Dave Mason - ALONE TOGETHER

Personnel includes: Dave Mason, Carl Radle.
Personnel includes: Dave Mason (guitar, vocals); Don Preston (keyboards); Carl Radle (bass); John Barbata (drums); John Simon, Larry Knechtel, Chris Ethridge, Leon Russell, Jim Keltner, Jim Capaldi, Jim Gordon, Rita Coolidge, Delaney & Bonnie Bramlett.
As with so many artists, Dave Mason's first solo album is probably his best. Perhaps it's because he had a backlog of songs that Traffic had never recorded, but 1970's ALONE TOGETHER is chock full of great songs. On the other hand, it's easy to see why Mason left Traffic even before that group's (temporary) breakup in 1969; the soft rock sound of ALONE TOGETHER is hard to place in the context of the jazz-pop experiments Traffic would explore when they reunited in 1971.
The eight lengthy songs take time to unfold, and the peerless musicianship, with Mason's lyrical guitar and Leon Russell's inimitable boogie-soul piano in the center, treads the line between chops and soul with nary a misstep. The classic single "Only You Know and I Know" is the clear highlight, but every song is a winner.

• Genre: Rock
• Format: Vinyl
• Released: 2018-01-12