The Youngbloods - High on a Ridgetop (CD)

All Music Guide

Not an auspicious end to the band, but an improvement over the similarly lowkey Good and Dusty. The selection of material is much more diverse and appealing, and the use of harp, saxes, and mandolin spices up some of the arrangements. Young's "Dreamboat," the sole original song here, is a good example of the Youngbloods in light RB mode, and would fit nicely on their best album, Elephant Mountain. Among the cover versions, the swinging, saxophoneenhanced "Running Bear" is fun, as is the jazzy take on "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window," with nice slide guitar and acoustic piano work. Likewise, the pianobased "I Shall Be Released" may not be essential, but it is an able, enjoyable Dylan cover. Fittingly, for a band so enamored with the blues, the Youngbloods bring the curtain down with Robert Johnson's "Kind Hearted Woman," as satisfying a blues track as they cut. James A. Gardner, All Music Guide