Chris Darrow - Under My Own Disguise 1974

On the appropriately titled Under My Own Disguise, Chris Darrow's follow-up to 1973's Chris Darrow, the journeyman Southern California country-rocker continues to sound more like a former group member than a current solo artist. His sturdy, if undistinguished baritone is mixed down, no louder than the musical instruments, which gives the album an under-produced sound. Under My Own Disguise is not as concerned as Chris Darrow with exploring the artist's eclecticism; there are no Japanese or chamber music touches this time, just different sides of country and blues styles, for the most part. (Darrow does include a cover of the 1940s Ink Spots hit "Java Jive," another novelty nod to the distant past, as was "Hong Kong Blues" on Chris Darrow) He also plays a rag instrumental, "Live or Die Rag," and continues to display the influence of the Allman Brothers Band on "Maybe It's Just as Well." As country-rock goes, this is closer to Gram Parsons than to Poco or the Eagles, which is to say that it leans more toward country than rock. But Darrow doesn't make as much of an impression as a frontman as Parsons; he seems like a sideman on his own album. AMG.

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