Tierra was a spinoff of El Chicano, a risk-taking band that fused soul, jazz, rock, and Latin music and gave us the hits "Viva Tirado" and "Tell Her She's Lovely." So, not surprisingly, Tierra was very El Chicano-influenced in the beginning. By the time it recorded the 1978 single "Gonna Find Her," Tierra had fashioned a very distinctive style of brown-eyed soul. But when it recorded Tierra in 1975, the East L.A. band was still searching for an identity. This vinyl LP, which Salsoul reissued in 1981, isn't as focused or inspired as 1980's City Nights -- it's an uneven record, although a generally competent one. Even though Tierra was still finding its way in 1975, one hears some potential on soul-pop offerings like "Don't Be So Sure" and "Knowing You, Loving You" as well as the salsa tune "Baila Simon" and the jazz fusion instrumental "Sun God." Also noteworthy is the poignant "Land of the Free," which describes the struggle that a poor Mexican immigrant faces after his arrival in the U.S. -- the song addresses the sort of conditions that activist Cesar Chavez dedicated his life to improving. Although it has its moments, Tierra is the work of a band that, in 1975, still had some developing to do. Nonetheless, collectors will find this LP interesting.