Farewell to the Real Magnificent Seven had two big British hits in "(If) Paradise Is Half as Nice" and "Hello Susie," but seemed to show some real difficulty the band had in making solid LPs for all their success with U.K. singles. What they should have been doing, if there were enough of them, was to concentrate on
Andy Fairweather Low originals, which comprise about half the album. These exhibited the soulful rock in which he seemed most engaged, and while it's more lightweight than what, say,
Rod Stewart was coming up with, it's not all that far away in musical form. But the covers of "The Weight," "Proud Mary," and a funky "Get Back" couldn't help but be pretty forgettable in comparison with the original hits, which hadn't even been in circulation very long by the time
Amen Corner's versions were released. Some of the other material, like "Recess," seemed like relative throwaways that were throwbacks to the happier-go-lucky, poppier sound that had helped give
Amen Corner a foothold on the British charts. Among the
Fairweather Low originals, a standout is "Mr. Nonchalant," which shares something of the same heartfelt striving feel of
Thunderclap Newman.