(05) The Souther-Hillman Furay Band - The Souther-Hillman Furay Band (1974)

"The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band" is the debut album by The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band, released in 1974.

The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band was a country rock supergroup led by singer-songwriters Richie Furay, Chris Hillman, and J.D. Souther. The band was formed in 1973 upon the request of David Geffen, then head of Asylum Records. The group had a substantial hit with the 1974 self-titled first album and the single "Fallin' in Love"

When David Geffen convinced Richie Furay, Chris Hillman, and J.D. Souther to join forces to form a country-rock supergroup, it seemed like an inspired suggestion. Crosby, Stills & Nash's folk-rock had scored big with a similar idea, while bands such as the Eagles, who recorded for Geffen's Asylum Records, had made some waves commercially in recent years. But despite high expectations along with the history of their members, the Souther-Hillman-Furay Band's 1974 eponymous debut never quite lived up to its promise. The trio, along with steel guitarist Al Perkins, drummer Jim Gordon, and Paul Harris on piano, delivers a collection of ten pleasant, if overall unremarkable tunes in the singer/songwriter, country-rock vein. There are glimmers of past glories by each, but only Furay really connects solidly. His "Fallin' in Love," which opens the record, is a winning, Poco-like rocker, while "Believe Me" is by far its most beautiful track. On the other hand, with the exception of a pair of modest successes, including the lightly funky "Border Town" and the straightforward rock & roll of "Safe at Home," Souther and Hillman's contributions are fairly lightweight. Even "Heavenly Fire," Hillman's heartfelt tribute to former bandmate Gram Parsons, who had died a few months earlier, is a bit lackluster and pales in comparison to the Eagles' "My Man" from the same year.

Track listing

01.  Fallin' in Love  (Richie Furay)  - 3:31

02.  Heavenly Fire  (Len Fagan, Chris Hillman)  - 3:46

03.  The Heartbreaker (J. D. Souther)  - 2:57

04.  Believe Me  (Furay)  - 5:03

05.  Border Town  (Souther)  - 3:54

06.  Safe at Home  (Hillman)  - 2:54

07.  Pretty Goodbyes  (Souther)  - 3:43

08.  Rise and Fall  (Fagan, Hillman)  - 3:08

09.  The Flight of the Dove  (Furay)  - 4:08

10.  Deep, Dark and Dreamless  (Souther)  - 5:37

Released: 1974

Label:  Asylum

Genre:  Country Rock

Length:  38:41

Producer:  Richard Podolor

Personnel

J.D. Souther - vocals, guitar

Chris Hillman - vocals, guitar, bass, mandolin

Richie Furay - vocals, guitar

Jim Gordon - drums, percussion

Ron Grinel - drums

Paul Harris - keyboards

Joe Lala - percussion

Al Perkins - pedal steel guitar, dobro, bass, guitar