After a series of mild-mannered releases, Poco kicked things up several notches with 1972’s A Good Feelin’ to Know. The influential country-rock quintet had been known for its mellowness but on this album they play with a ragged intensity only hinted at in the past. Richie Furay and Paul Cotton flex their lead guitar biceps, while drummer George Grantham and bassist Timothy B. Schmit often play as if auditioning for the Rolling Stones. You can hear a newly found energy crackle through these tracks, especially on Furay’s “And Settlin’ Down” and the rousing title tune. Songs like Cotton’s “Keeper of the Fire” and Schmit’s “Restrain” have an ominous, insinuating edge. A spirited cover of Stephen Stills’ “Go and Say Goodbye” reconnects the band with its origins as a Buffalo Springfield offshoot. Pedal steel player Rusty Young is relatively underused here, but manages to shine on the gospel-rooted “Sweet Lovin’.” This album is a vigorous, celebratory work, ranking near the top of the band’s album output.