Too Many Crooks 2009

Who wouldn't admire a band like Unicorn, a quintessentially English folk-rock act that just happened to have collided with a love for American country rock, and wound up creating a hybrid that still sounds remarkable today? Widely regarded as Unicorn's finest album (a horrible disservice to the previous "Blue Pine Trees" but no matter), Too Many Crooks opens with the near-frenetic energy of "Weekend," and continues on through a greater number of rockers than either of its predecessors. It's a double-edged sword; the power of the band's earlier albums was their ability to turn up the heat without increasing the volume. But moments like the semi-protracted fade of "Ferry Boat," and the almost-funky flirting of "Disco Dancer" are certainly audience-pleasers in waiting, while "No Way Out of Here" impressed producer David Gilmour of Pink Floyd so much that he covered it for inclusion on his first solo album. Remastered in 2009, with a bonus B-side added to the fun, Too Many Crooks is a great album. But really, you could say that for everything Unicorn ever did. (From 1976) --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.