Search - John David Souther, Chris Hillman, Richie Furay :: Trouble in Paradise

Prelude to Demise

R. D. Fonnesbeck | St. George, UT USA | 04/18/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This second, and final, LP by the SHF Band reminds me of Buffalo Springfield's "Last Time Around"...it was good album, but you could almost feel it consisted of separate efforts by each band member, compiled together on one disc. Richie Furay's tunes clearly showed his leanings to Christianity, though they were well done; but only having 2 songs on the album spoke volumes of his interest and/or involvement. Souther, who made no effort to keep the group together, included a previously released song (Prisoner In Disguise) and uses the principals of the Eagles as background singers instead of Hillman and Furay on supporting vocals. Hillman's work stands out the best from my perspective, even though he has one less tune than Souther. The group also misses the work of drummer extraordinaire Jim Gordon, who was replaced after the first SHF album by Ron Grinel (Gordon eventually had some serious legal problems). Terrific sidemen Al Perkins and Paul Harris return, and the album is an easy listen--- great harmonies, country-rock beat and each tune was thematic in its own way. Still,it was clear this LP was the swan song for the group, which had failed to tour much to support its first album, due to an injury to Furay's hand. Furay and Hillman were much more compatible as bandmates, and Hillman has been quoted as saying he got tired of being the middle man between the exuberant goodness of Furay and the brooding, more moody Souther. Lost in the translation of all this was the potential for a great band, if not the supergroup that David Geffen had envisioned in the first place. By the time his hand healed, Furay was focusing on his family, personal life and his commitment to Christianity, and Hillman correctly surmised there was no way to effectively tour without him. All three---Souther, Hillman and Furay, released solo projects for Asylum with little fanfare and monetary success after the band broke up. Look for Souther's "Black Rose", Hillman's "Clear Sailin'" and "Slippin' Away" (what's in a title?) and Furay's triumvirate, "Richie Furay Band", "Dance A Little Light" and his best Asylum work, "I Still have Dreams". All were great in certain aspects, but Furay and Hillman's LPs were supported strongly by former bandmates from their past, somehow giving them more credibility than Souther, who continued to play his Eagle connection a bit too much."

Supergroup, respectable album

Jerkat1 | San Diego | 07/01/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I discovered Richie Furay and J.D. Souther purely by accident. I found the original S-H-F Band self-titled debut album in a bargin bin somewhere around 1979. I was familar with J.D.'s association with the Eagles but I had no idea who Richie and Chris Hillman were. After I threw down my $1, I've seeked out every recording from J.D. & Richie(sorry Chris) ever since. After reading the reviews here I felt compelled to respond.



I found this album to be more enjoyable than the first album. I thought the debut lacked direction and proved to be a bit uneven. But 'Trouble in Paradise' sounded more slick with good pop sensibilities. Now normally that would be considered an insult but after the spotty affair of the first album this was a welcome change. Yes this is in the same vain as Loggins & Messina/Poco/Eagles/Jackson Browne. But you can't dismiss the vocal and songwriting capabilities of J.D. Souther & Richie Furay. Thirty-two years later Richie's voice is still unwavering (check out 'The Heartbeat of Love'). I wish I could say the same about J.D. but we may never know since he hasn't recorded anything in 25 years.



If your considering this CD and have not purchased anything from Richie or J.D. start with their solo material(Richie: Heartbeat of Love, J.D: Home by Dawn or You're Only Lonely)and then revisit this."

The better SHF album

Friendlycard | Norfolk, UK | 10/10/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The idea of forming a country rock 'supergroup' by combining the talents of JD Souther, Chris Hillman and Richie Furay wasn't a huge success, and I very much prefer, for example, Souther's solo albums (especially 'Black Rose').



This said, 'Trouble in Paradise' is, in my opinion, appreciably better than the previous SHF album. There's a mellow, jazz-tinged, laid-back feel to this album, and several of the songs are excellent, including the title track, 'Mexico', 'Prisoner in Disguise' and 'Follow Me Through'. If you've got Souther's solo albums, 'Trouble in Paradise' would be a good next addition to your collection."