Firefall

Given Firefall's pedigree of former Spirit and Flying Burrito Brothers members, it may seem that the group would have been a little more adventurous than the band that gave us the soft rock classic "You Are the Woman." Thing is, they were -- the song was just so successful, it's overshadowed the fact that their 1976's eponymous debut was a varied, satisfying record. Yes, most of it was within the province of mellow Californian soft rock, but they do display their country-rock roots, along with some searching musicality throughout the record. And while a couple of the songs coast by on sound, they could also craft a good tune, with the singles "Livin' Ain't Livin'" and "Cinderella" standing proudly alongside "You Are the Woman." It's a fine, understated country-rock debut that remains one of the more underrated items of its kind -- it holds its own next to Poco, Pure Prairie League, and the Eagles. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine