Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 01/21/2003
Frustrated with watching former bandmates
Stephen Stills,
Neil Young,
Jim Messina, and
Randy Meisner shoot up the charts while
Poco spent the better part of five years lingering in the second division of the Top 100,
Richie Furay decided to leave the group in 1973 following its sixth album,
Crazy Eyes. His departure subsequently led to the formation of the
country-rock "supergroup," the
Souther-Hillman-Furay Band, for
David Geffen's
Asylum Records. The band came with a great deal of hype, only to end up disbanding after only two records. During his stint with
S-H-F,
Furay, through his connection with the band's steel guitarist
Al Perkins, became a devout Christian. His pair of songs from their final release hinted at his conversion, but it was his 1976 solo debut, recorded with members of the
Christian rock band
Love Song, that made it apparent that his references to
God were more than just casual ones. Produced by Christian artist, session musician, and soon-to-be Grammy winning producer
Michael Omartian,
I've Got a Reason expands on
Furay's newfound faith, although without the usual ham-fisted rhetoric of a recent convert. The songs here are more about looking inward than they are about proselytizing. Musically,
Furay continues his gradual move away from the
country-rock leanings of his past, moving closer to a somewhat slicker, more
pop-oriented
rock sound. And while many of the tracks -- including the AOR of
"We'll See," the banjo-kick-started rocker
"Gettin' Through," and the opener
"Look at the Sun" -- work despite
Omartian's sometimes intrusive production, some otherwise decent songs such as
"Mighty Maker" and
"Over and Over" suffer, sounding rather silly beneath his heavy-handed strings and bloated synths. Still, it's
Furay's clear, emotive tenor, along with his sense of melody and passion for the material, that carries the album. Failing to even break the Top 100,
I've Got a Reason didn't change his standing in the
pop marketplace, but it remains a strong personal statement for
Richie Furay. It was reissued in 1981 by the Christian label
Myrhh and in 2003 by
Wounded Bird.
~Brett Hartenbach, All Music Guide
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