This old chestnut is another one of those ageless favorites….the kind of album that hasn’t gone out of style. Honestly, I really can’t listen to a lot of the stuff that thrilled me during the college years, but Poco still sounds comfortable and A Good Feeling to Know is a super showcase for this never-completely-appreciated band. Front man Richie Furay (ex- Buffalo Springfield) is just a poster boy here for country rock enthusiasm. It must have been infectious – all the members contribute mightily. New guitarist Paul Cotton turned out to be a wonderful fit as a writer, singer and musician. Just listen to Keeper of the Fire. Drummer George Grantham and veteran pedal steeler Rusty Young were obviously born to play in this band. But the real gem, in my opinion, was bassist Timothy B. Schmit, a slender tenor who later had some success with Messrs. Henley, Frey, Walsh and Felder. Schmit’s I Can See Everything is, to this day, one of my favorite songs. It certainly stacks up favorably with two of his monster hits with The Eagles, I Can’t Tell You Why and Love Will Keep Us Alive.

The Poco sound, however, was deeply rooted with Richie. The title song, A Good Feeling to Know, along with And Settling Down represent the best that the man could offer. He fronted several more Poco albums and continued to contribute wonderful songs, but I think this was his “bust-out” record. For whatever reason, he did not take Poco to the rare air of superstardom. But they made consistently good albums and were a fun live act to enjoy. A Good Feeling to Know is classic Poco and every song is good. Listen up.