The first disc, appropriately titled Now, and offering an equally impressive list of guest appearances, most notably David Grisman, Phil Lesh, Barry Sless and Mookie Siegel, is a solid statement by two of the more underrated musicians and songwriters to come out of the classic San Francisco scene. Pristine, optimistic songwriting and impeccable harmonies are beautifully supported by the all-star supporting cast, particularly the magical steel guitar lines supplied by David Nelson Band member Sless. A striking highlight, “Circle of Friends,” begins with the subtle sounds of Doug Harmon on cello and David Grisman’s trickling mandolin notes, and is held together like rubber cement with a prime example of the brothers’ calculator-precise harmonies. Also of note on disc one; the production techniques of Mick Skidmore and the brothers prove progressive and daring, while preserving the warmth of what, at its core, is simply foot-tapping acoustic music with no frills.
Disc two, as you may have guessed, carries the sterile title of Then. Though the tracks that landed here are anything but sterile, and most manage to reach must hear status. And the ones that fall just short of that lofty assessment still rate as nostalgic trips to a place and time when this type of music was the life and soul of an entire community. The Grateful Dead played an integral role in the Rowan’s garnering attention in the day, and two Dead members contribute amiably on Then. The beloved Garcia stands in on the steel guitar of “Waiting In The Garden” as he did with many of the Bay Area bands of that time. And like he did occasionally with the Jefferson Airplane, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and the New Riders Of The Purple Sage, he plays the instrument as if it was all he knew. The familiar pounding produced by the limbs of Kreutzmann paces the rolling thunder of “Climbing Up The Mountain” and the rocking “Peace And Happiness.” But of course, the Rowans themselves are really what make this disc simmer. “Run To The Wind” displays the impressive mandolin chops of Lorin and raw, Robert Plant-ish vocal hollers by both of the brothers.
Altogether, what we have here is well over two hours of well-crafted folk rock that smokes every, well, now and then. And while perhaps only Then should be considered essential, the good news is the addition of Now provides a very good, clean ride through Americana by two of the originals, and is far more interesting than most of what lines today’s music shelves.
Side Note: The liner notes read; “As a special bonus there are four hidden tracks at the end of the Then disc culled from one of the Rowan Brothers first ever gigs in San Francisco, at the closing of the Fillmore West on 7/2/71 when they opened for the Grateful Dead. You guessed it – members of that band lent a hand to the aspiring Rowans during their set.” This set is introduced by the late, and thanks to the plethora of live recordings featuring his voice, ageless Bill Graham. The Dead members present here, as far as I can tell are Garcia (pedal steel), Kreutzmann (drums) and Lesh (bass).