Pure Prairie League

Firin’ Up Floating WoRld/ RetRoWoRld

Cornered country rockers turn on the sax appeal. At something of a major crossroads in their career in 1978, having lost Larry and Tim Goshorn (both guitar/vocals) and George Powell (guitar/ vocals), what was left of Pure Prairie League enlisted multiinstrumentalist/vocalist Vince Gill, who was something of a wicked songwriter to boot.

Gill first contributed five tunes to 1979’s Can’t Hold

Back and followed this with half a dozen tracks on 1980’s Firin’ Up, the band having left RCA for Casablanca Records. Lean and concise, Firin’ Up’s ten oh-so-polished tracks are unashamedly aimed at the charts, and the sax-adorned single Let Me Love You Tonight gave the band their highestclimbing hit, reaching Number Ten on the Billboard chart.

Gill’s I’m Almost Ready, a streamlined rocker boasting gleaming Eagles-style vocal harmonies, was an additional Top 40 hit, and those golden vocals continue to do the business across the album, most notably on Give It Up,

She’s All Mine and I Can’t Stop This Feelin’.

The range of material, including top tear-tugging balladry in the form of Gill’s You’re My True Love, is never less than impressive throughout.

Potential commercial disaster averted, the winning streak continued with 1981’s Something In The Night, before Casablanca went bust and Polygram picked up the pieces, promptly dropping PPL, alongside much of Casablanca’s roster.

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essi Berelian