From My Collection - Dave Mason's Let It Flow

By Richard K. Barry


Let It Flow is a 1977 album by Dave Mason, English singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Some time ago I posted Joe Cocker doing a Mason composition, "Feelin' Alright," originally recorded by Traffic, which I would have to guess is Mason's best known song. In fact, Mason co-founded Traffic.

Let it Flow is Mason's best-selling and best-known album, containing, as it does, the hit "We Just Disagree," which I certainly rate as one of the best break-up songs of all time. It's a real "cry-in-your-beer" tune.

As one reviewer of the album put it:

It's a pinnacle of creamy-smooth, ultra-slick California soft rock on a par with the collected works of Linda Ronstadt. 

There's nothing here that rocks even as hard as his boogie classic "Feelin' Alright" from his days with Traffic, but that's no bad thing. Hear "Let it Flow" and know the meaning of mellow.

All true, but sometimes mellow is okay and there are some really great tunes on this album.

Side One:
So High (Rock Me Baby, Roll Me Away) - (M. Williams, J. Conrad)
We Just Disagree (J. Krueger)
Mystic Traveller (D. Mason)
Spend Your Life With Me (A. Gagliano)
Takin' The Time To Find (D. Mason)

Side Two:
Let It Go, Let It Flow (Dave Mason)
Then It's Alright (D. Mason)
Seasons (A. Gagliano)
We Just Have To Wait Now (D. Mason)
What Do We Got Here? (J. Krueger)

Another reviewer had this to say:

Let It Flow was the biggest selling album that Dave Mason had while on Columbia, as it contained his biggest hit, "We Just Disagree," as well as "Let It Go, Let It Flow." Everything here is similar in character to the latter song, though not all of it is as catchy or hook-driven. And there is a great deal else to recommend this record, including the horn-and-string ornamented "Mystic Traveler"; the soaring, soulful "Spend Your Life with Me"; the funky "Takin' the Time to Find"; and the soulful "What Do We Got Here?"

As I listen to the album again I recognize that it's definitely a period piece, though a good period for me. I remember it fondly.

Here's the biggest hit from Let it Flow, "We Just Disagree." It was written by Jim Krueger, was the second single released from the album, and reached number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1977.

If the song sounds more recent than that to you, it may be because it was later covered in 1993 by country singer Billy Dean. It was released in November 1993 as the fourth and final single from his album Fire in the Dark and was a Top Ten hit on the country music charts, peaking at #9.

Here are both versions.

(Cross-posted at Lippmann's Ghost.)