The Cowsills have three things going for them.
First there's that name - real but ridiculous - secondly, the strength of numbers - mom, five sons and a daughter . . . and, last, a goshawful heap of talent.
Success - although certainly derserved - didn't come easy for the "one woman's family band," despite the concentration of talent that specializes in a brand of music that bridges the generation gap.
The family was in hock up to its amplifier before a hit song got the group off the financial hook. Since then, the Cowsills have recorded four albums, played in standing-room-only concert audiences and now have their own TV show scheduled.
During a recent Indian benefit concert in the Anaheim Convention Center, Andy Williams was billed as the star, but he had to settle for an even split in the applause with Barbara Cowsill and her talented offspring.
The newest album of the group, "The Best of the Cowsills" (MGM), is also the best of the current LP batch and gets eight votes as the top ALBUM OF THE WEEK (my vote and one each from Barbara, Susan, Paul, Bob, John, Bill and Barry Cowsill, of course).
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