US White Duck from 1972 (ST, In Season)

 

Artist discogs page here.  This is some nice bluesy SSW material adequately described below as 'an unspectacular country rock band' though I would at least preface that by saying if it wasn't worth hearing I really wouldn't have bothered to plant it here.

Hiatt made his first recording as a member of White Duck, a likable if unspectacular country rock band. Hiatt was on board for the band's second and final album In Season in 1972. (Hiatt did not play on White Duck's paper-thin self-titled 1971 debut record). The four band members (Hiatt, Don Kloetzke, Mario Friedel, and Paul Tabet) each contribute songs as singers and songwriters. Hiatt's two songs are the record's high points. "You Caught Me Laughin' " sounds like the type of song that would turn up on one of Hiatt's first two solo albums; the other one, "Sail Away", sounds almost like vintage Hiatt. "Sail Away" would be deserving of inclusion on a Hiatt anthology.

The songs contributed by Mario Friedel are almost as good as Hiatt's. Nearly half of the songs are written and sung by Don Kloetzke (who has a white duck sitting on his lap in the back cover photo); the quality of his contributions is inconsistent. Kloetzke shines on "Thank You" and "A Girl Who", but he overindulges on "Bull Island Boogie" and "Looney Tune", two oddball novelty songs in which Hiatt is not a credited player.

Overall, In Season makes for very pleasant listening, and should be regarded as more than just a curiosity piece for Hiatt's fans. The music on this record alternately resembles that of the Band and the Flying Burrito Brothers, but is more upbeat than either.

For the presumably first album ST (though you'd never know if it really was the 1st), discogs has a long review from badcatrecord. I'm not going to quote it as I doubt anyone would read it through. Nonetheless the description is again good.

The track called World Keep on Turning, gives you an idea of the countryish sound, could've been like my favourites Batdorf and Rodney but it's not as good, much simpler, less of the catchy hooks they were so excellent as creating:

A track called Lonely sounds so much like early 70s McCartney, which is not a bad thing (I think the singer is trying to imitate him):

For the other one called In Season which came out the same year, discogs has an astonishingly long review, again, which I doubt anyone could read through, here, also from badcat records.

From that Black album, Thank You

Sail Away is also pretty: