More Loggins and Messina

This WHITE HOT Stamper side one shows you just how good this record can sound, which is surprisingly good, considering how many copies of the album are just plain awful. Finally, most of the grit, grain and transistory opacity have fallen away, leaving in its place the rich, full-bodied and Tubey Magical ’70s sound one would expect. 

As obvious as it may sound (especially to anyone on this site), the master tape is a whole lot better than the average copy of the record would have you think. This side one is proof positive. And side two is nearly as good, earning a solid Super Hot stamper grade of A++. Without a doubt this is by far the best copy of the album we have ever heard.

It’s also the only Loggins solo album that I’ve ever liked; it was actually a favorite of mine back in the day. I’ve owned this very copy for more than twenty years (bought it in 1988 according to the price sticker). Seems like a good time to send it on its way to find a new home.

Side One

A+++, taking top honors for its rhythmic energy and real frequency extension both high and low. (Most copies have no real top end; if you own one give it a listen and we think you’ll agree with us.) Great bass, plenty of Tubey Magic, clarity and richness — no other copy in our shootout could do what this one was doing.

Side Two

A++. This side actually has smooth, silky, natural sounding vocals, something we didn’t hear much of in our shootout. The top end is extended, and that is a big help, restoring the harmonics that are practically non-existent on the average pressing.

Spacious and clear, yet still rich, with an especially solid sounding piano, this gets you a side two that will put to shame whatever you’ve heard or own. The loudest parts can still get gritty and congested; no copy we heard in our shootout managed to avoid those problems, but some, like this one, handled them much better than others.

The best song is on side two by the way: You Don’t Know Me. Kenny sings it straight and knocks it right out of the park.

TRACK LISTING

Side One

Lady Luck
If You Be Wise
I Believe in Love
Set It Free
Why Do People Lie

Side Two

Enter My Dream
I’ve Got the Melody (Deep in My Heart)
Celebrate Me Home
Daddy’s Back
You Don’t Know Me

AMG  Review

Freed from Loggins & Messina, Kenny Loggins retreats from that duo’s folky conceits, turning to smooth soft rock, filled with leisurely paces, lush strings and electric pianos and easy attitude — so it’s no surprise when you discover this is a co-production by Billy Joel’s chief collaborator Phil Ramone and Bob James.

There is a bit of surprise that this album doesn’t really have any big hits to its credit, especially since Loggins would later have several Top Ten records, but this is a consistent record, maintaining its mellow mood even when the tempo picks up for the relatively insistent “I Believe in Love.”

Loggins is in good form throughout the record, and if even only the title track entered his readily-acknowledged canon, this has a fine, sustained mood: a soft late ’70s vibe that makes it a nice artifact of its time, as well as one of his stronger records, as illustrated by its platinum status — something it achieved without any blockbuster singles.

~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine,