Of all the pioneering country-rock bands of the late '60s, Poco may well have been the one that got the hybrid the most right, at least initially. The group's high-energy, joyous, and infectious songs had none of the artfulness of the Byrds' attempt at fusing rock and country, and none of the cache of hipness that weighed down both the Eagles and the Flying Burrito Brothers. Poco just played and had fun in an unassuming way, at least at the outset, because latter-era Poco is every bit as laden with California cool as the above named bands. This release from England's Beat Goes On Records combines Poco's first two albums in a two-disc set, and it is an inspired (and obvious) pairing, catching the band at its freshest peak in the studio.

The song "Keep on Tryin'" from Head Over Heels kicks off this two-fer of Poco albums (released in 1975 and 1976) and is a reasonable metaphor for the band's continued desire to break into the mainstream and enlarge what had been an appreciative but somewhat minor cult following. The quartet also relocated from the Epic label which had been home since their 1970 debut, to ABC (later MCA). With the business change came a burst of creativity, as the strong voices and songwriting skills of the Tim Schmit-Rusty Young-Paul Cotton creative nucleus dovetailed for a terrific set, shifting to a slightly more pop vein, while remaining firmly ensconced in the country, folk, and even bluegrass roots of their previous output. A cover of the rare Becker/Fagen composition "Dallas" (available only as a single before Steely Dan's full-length debut but not included on it) is an inspired choice. Paul Cotton blossomed as a songwriter with "Let Me Turn Back to You," a warm-up of sorts for "Heart of the Night," the track that three years later would ultimately provide the crossover hit they were searching for.

Combining the natural excitement and added vibrancy that a live performance provides, while recording in a studio environment with better acoustics, proves the best of both worlds for a recorded concert. The small invited audience to this label showcase consisted mostly of family, friends, and music company executives from the Columbia/Epic imprints, giving the proceedings a homey, more comfortable vibe. Poco's live album of predominantly new material, Deliverin', which came out earlier in the year, was a big seller and the band had just released the studio follow-up, From the Inside, which introduced Paul Cotton into the outfit, replacing Jim Messina. This was Cotton's first tour with the existing members, and although his contributions on electric guitar and soon-to-be primary songwriter are still on low boil, it's clear that Poco is headed in a more commercially rock-oriented direction.

Poco had originally made their name as a live act, and they'd always been at their best and most easygoing on-stage. The result is this live album of new and old material, featuring Jim Messina's swan song with the band and some of the tightest playing and best singing in their recorded history. Jewels include "C'mon," "Hear That Music," "Kind Woman," and "You'd Better Think Twice." About as perfect an album as they ever made and, not coincidentally, by far the biggest seller the early group ever had.

This box set collects five of the eight albums Poco recorded for Columbia's Epic Records imprint between 1969 and 1974 (the band parted ways with the label and signed with ABC Records in 1975) and aside from 1971's live Deliverin' (which isn't included here), it provides a neat capsule history of the Richie Furay era of the group (Furay left Poco following 1973's Crazy Eyes, the latest album collected in this set). A band that was just a blink ahead of its time, Poco was a bit too country for the rock audiences of the day and a bit too rock for the country crowd back then, but they paved the way for bands like the Eagles to grab a little bit of both of those musical cultures later in the decade. Always fun, energetic, and upbeat, Poco's finest phase came in those early Furay years and this box set affords an excellent way to plug into the best years of this delightful band.