Sand

iTunes Review

When Sand’s eponymous eight-song debut surfaced in 1973, it was packaged as two one-sided records — the idea was to stack both platters on your hi-fi so when one side finished, the needle retracted allowing the second platter to drop and play. Sand were a Portland quintet playing some of the most underrated country rock of the 1970s. Everyone but the drummer sang harmonies and every song here is catchy and indicative of a time in music when bands like Buffalo Springfield, Eagles, CSN&Y and Poco were hip. Sand were as good as any of their peers, but like many other bands that didn’t land a radio hit, they vanished into obscurity and then cult status amongst the vinyl hunting hounds. But their musicianship was unrivaled, especially that of pedal steel player Dan Ross as evidenced by the flowing solo on “Who Ya Tryin’ To Fool” (a song that influenced Nels Cline’s solo on Wilco’s “Impossible Germany”). The slow groove of “Lovin’ You” revealed that the band also dabbled in some jazz influenced rock a-la Steely Dan, and “Lady Of Mine” is a country funk gem that should have been their big hit.