Ride The Wind

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The side of The Youngbloods heard on the 1971 live album <i>Ride the Wind</i> is a rather different one than most people know. In the '60s, the band became known for jangling guitars and a good-time folk/blues feel, not unlike fellow travelers The Lovin' Spoonful. But by 1971, The Youngbloods' live show had evolved, partly due to guitarist Jerry Corbitt's departure and probably somewhat due to the former New Yorkers ending up in the Bay Area, the era's ground zero for extended jamming. There's not much guitar here—Lowell "Banana" Levinger alternates between keyboards and guitar, concentrating on the former, and frontman/bassist Jesse Colin Young switches only briefly to six-string. For much of the album, the band are like a jazz trio; Banana's lines lead them on long, improvisational journeys that take off from tunes that were far more concise in their studio versions, like "Sunlight" and "Beautiful." Still, a quick, bluesy run through "Sugar Babe" briefly evokes The Youngbloods' earlier days. Fortunately, the trio's jams bear almost as much élan as their more "accessible" side.

via Apple Music

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