They Reached It
Jeff McCalib | Lynnwood, WA | 02/28/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is possibly their best album, and contains their only charting U.S. single, Arms Of Mary. Concise hook filled pop songs with fine guitar work. When The Train Comes really grooves along. Still waiting for their other fine latter day albums, Slipstream, Night Comes Down, and Down To Earth, to come out on CD."
Best of a great band
ian colford | 08/30/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Simply put, Reach for the Sky represents the pinnacle of the Sutherland Brother's underappreciated output. Released in 1975, it contains 10 concise, melodic cuts and seems to exist well apart from its 1970s context. The recording is crisp and clear; the arrangements spare and invigorating. 25 years ago I awaited each new recording from this band and, sadly, not many more were forthcoming. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend Gavin Sutherland's 2000 CD "Diamond's and Gold" (see http://www.gavinsutherland.net/)."
OK, so maybe ALL the 70's didn't rot...
Brent | Ohio | 06/27/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"A caveat: This CD almost lets me forgive 70's schlockmeisters Ron & Howie Albert, the producers of "Reach For The Sky," for ruining Procol Harum's "Something Magic," which they also "produced"...the operative word there being "almost." I'm not sure who either the Sutherland Brothers OR Quiver were, but evidentally, they were two separate entities who pooled their considerable talents for this album. I remember being very stoned, very late one night back in 1976 and driving home from my girlfriend's house across the Newburgh-Beacon bridge up in NY. The "hip" radio station played "Doctor Dancer," and I almost wrecked my Volkswagen, trying to get off the road, or at least somewhere where I didn't have to be so responsible while driving, so I could devote my full attention to that song. Luckily for me, Pat, a friend of mine, was a security-person at a record store, and he correctly identified "Reach For The Sky." A marvelous bit of music: no excessive-"70's" drumming, no "wee-wee-diddly-diddly" "lead" guitar (THANK YOU, Tim Renwick), and, thank God, no synthesizers; just ten beautifully written, beautifully performed songs. All ten are for listening when you're head's in a...good place, and "Dr. Dancer" still almost affects me now, some 25 years later, as it did then. The title track and "Mad Trail" are great, too."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1