Customer Reviews

Kenny Loggins: How About Now - Only at Target

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I've been a Kenny Loggins fan for most of my life (I'm a little too young to remember much about Loggins & Messina) and what I've always appreciated about his songwriting was his willingness to reflect so much of his personal life in his music.

In his last CD, "It's About Time", he sang about the everyday clutter that erodes passion in the song "I Miss Us" and the distance that grows between parents and their children dealing with divorce in "The One That Got Away." (It wasn't all bleak: the title cut is another fantastic collaboration with Michael McDonald--It's About Time they started making music again!).

I got to meet Kenny backstage while he was touring for the last CD and he seemed distracted and down. Then I heard he was getting divorced.

He's always been an artist who can turn his most personal pain into great music. On a recent tour last year, he sang "How About Now" and said that this new CD would be released in '07. Listening to it, you can hear a powerful voice of experience behind the songs, an authentic struggle to deal with problems and situations that a lot of us are in right now. Instead of trying to take the pulse of what's popular, Kenny has always tapped into a truthful vein by confronting his own experiences.

I remember a quote from the 1993 film of SHADOWLANDS: "We read to know that we're not alone." I thought of that while listening to Kenny's latest CD: I definitely know that I'm not alone while listening to these songs.

Actually, from my perspective, this is Kenny's best overall solo effort. While I've known his music seemingly forever, I've always found him to be a bit inconsistent. I was always more of a Messina fan, having previously been a fan of Buffalo Springfield and Poco. Sometimes Kenny has actually bored me; I was glad that he reunited with Messina because it provided new life for both of them. This cd was a gamble for me; surprisingly, it was a good gamble. He has a variety of styles on here, some upbeat and some more reserved, but he seems to be drawing from a wide variety of influences on this one and it is the only cd I have by him without Messina which I enjoy from beginning to end. The title track sounds so much like Poco that I would not have guessed it was Kenny had I not already known. "That's When I Find You," is a solid gospel number reminiscent of Vince Gill. "Too Much (Never Get Enough of Me)" has a similar feel to "Footloose." "Truth Is" and "One Last Goodbye" are reminiscent of some of his best sentimental songs. I never thought I'd have a desire to write a review of A Kenny Loggins cd, but this one has me hooked. It is a genuine surprise and a true joy.

After playing this new Kenny Loggins release just a few times, it becomes
obvious that the man still has talent to burn after all these years.
At least half the tracks on this album could be hits if they were handled
right. Try out "I'm A Free Man Now", "That's When I Find You", "A Love Song", "This Too Will Pass", "If You Never Been There" & "How About Now"
just for starters. For long-time fans, there are no surprises here, they
already know Kenny can alter his vocals and musical styles however he likes.
For the curious, don't hesitate. You will not regret the purchase and probably wonder why you forgot how good Kenny's music truly is.
The only shame is that this release should be placed with a major distributor so it reaches fans all over the world as soon as possible.

The California country sound that threads through this new CD reminds me of the early Loggins & Messina days. There's lots of energy and stepping outside the pop box. I hear influences from R&B gospel, Ricky Nelson, rockabilly, cajun, southern country and even a calypso flair to the reworking of the classic "Love Song". The styles all seem to flow in a very listenable stream. Vocally, Loggins sounds great, flexing those superb chords of his. The album is mining very personal territory as Loggins is wont to do, but it adds to the sincerity of the vocals. Some solid studio players enhance this project. Two tunes written with Beth Nielsen Chapman, "Truth Is" and "That's When I Found You" are terrific as is a duet with Rachel Procter on "How About Now". I think Loggins takes some risks here with a new style and approach, and he seems at home with them. The poetry of lyrics and the winning vocal in "A Year's Worth of Distance" grabbed me right off the bat. As I listened to this CD several times through, I knew it would be a favorite and the best effort in some time.

Kenny Loggins is a real talent and rarely disappoints. This latest CD has a mix of "Loggins & Messina" type songs and some that are reflective of emotions that everyone (except perhaps a caveman with limited emotional and intellectual development) has experienced. He delivers thoughtful lyrics that very few artists today are capable of. This is his best work in years and I highly recommend it.

An outstanding effort from beginning to end. Adult oriented contemporary music with heartfelt lyrics and great musicianship. Well crafted songs that appeal to anyone beyond the rap years. His voice is excellent and rich and timeless. The more I listen to it the more I like it..........

Kenny Loggins has delivered perhaps his most powerful and impacting pearls of wisdom in this CD, How About Now, released February 2007. The lyrics tell the story of an evolution, from raw open wounds to hope to healing to attained wisdom and continued evolution of soul. Kenny Loggins exists in this world with the wisdom to employ his heart through each emotion, to tell and retell his losses and his triumphs and to do it with brilliantly thought out musical accompaniment and lyrics that will touch the soul of anyone who has ever been there.

This is a beautiful piece of work with five easy new hits and a revisit of one of his early ones.

Kenny Loggins has been wonderful for years & NOW a man I met in 6th grade is performing with him on the road. I had to buy it to hear the song my friend did with him!

This is one of the best Kenny Loggins tapes I have heard in a long time. He is really expressive of his music and his life. Great job!

I'm not american, I am spanish, How is possible that I can't get it this album and Stephen Bishop's "Saudade"?

I don't believe it and still waiting that Kenny and Stephen finds solutions to the european fans.