Kenny Rogers, Rod Stewart

Kenny Rogers – I Prefer The Moonlight

Ah, Kenny in the 80s. A little bit country, and a little bit Jimmy Buffett, but mostly easy listening lite FM pop. But it’s alright, that voice cures all. This was a very enjoyable record anyway. There’s a lovely duet balled with Ronnie Milsap (and written by Kim Carnes) that’s a highlight. Fun!

Rod Stewart – Out Of Order

Pretty sure I hadn’t heard this in a long while (I have the LP of this somewhere here, too), and it’s still quite good now, in 2015. There’s not really a bad song here, and I’m not just being easy on it. It had four hits, Lost In You, Forever Young, My Heart Can’t Tell You Know and Crazy About Her. The other single was Dynamite. I’ll admit trepidation about him covering Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out (which he turns, oddly, into an 80s funkfest) and Try A Little Tenderness, but they were both decent enough versions. Cool record.

Rod Stewart – Downtown Train: Selections From The Storyteller Anthology

Twelve totally classic tracks here, heaps of Rod fun listening through this. Well, except for his take on People Get Ready… I only want the original of that one, thanks. But the rest is cool. Even an updated This Old Heart Of Mine (w. Donald Isley) and his ‘take’ on Downtown Train. Wondered at covers being on a 12 track comp of his own boxed set, but then realized it hardly mattered. Left wanting more, but that’s what the boxed set is for, right? Right.

I Prefer The Moonlight

Out Of Order

Downtown Train

 

Kenny Rogers – 20 Greatest Hits

I got this out of a bargain bin for so cheap, it was basically criminal. It’s in perfect shape (looked unplayed), and the track list is fantastic.

I should explain. I grew up in an area where they like both kinds of music – country AND western. Lots of Hank Sr., Patsy, Johnny, Willie, Loretta, you name it. I absorbed a lot of country music as a kid, and I think it did me a lot of favours – the good stuff, anyway, is intelligently done and tells stories worth hearing. But all that exposure also explains my avoidance of it in my teens and 20s. But I’ve come back around to it, as I age, and now I’m as likely to play Kenny as I am anything else in my collection.

So I was banging around in the basement yesterday, cleaning up the mess that never seems to dissipate. But I threw this vinyl on and was transported back in time. It was highly pleasurable. I enjoy Kenny’s voice, and his hit songs are those classics you can’t help but enjoy.

There are songs missing, of course. As a hits set, it’s pretty damn good, but I think the 42 Ultimate Hits set would be more my speed. Still, I can’t knock 20 songs for less than you’d pay for a coffee.

Great stuff.