"As good as Kenny Rankin is in a studio, he is better live. This CD captures the essence of him live.He goes from guitar to piano effortlessly, he is skilled on both instruments. His taste, be it in his own writing, or the songs he covers, is exquisite. And this CD captures the between-songs stories that are an integral part of his act.A special bonus: The song "Hodong inside Myself" is from his lost CD of the same name (where can it be found?) and contains an essential Rankin lyric.Kenny, your fans need more!"
Greatest Live CD Ever!
Luis Altschul | Nicholasville, Kentucky United States | 08/24/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have prided myself over the years as being a connoisseur of a wide variety of musical styles. Albums and cassettes aside I have a collection of well over 600 cds. This is the only one that I have ever bought a second copy so I would have another one available if anything ever happened to the original. I bought it months ago and still listen to it almost daily. Kenny accompanies himself on guitar, piano, and sings a capella. It is just him and the music. It doesn't get any better than this. I grew up with The Beatles and they covered Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Carl Perkins, and others so well that their versions became the standards. I never in my life imagined myself saying this, but Kenny's covers of I've Just See a Face and Blackbird on this CD may be better than the originals. That's heavy stuff!"
Kenny Rankin at His Best--Live
09/26/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I first heard Kenny Rankin perform in the early 1970's as the opening act for George Carlin in Passic, New Jersey. I came to love his crooning ability and have always wondered why he never reached the full pinnacle of stardom that his talent deserves.But fortunately for me I was exposed to him early in his career and saw him perform live at The Bottom Line in New York City many times. This album captures the versatility and clarity of Mr. Rankin's vocal ability perfectly.If you are a true fan of Kenny Rankin you probably already own this recording. If you are not familar with Mr. Rankin's music, I urge you to add "The Bottom Line Encore" to your collection. I have given this CD to several of my friends who I knew loved music but never heard of Kenny Rankin. Each person expressed amazement of the quality of Kenny Rankin's voice and how much they enjoyed listening to this beautiful performance.The more you listen to this CD the better Mr. Rankin sounds."
While Kenny's Guitar Gently Smiles
Rebecca*rhapsodyinblue* | CA USA | 01/24/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
""I just feel privileged that I've been allowed to continue in my craft, and I've been encouraged by all the positive feedback I've gotten from people over the years. When someone tells you a song changed their life, or inspired them to look at things in a slightly different way, well, you can't ask for a better reward than that." ~ Kenny Rankin
FLASHBACK. Late seventies. Hearing "Haven't We Met" for the first time on the airwaves and liking the song. It was love-at-first-hear! The album: "The Kenny Rankin Album." Some of the songs: "When Sunny Gets Blue," "On And On," ("...puts on Sinatra and he starts to cry...") "Here's That Rainy Day," "Groovin'," "You Are So Beautiful," and "I Love You." And that was the beginning of Day One!
Then came more nice albums: "After The Roses," "Peaceful," "Here In My Heart," "Inside," "A Song For You." And more great songs: "Misty Roses," "Sunday Kind Of Love," "One More Goodbye, One More Hello," "Inside," "In The Name of Love," "A House of Gold," "Peaceful," "What Matters Most" and the list is endless.
NOW. "Professional Dreamer" on my Wish List.
Mr. Rankin has a special way of singing a song so uniquely his own. And all the songs he recorded became exceptionally great and left lasting impressions to the listeners' tasteful ears. I have loved and enjoyed Kenny Rankin's music as far back as I can remember. He's such a great singer, composer, arranger and a gifted guitarist as well, and he's one of my all-time favorite musicians. Needless to say, his music has greatly moved and inspired me.
"The Encore Collection" is my most recent Kenny Rankin CD. It was recorded LIVE at The Bottom Line (New York) in 1990 and the repertoire is simply fabulous with seventeen best-loved songs performed to perfection and to the delight of his audience and listeners. Listening to this CD is like being in that live concert. The sound quality is flawless and Mr. Rankin's performances are outstanding.
For me, the most special number is his marvelous a cappella performance of Irving Berlin's evergreen, "Always" (this is my late parents' ultimate favorite song, and mine, too). It just blew me away while listening to it and I had to press the repeat button to satisfy my ears! It's simply spellbinding and now I realized that his voice is the greatest I've ever heard after Sinatra! I'd say this is the very highlight of the concert because of the audience's enthusiastic prolonged ovation.
The rest of the highlights are The Fab 4's "With A Little Help From My Friends," "Penny Lane" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (with a touch of Rodgers & Hart's "My Funny Valentine"), a medley of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Doralice" and Stevie Wonder's "You Are The Sunshine of My Life," one of his personal favorite songs "Why Do Fools Fall In Love," the very haunting "Inside" (which he whispery ended with three nice words..."I love you"...then applause, applause and more applause), and of course, to me the most memorable song that drawn me to his music, "Haven't We Met."
The FINALE was "Blackbird" which he started with a 'bark' and ended with..."I Love You, Good Night." But the audience was clamoring for more...more...and more!
And the ENCORE was his heartfelt a cappella rendition of a very nice old song "Because of You" which he started with..."This is all for you for all the years." The words and music are so enchanting...
"Because of you there's a song in my heart
Because of you my romance had its start
Because of you the sun will shine
The moon and stars will say you're mine
Forever and never to part"
What a lovely way to wrap up the terrific concert! He has an extraordinary ability to express himself thru his beautiful music and his impeccable guitar playing skills. Congratulations Mr. Rankin for your unparalleled performances!
This recording is truly remarkable and it's a MUST-HAVE to all Rankin fans. Five stars would be underestimating this superb CD. I'd give it ten stars. I'm sure you'll all agree with me.
"
Like I Was Young Again!
J. Schuck | Wilmington, Delaware United States | 11/10/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Listening to this CD just takes me back to clubs in New York during the late 70's. Real honest musicians, at their best! Saw Kenny many times back then, at the Bottom Line, My Fathers Place, The Other (Bitter) End. He is as good here as ever. This is a great set of what Kenny does best. I highly recommend
this CD to both old & new fan alike."
Track Listings (17) - Disc #1
