Bread in Bloomington, MN

Bread
is seen as nothing but a wimp-
pop
band -- an impression which is justified, but it wipes out the fact that the group was quite good and rather slyly diverse in its early days, particularly on its debut,
. This is effectively the birth of Californian soft
rock
, as
David Gates
and compatriots blend the
folk-rock
of
the Byrds
and
Buffalo Springfield
with a distinctly British melodicism and a streak of sentimentality borrowed from
McCartney
. The result is a modest little gem, with more strange turns than you'd expect from their reputation -- including soaring falsettos, spiraling melodies, rough guitars, and, best of all, a set of tightly-written, appealing songs. Only
"It Don't Matter Me,"
which became a hit after the second album, ranks among their best-known material, but each of the songs illustrates the exceptional craftsmanship of not just
Gates
, but
Robb Royer
James Griffin
. As such, this may not seem like the record for casual fans, if judged just on the track listing, but it will convince the
fans that may have been doubters. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine