Canaan Dovetail 1974
If you're tired of all those country rock homogenized Eagles clones that proliferated in the 70's you need to check out the British group Canaan. They bring a refreshing progressive element to the genre that is lacking in their American counterparts. The guitars are cookin' here - 'Follow Me' and 'Lonely Man' both have loud acid guitar, while 'Mr. Jones' and 'Jesus Revolution' heavily utilize the reverb effect. Bob Fraser's vocals perfectly suit the style. Harmonica and synths on occasion, overall upbeat feel. Touch of 70's Moody Blues in here. KS

Out Of The Wilderness Myrrh 1976
How do we miss bands and albums like this one? Second from this UK rock outfit. This time a countryish rockin' project. Many Brit touches like Lindisfarne and Matthews Southern Comfort. Quite a bit of the traditional Brit folk sense, too. Reminded of Jonathan Edwards of 'Sunshine' fame. Real wonderful emotive vox and just the right touch of harmonies. Each song seems to take you to a different place. The ocean ('Haul Away'), a country road ('Walk With Me'), a dancehall rockout with 'Run, Run, Run'. Reflective, out in the country, stream side sunny day stuff. Really hits home. 'I Will Return' is so full of conviction it makes you cry. You find yourself at the foot of the cross during 'The Stranger'. Poco-ish in their very best sense. You know, when Richie was just on? Completely satisfying, vary professional sounding. You gotta get it. BF