''Stoneground 3'', sometimes stylized as ''Stoneground Three'', is the third album by

American rock American rock has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and country music, and also drew on folk music, jazz, blues, and classical music. American rock music was further influenced by the British Invasion of the American p ...

band

Stoneground Stoneground was an American rock music, rock band formed in 1970 in Concord, California. Originally a trio, Stoneground expanded to a 10-piece band by the time of their eponymous 1971 debut album. The group appeared in two films, ''Medicine Ball ...

, released in 1972 on

Warner Bros Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...

. It was the final studio album to feature the band's original lineup, as eight of the ten members quit shortly after the album's release.

Composition

In contrast with the band's first two albums, which featured a blend of hard rock,

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whil ...

and blues, ''Stoneground 3'' is musically quite a bit more straightforward

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...

. The album consists of twelve original songs including six written by

Sal Valentino Sal Valentino (born Salvatore Spampinato; September 8, 1942) is an American rock musician, singer and songwriter, best known as lead singer of The Beau Brummels, subsequently becoming a songwriter as well. The band released a pair of top 20 U.S. ...

, who also produced the album. Only three songs clock in at more than four minutes, another departure from the band's earlier releases.

Release and reception

Released in late 1972, ''Stoneground 3'' sold poorly and the band was dropped by Warner Bros. With no label and escalating tensions within the group, Stoneground played a final concert on January 6, 1973 at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. The performance was released in 2001 as an album titled ''The Last Dance''. Within weeks of the concert, Valentino quit the group. Band members Cory Lerios and Steve Price left and formed a new group,

Pablo Cruise Pablo is a Spanish form of the name Paul. People *Pablo Alborán, Spanish singer *Pablo Aimar, Argentine footballer *Pablo Armero, Colombian footballer *Pablo Bartholomew, Indian photojournalist *Pablo Brandán, Argentine footballer *Pablo Brenes, ...

. The remaining members also departed except for Tim Barnes and Annie Sampson, who reformed Stoneground with a new roster later that year. Bob Koch of ''

Isthmus An isthmus (; ; ) is a narrow piece of land connecting two larger areas across an expanse of water by which they are otherwise separated. A tombolo is an isthmus that consists of a spit or bar, and a strait is the sea counterpart of an isthm ...

'' wrote that album track "From a Sad Man into a Deep Blue Sea" is possibly Valentino's finest Stoneground composition. He also claimed that ''Stoneground 3'' is the band's "most coherent-sounding album due to the more unified sound," but was unsure "whether that coherency is an improvement over their earlier more free-wheeling efforts."

Track listing

References

{{Authority control 1972 albums Warner Records albums Parlophone albums Stoneground albums Albums produced by Sal Valentino