"
has only recently been able to
pull itself out of that of
having little room to move.

Perhaps, though, this stasis
is inseparable from the music
itself and, like blues,
fundamental as well. In any
event, the result is the pleasant
one of having many good
albums with at least a few
flashes of something more.

Bustin' Out, contrary to the
implications of the title, does
not reflect any dynamic
inspiration, nor does it exert a
powerful appearance; rather, it
is simply an enjoyable album
to sit back and listen to, and
one that does not get in the
way of conversation. Or
sleeping.

Though nothing
extraordinary, the musicians
are individually talented, and
play together smoothly, with
few rough edges or overdrawn
instrumentals.

A Brisco's steel guitar,
carefully weaving in and out of
most of the songs, generates
the only real spark to the
album, although Craig Fuller
and George Powell provide
more than adequate backup
guitar for the vocals and
Brisco, and also play well in
the lead position.

It seems a shame, though,
that vocals command the
importance that they do in this
style of country music. For
with most of the songs so
similar in construction anyway,
the vocals tend to accentuate
this similarity rather than
diffuse it simply because vocals
require, at least in this case, a
relatively steady and
established pattern to follow.

If, on the other hand, prime
importance was given to the
instruments, which have a far
greater range and which the
human ear is capable of
following even through rather
discontinuous runs and
transitions, the result would be
much more musically
satisfying. Though much more
difficult to create, it is true.
However, this is not to say the
singing on Bustin' Out is
poorly done, for it is quite
good, but is rather a general
observation concerning much
of the "good" music being
recorded today.

Although Pure Prairie
League's Bustin' Out will
establish no new trends, it is
nevertheless a welcome relief
to the insipid monotony of a
group such as Chicago. But then,
most groups provide that
much.