I first came across this album, Bustin’ Out (1972), by Pure Prairie League, on my Twitter feed a couple of days ago, and almost immediately added the album to my queue, as I really dug the album artwork and the band name. Pure Prairie League is a country rock band from Ohio that officially started in 1970, and lasted until 1988 for the group’s first run, being revived for a shorter run from 1998 to 2002, and then again from 2004 to the present day. Not receiving much attention on its release, the album gained traction on college radio stations that ended up propelling the album to #34 on the Billboard charts in the US. I’m pretty excited to give this album a listen, so with that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“Jazzman” starts out with some super sweet country vocals, which is soon joined by some very pure sounding acoustic guitar and some flavorful pedal steel that paints a country sky into the soundscape. I really dig the sound of the vocals in this one, which remind me of the vocals in the Grateful Dead’s “Weather Report Suite” from their 1973 album, Wake of the Flood. Oh wow, the drums have a sound that typically reminds me of a later 1970s and even early 1980s sound, and I’m really digging the sound in this track so far. Wow, great track, and I’m excited to hear more.
Oh wow, “Angel #9” starts out with some groovy distorted electric guitar playing some twangy country rock lines with a ton of flavor. Holy smokes, this track almost makes me think of college rock from the later 1980s like The Lucy Show or even The Church, if either of those bands ever played a country rock tune, and I’m digging the sound a ton. Oh wow, the background gospel chorus vocals add such a sweet flavor to this twangy country rock tune. Holy smokes, this guitar solo is awesome, and almost reminds me of The Eagles. Wow, great tune.
“Leave My Heart Alone” starts out with some bright and sort of hollow sounding acoustic guitar with a groovy backbeat from the drums. Holy smokes, the electric guitar comes in and almost has a bit of a surf rock flavor. Holy smokes, the wah pedal’d guitar comes in and has some absolutely awesome flavor as the notes drip into the soundscape. So far, this album has felt way ahead of its time to me, though I’m not the most well-versed in country rock from around 1972 apart from the likes of Gram Parsons. Holy smokes, this tune seems to keep rockin’ and groovin’ on harder as more layers like the background gospel chorus vocals are added to the soundscape. Oh wow, the rhythm guitar and the shakers/maracas have a super hypnotizing sound while the lead guitar goes in for a rockin’ solo. Wow, another great track.
“Early Morning Riser” starts out with some really pleasant acoustic guitar that has a bright, hollow sort of sound again that gets the tune moving along a bit. Oh wow, more instruments come into the soundscape and the tune gets into a steady rockin’ groove. Holy smokes, the licks that the electric guitar adds are super flavorful. Oh wow, this laid back sound almost has a flowing beach-side sound. The gentle background chorus vocals ease the tune along while the electric guitar adds some waves into the flowing soundscape. Oh wow, the false ending has hooked me even further into both the tune and the album. Great tune.
“Falling In and Out of Love” starts out with some fairly ominous acoustic guitar, which has a sound that feels like it’s building up to something in a fairly folksy way. Oh wow, the tune seemingly breaks through to a more melodious movement on the acoustic guitar for the chorus. Super sweet track.
“Amie” starts outs with some country folk style acoustic guitar that has a bright, hollow sound with a bit of twang. Oh wow, the vocals during the chorus of the song have a super pleasant harmonizing sound, nearly reminiscent of The Beach Boys. Oh wow, the electric guitar adds some super sweet accentuations in the background. Holy smokes, this acoustic guitar solo reminds me a ton of Peter Rowan on Earth Opera. I want to mention that this song made it up to #27 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1975. Oh wow, the track feels drenched in crisp, clean country sound by the end of the song. Great tune.
“Boulder Skies” starts out with a refreshing country sound that has a sound that evokes the sight of mountain sky in the country while you stand in a field filled with dew-covered grass in the early morning. Oh wow, the orchestral instrumentation adds a ton of sweetness to the track. Holy smokes, this piano solo hits some super flavorful notes, and complements the sweetness of the orchestral strings quite well. The acoustic guitar really reminds me of some sort of countrified version of something you might hear on The Church’s album, Starfish (1987), while the electric guitar almost adds a sleek sound that has a pseudo-surf feel. Great track.
“Angel” has a really laid back, acoustic college rock sound, with a bit of a country rock inflection. Oh wow, the vocals have a flavorful, relaxed, almost assured sound, which matches the acoustic guitar nicely. Holy smokes, the electric guitar that comes on with a bit of country twang makes the song sound like one you might play with some buddies after a long day and you finally get to unwind. Oh wow, the guitar almost has a jazz-like feel for a moment. I really dig the jangling sounds of the acoustic guitar at the end of the track. Great tune.
Oh wow, “Call Me, Tell Me” fills up with the jangliness of some acoustic guitar, which almost sounds like a 12-string based on the how close the notes feel together while retaining such a soft feel. Oh wow, the orchestral instrumentation comes back into the soundscape, which adds a really flavorful sound that feels as though it is tying the album together. Super sweet track and a great way to finish this album.
Wow, this album is awesome. I’ve never quite imagined the sound of early 1970s country rock combined with what I typically would consider to be the later 1980s college rock sound, but holy smokes, I really dig the sound. If you’re into college rock bands like The Church or even The Lucy Show, and you dig early 1970s country rock sound like Gram Parsons or even Peter Rowan to any degree, you might want to consider checking out this album. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I sincerely do hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A