As Smoothtember comes to an end, I can't help but give praise to the patron saint of all things smooth; Kenny Loggins. Let's take a look at the cover of his masterpiece third album, 1979's Keep the Fire. There's so much going on in that one picture alone (waves crashing, a rainbow, shooting stars, a sun rising, galaxies exploding, Kenny Loggins dressed like Jesus holding what appears to be the spark of creation), yet all of those things together aren't overpowering.
That's what this album is like; it's a chaotic mess of elements that shouldn't work together, but somehow manage to. Be it the jungle beats, sting sections, smooth chord progressions, or soulful vocals; Loggins proves himself as a pioneer, and an unstoppable force in any genre he decides to touch.
Throughout this album are a few gems that nobody could have seen coming. Let’s take, for example, the usage of the vocoder during Keep the Fire. Nowadays, technology like this is seen everywhere in popular music, but back then, stuff like that was reserved for science fiction movies, or the band Kraftwerk (also arguably science fiction in their own right). But Loggins thought better, and even though it’s used sparingly, it gives us a feel that in the future, when robots are everywhere, Loggins will be too.
But wait, what about the boot scootin’ boogie of a track known as Mr. Night? Wasn’t that a precursor to a hit country song called Boot Scootin’ Boogie? Yup. And then, there’s the seemingly accidental invention of dance-punk during the bridge of Junkanoo Holiday (Fallin’-Flyin’), where the song turns from Disney soundtrack to straight up funk music, with an extreme rock attitude.
And let’s not forget the best track on the album, This is It. Let’s run down the checklist of what makes this song perfect. Smooth guitar? Check. Vocals that sound like silk? Check. Sassy bridges? Check. Sing-along choruses? Check. The duo of Loggins and McDonald prove in less than four minutes that there is no pair more potent than they. (Sorry, Messina!)
Bottom line: This a perfect blend of smooth ballads and rocking tracks that will inspire you to greatness. If you want to treat your ears, and your soul to something that would make the gods themselves tremble under the incomparable power of these smooth tunes, then this is it!
Yes, that was a Loggins pun.
I apologize for that.
Tracks to look out for: Love Has Come of Age / Mr. Night / This is It / Junkanoo Holiday (Fallin'-Flyin') / Who's Right, Who's Wrong / Keep the Fire
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