Customer Reviews

Peaceful: The Best Of Kenny Rankin

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This is a superb mix of his best stuff with some notable exceptions. Kenny did a Little David release with Don Costa's sensational arrangements where Sunny Get's Blue and Here's That Rainy Day take on a life of their own. I have no idea why they were left out here, but this one's worth having on it's own merits. But, you have not heard all of Kenny until you get his "Kenny Rankin Album."

I love Kenny! This is a collection of his most popular work. It's a very good introduction to Kenny's older work. I hope that at some point we get a collection of other great work he's done, especially those that are just available on imports like Mind Dusters and Family, maybe even a "Best of Kenny Rankin 2: Lesser Known Work".

I first heard Kenny Rankin on WNEW-FM 102.7 circa 1967. He was one of the most talented people in the music business. For those of you who remember Johnny Carson, you might be interested to know that he was a guest on that program more than any other musician during Carson's career. Johnny wrote the liner notes to his first LP! Listen to the samples. The greatest compliment is Paul McCartney's: he invited Kenny to his induction the the "Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" because "No one performs Blackbird better than you." His Beatle cover versions are not to be missed!

Kenny Rankin's songs and style hit the spot! Clear and improvisational vocals, along with complementary musical arrangements make for great listening. Each person in my family has a different favorite song, and we doubt those favorites will ever change.

I LOVE THIS ALBUM!IT HAS'ALMOST' ALL HIS BEST EXCEPT, "KILLED A CAT" WHICH IN MY OPINION IS ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SONGS HE SINGS. ALONG WITH "SILVER MORNING", WHICH IS ON THIS CD. HOWEVER,THE ALBUM "SILVER MORNING" IS THE ONLY ONE OF KENNY'S THAT IS "NOT" ON CD. EXPLAIN THIS!!!

Most are songs we have heard on other albums but the mix is worth a new buy. If anyone knows how I can obtain a copy of the "Family" album (my all time Rankin favorite) please, please let me know.

If this review were as smooth as Kenny's vocals it would slide off of your screen. Kenny covers others songs so well you forget the origional artists. The quintesential Kenny for those who like it mellow, nearly all of the favorites are covered, the exception being "Haven't We Met". Smooth, Kenny, very smooth.

And then god created Kenny Rankin! Picture a white sandy beach, a clear blue sky, and a bottle of fine wine, brought together by the sensual vocal qualities of Kenny. This CD reflects the finest mix of his music. This CD is a must for all of Kenny's fans. And for those wishing for a new and exciting experience get this CD. With the exception of a few greats like Pussy Willows, Groovin' and On and On, everything is here.

It's been said that, back in his heyday, being championed by Johnny Carson was the key to major stardom . Certainly, that was the case with Bette Midler , to say nothing of any number of up and coming comics, such as Jay Leno himself, for whom an appearance on the TONIGHT SHOW was the Key to the Komic Kingdom. But those were outsized, often outrageous personalities. For an introspective, genuinely low-key singer-songwriter like Kenny Rankin, however, becoming a favorite of the legendary late night-- talkmeister -and appearing on the program 20 times in a three year period--proved to be something less than a major breakthrough.

Who knows? The Carson endorsement may have even been a hindrance, at least in certain hip circles. This was the late 60s, after all, and as cool a guy as Johnny Carson may have seemed to some viewers, he was still basically ESTABLISHMENT. Kenny Rankin might have gotten more street cred as the guy who played rhythm on tracks like "Highway 61 Revisited."

Or maybe it was just bad marketing. He was recording for Mercury at the time, a label which blew it with such talents as Graham Parker (remember "Mercury Poisoning"?), Tracy Nelson/Mother Earth, Judy Henske and Captain Beefheart.

It certainly didn't help that family man and all around nice guy Rankin fell victim to those proverbial "personal demons" (read; drugs) that even nice guy family men were fated to wrestle with back in the day (and even to this day). That period, obliquely referred to in the liner notes as a time when the singer made some "bad decisions," can at best be counted as lost time. Rankin's second (and final) album for Mercury, the uninspired FAMILY was a commercial and artistic setback, and it's significant that this Rhino collection draws absolutely NO songs from that disc.

Or is it? Maybe there were licensing concerns involved. There's only one track from MIND-DUSTERS, and that Mercury album, was just about flawless. And in fact, I'd have to take issue with the assertion made in the liner notes that the version of "Peaceful" included here--from the 1972 "come-back" album LIKE A SEED--is THE definitive version. The earlier MIND-DUSTERS take on the song set the standard by which all subsequent versions (including Helen Reddy's Top 40 hit) should be judged. The take included on the Rhino compilation is beautifully sung, but it is cluttered with ornate instrumentation: harp, penny whistle, strings, kitchen sink--you name it. The arrangements undercuts the song's considerable strengths.

The MIND-DUSTERS take was much leaner, guitar and a subtle, tasteful string backing that brought out the vocal beautifully. That's less the case with the later version, although it is certainly beautifully sung (which--when you're talking Kenny Rankin--pretty much goes without saying). One point I would make, however, is that the vocal improvisations Rankin indulges in on this track virtually pre-suppose familiarity with the song. That may be a valid assessment on the singer's part, given Reddy's hit version, but as a track unto itself, this version of "Peaceful" starts to toy with the melody line almost before establishing it.

But that's also the direction Rankin was heading in by the early 70s. The folk tinge of the earliest records was giving way to a jazzier, poppier style. And it was a good fit for a singer with a smooth and silky a tenor as Rankin. The fact that he was a master scat singer didn't hurt either, as several of the tracks included here display to good effect. Try focusing intently on the vocal line to just about any track here and you'll likely agree that they are just about flawless. This is ELEGANT singing. "Elegant" in a good way. Smooth, polished--but also emotive.

Of course, it's one of life's little mysteries , but flawless vocals often fail to sell records. Singers with a bit of grit, rasp or breathiness often are said to have more "personality." Hey , I won't argue that there's a place in popular music for the quirky, the rootsy or the conversational singer--many of my favorites have distinctive and less than lovely voices. Sincerity and feeling count for a lot. But if you listen closely to Kenny Rankin's gorgeous vocals you'll find that they too are heartfelt. Great pipes, emotive singing. Take it from me, it doesn't get any better.

Kenny had a voice beyond compare. I was hooked from the first time I saw him in SF in 1973. I've seen him over a dozen times....and one time that sticks out was an intimate show at Wolfgangs in SF. Kenny was perturbed at one person in the audience (Kenny had a short fuse) - so he walked off - someone blurted out "you can't walk out the backstairs of our lives" - he came back and played that very song off this CD. I'd met Kenny a few times over the years and once I handed him a copy of FAMILY on LP - he laughed and said those 2 wonderful girls on the cover are in college now - he signed it and handed it back to me.

I was to see him in SF 2 weeks ago -- I was completely stunned to hear of his passing.

I played and sang "What Matters Most" to my wife many times. She is now in heaven, but what matters most is that we loved at all. God bless Kenny and my wife. His music will live on...forever.