River was a looser and rootsier affair than Terry Reid's first records,
taken from a sprawl of sessions in London and California that generated
enough material for several albums. The very looseness that gives the
effort some charm is the same quality, however, that keeps it from being
a major work. The songs mostly sound unfinished, as if they're friendly
jams in which Reid and the musicians (including, most notably, David Lindley
on half the album and percussionist Willie Bobo on the title track) are
working out some song ideas or twisting around some riffs. It often brings
to mind those parts of songs where the likes of Van Morrison, Tim Buckley,
or Robert Plant sing-scat improvised-sounding vocal passages. The difference
is that, for the most part, those singers used such sections to embellish
solid songs. On River, the quasi-stream-of-consciousness vocal ramblings
are the songs. The first four of the seven songs are very much in a funky,
laid-back blues-rock groove, prominently featuring Lindley on steel, slide,
and electric guitars. Reid, and the album itself, really begin to find
more of an individual voice on "River," where beguiling Latin-Brazilian
elements are introduced in the guitar, melody, and rhythm. The final two
cuts, "Dream" and "Milestones," back Reid's vocals
only with acoustic guitar, and have a romantic melancholy that likewise
makes them highlights of this highly personal but uneven record.
(by Richie Unterberger, All
Music Guide)
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