Battle of the Band: Eternity's Children
by Kevin Wierzbicki
Our Battle of the Band column, in which one group with two new releases is featured, is really a special treat this time out. Battling it out are two releases on vinyl from "sunshine pop" group Eternity's Children. Both albums are reissued by High Moon Records and they have not been available on vinyl since the late 1960s.
Eternity's Children - Eternity's Children
All the members of Eternity's Children --- singer and guitarist Charles Ross III, singer Linda Lawley, drummer Roy Whittaker and keys player Mike "Kid" McClain --- were all very young when this album came out; none was more than 21-years-old. As such they were very tuned in to the generation's hip sounds, and here they start their album with the sublime "Again Again," a tune about infidelity that offers up a mellow groove that sounds not unlike some of the stuff the Beach Boys were doing while "Rupert White" is slightly trippy and maybe a nod to LSD use; both are flush with the band's trademark harmony vocals. "Flowers" opens with a gothic organ flourish, a bit Deep Purple-ish, and the singers sing of the fragile side of a "blossoming" love relationship (flowers do die!). The band changes gears for "My Happiness Day" as they bop along to an understated bossa nova groove; "Lifetime Day" on the other hand is sunny pop that recalls groups like the Cowsills. "Little Boy" is all smooth vocals and it recalls the work of groups like the Association; closing cut "Sunshine Among Us" is the album's rockiest song and it includes occasional bursts of psychedelic guitar. Notably, one of the producers of this debut is Keith Olsen who would go on to have great success with Fleetwood Mac. Packaged in a sturdy gatefold jacket with rare photos and an essay from Steve Stanley that includes input from band members. First time on vinyl since 1968.
Eternity's Children - Timeless
The band is comprised of the same four members that feature on their debut, but what a difference a year makes. Whereas all of the songs on
Eternity's Children were written by outsiders, here four of the album's 10 cuts are written by group members. One of those originals, written by Mike McLain, opens the album, and "I Wanna Be With You" features a bright and perky arrangement that's clearly aimed at the pop charts, but maybe a little short for radio as it clocks in at two minutes. "Nature's Child," co-written by Clarence White of the Byrds, is also radio ready pop with a slight nod to the Beatles. The band stays within their "sunshine pop" realm throughout and they're doing it with more fervor and commitment as they seem to really find their voice on cuts like "Look Away," the tender love story that plays out in "Christina in My Dreams" and a vocal spotlight for Linda Lawley that is the bubbly "Sunshine and Flowers," a cut she co-wrote with McClain. Gary Paxton, who also produced the album, wrote one of the effort's best cuts in "Till I Hear it From You" and McClain gets to rock out on organ on another band original, "Get Outta Here." Amusingly, closing cut "The Thinking Animal" begins with a donkey bray; it is a bit cutesy but like everything here it has a friendly and memorable hook. The whole album is not quite 25-minutes long but presents a very enjoyable listen in that brief time. Like the debut album, Timeless is packaged in a sturdy gatefold jacket with rare photos and a continuation of Steve Stanley's essay. First time on vinyl since 1969. Eternity's Children would break up in 1970.
