THE ROWANS - The Rowans - (Asylum) - 1975, comment, review, Peter, Chris, Lorin.

This is the first Rowans album by the Rowan Brothers or the second Rowan Brothers album.

Okay, that was intentionally confusing.

There are three Rowan brothers involved in music, Peter, Chris, and Lorin.

They grew up in the Boston area (well, in the rural "sticks" of the greater Boston area, in Wayland) in the 40s, 50s and 60s.

They all loved rock 'n' roll, naturally enough given their age group.

They all loved country music.

That's odd, given their urban roots..

They all loved folk music.

That makes sense, given its urban popularity in the 60s.

The folk boom turned a lot of urbanites to country but, at the same time, country music clubs were around in the big cities, catering for the rural population who had migrated there.

A mix of the two got The Rowans into country music.

Chris and Lorin in an interview:

PZ: Who were you guys listening to growing up?

CR: I as far back as 7 had a radio next to my bed listening to “Love Me Tender, The Diamonds “Little Darling" Chuck Berry, Ricky Nelson and all that was being played on AM radio.

LR: Elvis, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly & Crickets, The Kingston Trio, Peter Paul & Mary. Also, come early '60s transistor radios gave novelty and access to AM hit radio everywhere you went.

CR: Pete was the one who brought home 45's of Elvis, Fats Domino Chuck Berry, and many more. Pete is about 5 years older then me, so that helped me get exposed to his teenage group awareness.

http://www.philzone.com/interviews/rowan_bros/

By the early 70s they had all moved California.

This was natural enough, as the music they were into was popular in California and, there were a lot of record companies there.

Importantly also, the influx of musicians as well as home grown talent caused a dynamic atmosphere where music was being fused, stripped, experimented or otherwise played with.

This suited three brothers from Massachusetts into old timey country, bluegrass, folk, rock, pop with a smattering of jazz.

Peter was off doing his thing with Earth Opera, Seatrain and Old and in the Way and others. Chris and Lorin were doing their duo thing before being signed (and hyped) by Columbia in 1972 (for the biggest sum ever by that company for a new artist, up to that point).

They recorded an album, "Rowan Brothers" (1972), a country rock, pop and folk album.

It bombed, Columbia dropped them.

Two years later Peter was free, he joined, they signed to Asylum, changed their name to "The Rowans" and released this album.

Checkout my other comments for detail (and biographical detail) on the album by Chris and Lorin, as well as Peter's solo efforts.

The fusion of country rock can be traced back to the 1950s but it fully developed as a style in the late 60s in California.

It was alive and well in 1975. The Eagles were riding high (sic) and Poco, (a revamped) Flying Burrito Brothers, The Pure Prairie League and others were doing well whilst many others were walking out on stage in their cowboy boots.

It was established and a chart placing money earner. It had also been cleaned of its ragged edged, somewhat, to reach a mass audience, by incorporating elements of soft rock which was popular at the time.

The Rowans could pop harmonise with the best of them, were around at the right time, with the right background, and the right amount of talent to ride this wave.

Why it didn't do well is a mystery.

Perhaps their traditionalism (which sneaks through on their commercial efforts and is blatantly obvious on their more personal tracks) and their feet in the experimental late 60s made them just a little too left of centre for the masses.

But, it did give them a hard core following.

Tracks (best in italics)

Side One

Take It As It Comes – (Lorin Rowan) – slick country rock with joyous harmonies and a tinge of psychedelia towards the end.
Midnight-Moonlight – (Peter Rowan) – Peter also released this in 1975 as part of the bluegrass project Old & in the Way and a few years later on his solo debut (1978). It's a gentle, bouncy country rock tune with great playing.
Me Loving You – (Chris Rowan) – a gentle country pop song
Old Silver – (Peter Rowan) – a great tune
Thunder On The Mountain – (Peter Rowan) – a throwback to the late 60s. Not too bad and a good example of the Rowans willingness to mix it up a bit (but, it would have confused casual listeners). Tibetan music played by Lamas of Darma Chakra.

Side Two

Beggar In Blue Jeans – (Chris Rowan) – a wonderful singer songwriter flavoured country rock tune.
Do Right – (Lorin Rowan) – the usual country themes … extolling the need to "do right" to partners.
Man-Woman – (Chris Rowan) – another one that comes out of the late 60s counterculture with spiritual overtones.
Pieces On The Ground – (Lorin Rowan) – another track with a counter culture feel.
Here Today Gone Tomorrow – (Peter Rowan) – more late 60s chorus voiced psychedelia. Very good.