While on their early singles was a solid band who mostly devoted themselves to imaginative interpretations of covers, by the time they cut their first LP in 1970 they'd shifted gears and become a act with an undertow of pastoral , and their self-titled album (the only full-length release from the original band) is an interesting artifact of its era. Lead guitarist embraced a warm but fuzzy sound that suggests the influence of and without the aggressive histrionics of either artist, and vocalist was a more than capable singer with an admirable sense of restraint on moodier numbers such as When the band turns up the volume on stuff like the results are a bit less immediately impressive, since a number of bands were following a similar path at the time, but still has plenty to offer when they rock out. The performances here sound warm and organic, and sway with an easy but impassioned groove, while , bassist , and rhythm guitarist deliver impressive harmonies. While the 11-minute medley of goes on a bit too long and doesn't bear comparison to the originals, 's guitar work holds it own and the band is able to bring its own personality to the tunes, no small thing. It's probably a mistake to regard as a lost classic from the era when was giving way to , but it's a solid and enjoyable record from a band who had genuine talent and some fine songs; it's not hard to imagine these guys could have become major stars if their luck had been a bit better back in the day. ~ Mark Deming