Stone The Crows

A somewhat atypical debut rock release. Not only does the band deliver a soulful rendition of "Fool on the Hill," but the dreaded side-long track makes its appearance on side two of Stone the Crows. The tune is titled "I Saw America," and it pulls together the rock, blues, and soul elements that were splintered up on the first side. A spirited attempt was made to live up to the grandiose title, and there's some confident guitar by Les Harvey, but ultimately Stone the Crows are unable to meld together the progressive folk, boogie, jazz, and soul sections that comprise the piece. "A" for effort, though. — Peter Kurtz.