Firebird was produced by Cotton, John Thaler and David Knauer, and they’ve managed to make an album with state-of-the-art sound quality that still carries a rustic, hickory-smoked, aged-in-wood, charcoal-mellowed feel that recalls nothing as much as the first few albums by The Band. That’s quite an accomplishment. The sound is spare, which yields a welcome simplicity and a clear sense of stylistic direction. Staunch support is provided by keyboard player Carl McGregor, drummer Joe Morris and bassist Richard Neville, who played bass in Poco for the past nine years. The straightforward, no nonsense arrangements and the close-miked vocals all contribute to a sense of intimacy and warmth–it sounds like a letter from a close friend that has been too long out of touch.

Never an adventurous melodist, Cotton’s easy, muscular singing and his sure-handed approach to chord structure prevent the material from becoming samey. Plus there’s just enough imagination in the arrangements (Bill Lloyd’s deft mandolin work is an especially welcome touch) to keep things interesting even when the melodies are fairly arid.

And the material itself ranges over a wide spectrum, from the Native American imagery of the title song and the album’s closer, “Let The Wind Blow,” to the unadorned sincerity of “Do What You Do” and “Woman With A Broken Heart,” to the lighthearted Spanish guitar workout “All The Way To You.” “Not Out Of Mind” is a classic country-rock ballad along the lines of Neil Young’s great “The Losing End”–country themed material but with a vocal and instrumental edge that owes more to rock than it does to traditional country music. In Neil’s tune it was the throb of the Crazy Horse rhythm section and the stab of Neil’s solo; in this case, it’s the rustic, sun-drenched desert loneliness in Paul’s beautiful sustained guitar tones.

“Carnival” is a fun tune about the Caribbean island of Curaçao, and it paints a gorgeous portrait that’s vivid enough to include references to high-tech hardware (“minicams and minidiscs”) without taking any of the romance and mystery away from its subject matter.

There are updated versions of two Poco classics, “Ride The Country” and “Bad Weather,” but Paul doesn’t attempt to recreate the original recordings, instead wisely choosing to re-cast them in a gentler, more reflective mode.

“Bad Weather” was always one of Poco’s most soulful tunes, and Paul’s remake eschews the ambitious modulations of the Poco arrangement in favor of a more focused, more evocative feel, doubling the tune’s emotional wallop in the process. He originally wrote it about the breakup of his old band Illinois Speed Press, and oddly enough, I get a distinct impression that in this version he could almost be singing about the various career misfortunes that Poco has suffered through the years–even though the lyrics predict bad weather, he sings them now as if he’s looking back at it rather than predicting it.

Then there is “Across A Painted Sky”–written by Rusty Young and featuring him playing lap steel and trading vocals with Paul, it moves effortlessly from being urgent and ominous to heartfelt and wistful. It’s the surest indicator we’ve had in many years that the creative spirit of Poco is alive and well, whether any record label chooses to acknowledge it or not.

When you listen to any of Paul Cotton’s music, you can’t help but be drawn into the imagery his music and lyrics evoke. This CD is no different and may be some of his best work ever. –Kweevak’s Tracks, Summer 2000

Paul Cotton, Poco’s longtime lead guitarist and master of the art of visual stimulation through music, has produced a very fine new CD, Firebird. After 10 years without new music from Paul, this CD is truly a joy for all of his many fans. This CD may be some of his best work ever. –Dan Lynch

This is an awesome collection of beautiful music. –Chip Ryle

Paul sounds better than ever and he’s really a true artist in every sense of the word. –Robert Charels

Superb music from the head and the heart. The smiles of nostalgia plus the satisfaction that great talent and music transcends the years are immense. –Dwight Whitney

This album is so beautiful it makes me cry. You done good Mr. Cotton! –Nickie Solomon