It Never Rains in Southern California ; The Free Electric Band (1974)

"These two albums fit together so neatly on the same CD that it's difficult to tell, without concentrating, where one ends and the other begins -- what's more, the remastering brings out not only the best, most intimate nuances of Hammond's singing, on "It Never Rains In Southern California" and "I Think I'll Go That Way," among other songs, but also the playing. The tendency on Hammond's music is to focus on his vocals and songwriting, since he is a singer/songwriter, but that overlooks the contributions of Hal Blaine and Jim Gordon on the drums, Joe Osborn and Ray Pohlman on bass, and Larry Carlton on guitar, along with Hammond's own acoustic rhythm guitar -- he was a singer/songwriter with top-flight players and a solid rock backing that wasn't always that soft. The playing on "Free Electric Band" is, if anything, equal to or superior and more diverse, encompassing a wide range of acoustic instruments, augmented by the same core electric band (sans Hal Blaine)." (Bruce Eder, Allmusic)

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