On January 24, 1975, Poco appeared on The Midnight Special, the popular late-night musical variety show that ran during the 1970’s. One of the six songs they performed that evening was High and Dry, an energetic number featured on their most recent album at the time, the criminally underrated, even by Poco standards, Cantamos, released in late 1974. It was an album that was widely viewed as a return to their classic country-rock sound, one that saw them come into their own as a four-piece band and firmly establish their post-Richie Furay identity.
As the clip confirms, by early 1975 Poco was a well-oiled machine, having toured extensively throughout the previous couple of years. Certainly, their performance on this evening displays a tight and cohesive band seemingly at the peak of their musical powers. High And Dry is a lively rootsy rocker with some incredible playing and magnificent three-part harmonies. With Paul Cotton’s trademark Gretsch White Falcon leading the way, the band wastes no time locking into a tight, melodic groove; Timothy B. Schmit and George Grantham playing like absolute beasts on their respective instruments, all the while singing in perfect unison. Multi-instrumentalist Rusty Young gets his moment too, playing his pedal steel guitar through a Leslie speaker to create an exhilarating organ sound that emphasises the song‘s early 70’s classic rock aesthetic.
What’s most impressive about this performance is the big sound created from just four instrumentalists. No gimmicks or props, just four talented musicians in complete sync with each other. It’s a welcome return to the quintessential Poco sound; high-energy rock and roll infused with country licks and high lonesome harmonies. A mere two years and three albums later, Schmit would leave for the greener (as in money) pastures afforded by the Eagles, spelling the end of this lineup’s incredibly productive period. Happily, we have musical souvenirs such as this classic performance that, despite some questionable fashion choices, remind us of their brilliant role as country rock pioneers and forebears of the americana movement.
