Search - Kenny Loggins :: The Essential Kenny Loggins

Dawn T. from MCCORDSVILLE, IN
Reviewed on 10/28/2006...

This one has All of his best songs!

Landmark Artist Gets His Due

Tim Brough | Springfield, PA United States | 03/17/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Kenny Loggins has been many things in his long career (has it really been 30 years?). Earnest song-writer, proto-folkrocker with Jim Messina, middle-of-the-road hitmaker as a solo artist, and 80's movie soundtrack go-to guy. It fills up the two CD's on this set and still manages to run out of room. Which makes this "Essential" collection the best buy for an instant Kenny Loggins library.



One of the things that really pulls this CD past the single disc Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow is the inclusion of some Loggins and Messina hits. (Where is their comprehensive best of?) The tender originals of "Danny's Song" and "Love Song" eventually became pop smashes for Anne Murray, and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band made a career high out of "House at Pooh Corner." Once Kenny and Jim split off for solo careers, Loggins took flight. When Stevie Nicks joined him for "Whenever I Call You Friend" (from Nightwatch), he had his first major hit.



Loggins epitomized the perfect middle of the road sounds of the period, like his friend and occasional co-writer, Michael McDonald. Keep the Fire boasted the perfect collaboration between the two men on "This Is It." Then came that first stroke of cinematic magic, when the theme to a Bill Murray vehicle roared into the top ten. "I'm Alright" was a jaunty shout-along that made Kenny not just a middle of the road icon, but a pop star. It was reflected in the harder rock stance of High Adventure, down the the faux Indiana Jones cover and Steve Perry from Journey guesting on "Don't Fight It." Even with the tougher image, the romantic "Heart to Heart" showed that Kenny did not stray too far from his roots.



Then came more soundtrack gigs. Number ones from Footloose and top tens from "Over The Top" and "Top Gun" kept Kenny on the charts, even if they just scream 80's MTV these days. It also seemed like Kenny's albums were getting rudderless; the title track to Vox Humana is little more than a lame re-write of "Footloose" and "I'm Alright," but "Forever" is a lost romantic hit. When he got back to making solo albums apart from Hollywood, they became more MOR (think James Taylor or Dan Fogelberg) and more introspective. Both Back to Avalon and Leap of Faith are more in tune with his Loggins and Messina work than before (despite a pair of soundtrack blasters on "Avalon"). Then Kenny made a wild left turn, making the delightful Return to Pooh Corner. it could easily be one of his best albums, and it was recorded as a children's lullaby disc. Subtle and moving, with Kenny covering Paul Simon, Rikki Lee Jones and revisiting his own "House at Pooh Corner," it strips away all the 80's bombast and has the feel of a homegrown record.



The last song here is a reminder of the creative synergy that Kenny shares with Michael McDonald. They duet live on "What A Fool Believes" (from Outside: From the Redwoods), again proving that when it comes to that perfect, immaculate sound that permeated the mid-seventies, few did it better. This is a close to a five star collection. About the only thing that could improve it would be a third disc and make the thing into a box-set. Which, come to think of it, isn't such a bad idea.



PS - it's time to remaster Loggins' catolog; from Loggins & Messina up."