Incredibly, Unicorn were on the road with Hawkwind when their third album hit the streets -- incredibly, because it is difficult to think of two bands that existed at more extreme ends of the period rock spectrum. But the blending worked, as Unicorn's subtly countrified, folky-edged mantras fed the heads of the Hawkwind faithful with many of the same acoustic energies that fired the headliner's most evocative dreams. And, besides, who wouldn't admire a band like Unicorn, a quintessentially English folk-rock act that just happened to have collided with a love for American country rock, and wound up creating a hybrid that still sounds remarkable today? Widely regarded as Unicorn's finest album (a horrible disservice to Blue Pine Trees, but no matter), Too Many Crooks opens with the near-frenetic energy of "Weekend," and continues on through a greater number of rockers than either of its predecessors. It's a double-edged sword; the power of the band's earlier albums was their ability to turn up the heat without increasing the volume. But moments like the semi-protracted fade of "Ferry Boat," and the almost-funky flirting of "Disco Dancer" are certainly audience-pleasers in waiting, while "No Way Out of Here" impressed producer David Gilmour so much that he covered it for inclusion on his first solo album. Remastered in 2009, with a bonus B-side added to the fun, Too Many Crooks is a great album. But really, you could say that for everything Unicorn ever did.
1 Weekend 3:23 2 Ferry Boat 5:08 3 He's Got Pride 4:17 4 Keep On Going 4:36 5 Too Many Crooks 4:27 6 Bullseye Bill 5:27 7 Disco Dancer 3:26 8 Easy 3:36 9 No Way Out Of Here 5:20 10 In The Moon 4:31 11 Nothing I Wouldn't Do 4:50