11509 - AMERICAN FLYER - SPIRIT OF A WOMAN (1977)

AMERICAN FLYER
''SPIRIT OF A WOMAN''
1977
31:10
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01 - Spirit of a Woman 02:32 (Craig Fuller, Eric Kaz)
02 - Gamblin' Man 03:57 (Eric Kaz)
03 - My Love Comes Alive 02:39 (Eric Kaz)
04 - Victoria 03:18 (Steve Katz)
05 - Dear Carmen 04:08 (Craig Fuller, Eric Kaz)
06 - I'm Blowin' Away 02:33 (Eric Kaz)
07 - Flyer 04:24 (Doug Yule)
08 - The Good Years 04:18 (Steve Katz)
09 - Keep on Tryin' 03:18 (Eric Kaz)
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Craig Fuller/
Eric Kaz/
Steve Katz/
Doug Yule/
Whitey Glan/Drums
Prakash John/Bass
Bobby Keys/Horn
Tracy Nelson/Vocals
Linda Ronstadt/Vocals
Jerry Scheff/Bass
J.D. Souther/Vocals
Alvin "Red" Taylor/Drums
Sylvia Tyson/Vocals
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REVIEW/AMG
William Ruhlmann
Maybe there was only room for one really successful country-folk-rock group with good songs and strong harmonies in the mid-'70s, and the job had already been taken by The Eagles. Who knows? American Flyer's second and final album didn't have as many great songs as the debut, and some of them were swamped by strings, but it was a pleasant work, notably featuring a version of Eric Kaz's "I'm Blowin' Away," which Bonnie Raitt had covered a couple of years earlier.
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BIOGRAPHY/AMG
William Ruhlmann
American Flyer was a '70s folk-rock quartet made up of former members of other groups: Craig Fuller was from Pure Prairie League, Eric Kaz had been a member of Blues Magoos, Steve Katz was in Blood, Sweat & Tears, and Doug Yule had played in the Velvet Underground. Together they charted with two albums on United Artists in the mid-'70s.
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11508 - AMERICAN FLYER (1976)

AMERICAN FLYER
''AMERICAN FLYER''
1976
35:57
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01 - Light of Your Love 02:54 (Craig Fuller, Eric Kaz)
02 - Such a Beautiful Feeling 03:13 (Eric Kaz)
03 - Back in '57 03:26 (Steve Katz)
04 - Lady Blue Eyes 03:14 (Doug Yule)
05 - Let Me Down Easy 02:37 (Craig Fuller, Eric Kaz)
06 - M 03:51 (Steve Katz)
07 - The Woman in Your Heart 04:12 (Craig Fuller)
08 - Love Has No Pride 03:31 (Eric Kaz, Libby Titus)
09 - Queen of All My Days 02:50 (Doug Yule)
10 - Drive Away 02:31 (Eric Kaz)
11 - Call Me, Tell Me 02:36 (Craig Fuller)
12 - End of a Love Song 00:58 (Eric Kaz, George Martin)
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Craig Fuller/
Eric Kaz/
Steve Katz/
Doug Yule/
Fred Beckmeier/Bass
Byron Berline/Fiddle, Violin
Harry Bluestone/Concert Master, Strings
Larry Carlton/Guitar, Guitar (Electric)
Gary Coleman/Percussion
Vincent DeRosa/French Horn, Horn
Earl Dommler/Horn (English), Oboe
Scott Edwards/Bass
George Martin/Arranger, Conductor, Producer
Joe Sample/Keyboards
Leland Sklar/Bass
Alvin "Red" Taylor/Drums
Ernie Watts/Saxophone
Rusty Young/Guitar (Steel)
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REVIEW/AMG
William Ruhlmann
American Flyer deserved better. Eric Kaz had written great love songs for Linda Ronstadt and Bonnie Raitt, and Craig Fuller was coming off his Top 40 hit "Amie" with Pure Prairie League. As it happened, Steve Katz's "Back In '57" turned out to be one of the album's highlights, but "Let Me Down Easy," by Kaz And Fuller, was a minor hit, and there was also Kaz's classic co-composition, "Love Has No Pride." But those were just the cream of an excellent set produced by George Martin. Add it all up, and it should have meant more than a chart peak in the lower reaches of the Top 100, an early indication that, for whatever reasons, American Flyer was not destined to become the next Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
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BIOGRAPHY/AMG
William Ruhlmann
American Flyer was a '70s folk-rock quartet made up of former members of other groups: Craig Fuller was from Pure Prairie League, Eric Kaz had been a member of Blues Magoos, Steve Katz was in Blood, Sweat & Tears, and Doug Yule had played in the Velvet Underground. Together they charted with two albums on United Artists in the mid-'70s.
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