Pure Prairie League - Pure Prairie League If the Shoe Fits (18 tracks) +Album Reviews

One of the finest country rock bands of the early 70's.

11/10/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pure Prairie League's eponymous first album is a classic of the country-rock genre. Every cut is a beauty. Along with their second album, "Bustin' Out", PPL cut two of the best albums of the early seventies and really forged their own niche which can best be described as prairie rock. Starting strong with "Tears" this re-issue never flags. This is as good as anything by the Eagles and Poco. The second re-issue on this CD, "If the Shoe Fits", is not as strong (due to the absence of original group leader/ songwriter, Craig Fuller), but it is still a nicely-turned effort. If you've not heard PPL before you're in for a treat. This is some of the loveliest music ever recorded. Buy it, kick back, and enjoy."

It's about time we see this early release on CD

06/24/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I played this record until I wore the grooves right off the thing, and by the time I tried to find another copy it was out of print. Bless Renaissance Records for finding the guy who had the key to the RCA vault and for realizing the substantial impact that this work had on early Progressive Country-Rock. It meets or beats any comparative early efforts by such icons as The Eagles, Poco, the Burrito Brothers, Byrds, and so on.The first eight tunes on this CD comprise Pure Prairie League's first RCA recording from 1972 simply entitled "Pure Prairie League" and are indeed remarkable. The Craig Fuller penned tunes "Tears", "Take It Before You Go", "You're Between Me", and "Brand New Harmony Songs" are exceptional. Later to appear on a PPL "Live" recording, the full length jam - "Country Song" - appears here. All through, the steel guitar of John David Call is fine...fine...fine!Pure Prairie League would approach this great recording with its follow up "Bustin' Out", with the top hit "Amie", before generating other moderately successful albums with revised lineups, and although enjoyable, they would not live up to their debut.The remaining ten tunes comprise the album "If The Shoe Fits"; a more mellow overall effect with less notable tunes and an absence of hits. By this time, Craig Fuller had departed, and for this particular set, the band has departed from its early upbeat country tempo."

Good, but don't pay that kind of money for it!

Richard D. Hodgson | Madera, CA United States | 02/22/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've commented in other reviews that I wish I could give a disc more than one rating; in this case, one for the content and another for the value vs. the price being asked. The private sellers who are asking up to 150 bucks for copies of this disc have no shame whatsoever. I personally have a strong distaste for sellers who rip people off in such a manner, figuring that if you want it bad enough you'll be willing to pay an absolutely ridiculous price for it. Guys like that ruin the hobby of collecting music for a lot of people, and I feel nothing but disdain for them.

Here's the deal. Yes, this is a nice disc. And yes, it is rare and hard to find. And it does contain one of Pure Prairie League's finest efforts, their debut album. Paired with that, in a 2-fer disc, is a later album titled "If The Shoe Fits". It's a decent album, but not a terrific one. Both are out of print domestically, so at one time this was a very desirable disc to find, if only for the first half. At one time. But recently, the Acadia label out of England has issued another 2-fer with the debut album that's included on this disc, paired this time with "Bustin' Out", their second and perhaps finest album. It's a much better pairing, and a whole lot cheaper. In addition, Acadia's reissue of "Bustin' Out" is far superior in sound quality to RCA's domestic version.

If you can get the "PPL/If The Shoe Fits" disc for a decent price, it's certainly worth owning. While inferior to Bustin'Out, Shoe Fits does actually have several really nice tracks. But if you look in the used bins at brick and mortar stores long enough you can probably find one for a small fraction of what these jerks are asking for it.

Bottom line: 1) Skip the domestic RCA release of "Bustin' Out"-- it's awful. 2) Buy the Acadia import of "PPL/Bustin' Out"-- it's excellent. 3) Buy this "PPL/If The Shoe Fits" 2-fer if (and only if) you can find it for a good price-- it's worth owning. But don't pay more than 10 bucks for it-- I didn't, and mine's in near-mint condition. If you buy it for what these guys are asking, you are being absolutely, utterly, completely and totally ripped off. It's just not anywhere near that good. Few discs are, in fact, new or used. Time to find a conscience, guys..."

PPL's First Is Their 5-Star Best

BD | Boston, MA | 04/30/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ask 9 out of 10 PPL "fans" and they'll probably tell you that Bustin' Out ("the Amie Album") is the group's first and best. Too bad, 'cause those folks may be missing out on the album that literally was the first, and to this reviewer is the best, album the League ever released. While "Amie" is understandably the band's claim to fame, the rest of that album, though pleasant enough, just doesn't match up to "Pure Prairie League." Consider the soaring brilliance of the "Country Song" jam, in which George Powell and John Call work out an extended country -funk instrumental which is every bit as good as the steel/guitar breaks being cooked up by Rusty Young and Poco (i.e., "Grand Junction") at about that time. The playing is clean and crisp, and the production values are excellent for an album released in 1972. The band would play it safer on "Bustin' Out," leaving that album without a comparable instrumental centerpiece to rival "PPL."

The album opens earlier with a good up-beat, country-rock feel in "Tears" and "Take It Before You Go." The band then launches into the inspirational "You're Between Me" (with its nod to McKendree Spring - "they're so goddamn good"). This stellar tune finds Craig Fuller at the top of his game and, if this song doesn't brighten up your day, well maybe it's time for some medication. Next up is "Woman" with its odd, though infectious refrain "Time's so short please woman wear your hair down for me." "Doc's Tune" gives you a chance to catch your breath and then on comes "Country Song," to carry you into the stratosphere. Coaxing you off the ceiling, the album rounds out with the comfortable country-infused "Harmony Song," and "It's All on Me." Although short on time (about 32 minutes in length), "PPL" certainly is long on quality.

As a whole, the album stands up to the best of early-70's country-rock of the Burritos, the Eagles, and Poco, as well as the quality of Little Feat, which Fuller later would call home. It is a mystery as to why this album received such short shrift - seemingly even from the band itself(witness the disappointing versions of County Song (no jam) and You're Between Me on the uninspired live CD, "Songs of Pure Harmony") and the omission of some of these jems from the many greatest hits packages which have been released over the years. It is equally puzzling as to why "PPL" has been packaged with "If the Shoe Fits," a fairly pedestrian effort which sorely misses the Fuller touch on vocals and simply doesn't include songs of the same quality as the band's first album. If you can find "PPL" on CD for less, or paired with "Bustin' Out," pick that up instead. Otherwise, this one's worth it even if you turn it off after the "PPL" songs are done."

A really good first effort

Richard D. Hodgson | 07/05/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have only recently gotten this album and it's a strong effort. It leans more towards the country side of country rock and reminds me more of Poco than the Eagles. I've read quite a few PPL reviews that belabor the absence of Craig Fuller on the later PPL albums, but my favorite PPL album is the Fuller-less "Two Lane Highway". If you have never listened to PPL, that would be a wonderful place to start. All in all, if you dig the Fuller era PPL stuff, you will probably not like the later stuff after he left and vice versa. This album is good but it's not as good as "Two Lane Highway"."

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