These two albums are essential listening for Jess Roden completists, showcasing the early flowering of his prodigious (but largely unrewarded) talents as a singer and songwriter. The high point is 'Discernible', a timeless ballad that's as good – lyrically, melodically and vocally – as anything in the Hall and Oates songbook.
Bronco were right at the heart of the early '70s British folk/rock/country/blues scene, and there's plenty here for the casual bystander to enjoy - the thrilling guitar work on 'Well Anyhow'; the percussive wig-out at the end of 'New Day Avenue', and much more - but overall these albums lack the coherence and clear identity that distinguished the work of more successful contemporaries (and label-mates) like Traffic and Free. The sepia-toned 'Country Home' is a bold but shambolic British take on the 'back to basics' ethos of The Band's 'brown album', while 'Ace of Sunlight', despite its many virtues, ultimately suffers from an identity crisis, unable to decide if it's a group effort or a Jess Roden solo LP.
The availability of these unjustly forgotten relics on CD would be cause for celebration if the quality was up to scratch. Sadly, it's not. The sound throughout is muddy and muffled, virtually unlistenable without the treble knob cranked up to the max, and there's audible damage on some tracks, arousing suspicions that the CD was mastered from someone's old tape cassettes. Added to this, the cut'n'paste cover artwork is eye-wateringly rough and the playing order of 'Country Home' has been inexplicably shuffled, all of which calls into question the 'Made under licence by Jess Roden' claim printed on the box.
In brief, these albums are important documents but this release is only a cheap photocopy.
Bronco were right at the heart of the early '70s British folk/rock/country/blues scene, and there's plenty here for the casual bystander to enjoy - the thrilling guitar work on 'Well Anyhow'; the percussive wig-out at the end of 'New Day Avenue', and much more - but overall these albums lack the coherence and clear identity that distinguished the work of more successful contemporaries (and label-mates) like Traffic and Free. The sepia-toned 'Country Home' is a bold but shambolic British take on the 'back to basics' ethos of The Band's 'brown album', while 'Ace of Sunlight', despite its many virtues, ultimately suffers from an identity crisis, unable to decide if it's a group effort or a Jess Roden solo LP.
The availability of these unjustly forgotten relics on CD would be cause for celebration if the quality was up to scratch. Sadly, it's not. The sound throughout is muddy and muffled, virtually unlistenable without the treble knob cranked up to the max, and there's audible damage on some tracks, arousing suspicions that the CD was mastered from someone's old tape cassettes. Added to this, the cut'n'paste cover artwork is eye-wateringly rough and the playing order of 'Country Home' has been inexplicably shuffled, all of which calls into question the 'Made under licence by Jess Roden' claim printed on the box.
In brief, these albums are important documents but this release is only a cheap photocopy.