Having sampled a little taster of this album, a tribute to the songwriting prowess of Kenny Loggins, via Chris Beland’s beautiful reworking of Return to Pooh, it was finally great to dive into the album proper.
Now, I’m not aware of much of the Loggins back catalogue, and if I’m acquainted with any of his work, it is probably the more obvious commercial end of his repertoire. But, as we all know, it is often the other end of the spectrum, the less obvious, less chart-driven songs that pay the best dividends, songs written for the right reasons rather than songs which acquiesce to record company needs.
So this album is a perfect place for me to fill in the many gaps in my Loggins learning curve. Katie Skeen gives us a spacious and seductive version of Until You Were Mine, a rendition which feels like just gossamer-thin threads of music woven deftly together, chiming, charming and gorgeous. Trevor Bahnson’s recording of I Want You To Know is upbeat and engaging with only the most minimal of music, something that seems to be the theme of the album, which makes me happy.
There are more driven songs such as I’m Alright, Glen Phillips creates a great groove, which he then covers with haunting harmonies; Hunter Hawkins takes What A Fool Believes into some lovely pop realms, and Jackson Gillies’ take on This Is It is soulful and seductive.
Not only are these renditions beautiful on their own, but they have made me check out the originals, which is undoubtedly what such an album is designed to do. Two for the price of one. The best of both worlds. Fantastic.
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