This 1989 release marked the one and only reunion of the entire original Poco—Jim Messina, Richie Furay, Randy Meisner, Rusty Young and George Grantham. That lineup launched in 1969. The band grew out of the end of the Buffalo Springfield, with Messina and Furay forming the group. Messina would leave shortly to form Loggins and Messina, and Meisner would depart soon also to form the Eagles, only to be replaced by Timothy B. Schmit, who himself would eventually depart Poco for the Eagles, again replacing Meisner. Furay, Young, Grantham, and eventually Paul Cotton would carry on the Poco name for many years until only Young and Cotton were left.
This album was very much instigated by Richard Marx, riding high on the pop charts at the time, and he produced, co-wrote, and arranged the vocals on “Nothin’ to Hide.” The group’s impeccable harmonies remained and although it wasn’t the strongest batch of songs, for the most part, thankfully the producer eschewed some of the ’80s synthetic musical cliches of the era. The album doesn’t so much reflect the group’s seminal ’70s meld of country and rock as it offers a modern pop approach to the Poco sound.
Furay kicks it off with “When It All Began,” a song that provides a loving and affectionate short biography of the group’s heyday. Young provides some of the other better moments with a pop sound he had cultivated in the band that neither took away from the group’s signature sound or pandered to the pop trend of the moment. Messina’s contributions are surprisingly limited, although his “Follow Your Dreams” is one of the best tracks on the album. Meisner’s contributions are a little heavy-handed, and his vocals lack the smooth, high-pitched perfection of his best work with the Eagles.
A host of musicians helped flesh out the music, including Bill Payne, Leland Sklar, Jedd Porcaro and others. The group toured behind the album, opening for Richard Marx. Overall, it’s a good listen and at more than 30 years old, it sounds pretty fresh. The packaging replicates the original gatefold jacket. The sound quality is a perfect duplication of the original album.
While Messina would go on to work on a couple of occasions with Loggins again, and Young would restart Poco once more with Cotton and Jack Sundrud, Meisner disappeared and Furay would eventually press forward with a more concerted solo career after spending years as a minister.
While Meisner does seem permanently retired from music and sadly Young and Cotton both passed away months apart in 2021, a Poco reunion could still work. The Eagles are calling it quits, so Schmit could rejoin Grantham, Messina and Furay, in what would surely be a welcome reunion.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
B
