Notes & Personnel Info |  | Producers: Jerry Crutchfield, Glenn Keener, Glenn Spreen, F=Dave Loggins, Brent Maher. | | Compilation producer: Glenn A. Baker. | | Includes liner notes by David Dawson. | | Digitally remastered by Warren Barnett (Raven Lab). | | Arrangers: Glen Spreen; Bergen White. | | Raven's 2001 collection The Good Side of Tomorrow: 1971-1984 is the first true retrospective assembled on Dave Loggins, a '70s singer/songwriter best-known for his Top Ten 1974 hit "Please Come to Boston" (he was also known for being the cousin of singer/songwriter Kenny Loggins). Prior to this, there had been no collection, either on vinyl or on CD, that took his catalog seriously -- there had only been a budget-line greatest hits -- and this takes it very seriously, sampling from his five albums between 1971-1984, adding a single and a duet with Anne Murray. The emphasis is naturally on his first two albums, as both 1972's Personal Belongings and 1974's Apprentice (In a Musical Workshop) have nearly half their tracks here. There is a big difference between the two records, too, with the first finding Loggins closer to his folky roots and with Apprentice finding him working with larger but mellow soft rock arrangements. From that point, his productions stay in the soft rock vein, even when he starts bringing in a stronger country bent. Throughout it all, Loggins' music remains pretty much of a piece. He's a sturdy songwriter with a clear sentimental streak that sometimes is appealing and sometimes is a little too polished and commercial (which happens to be the same reason he was successful as a professional songwriter). Sometimes, his songs can sound a little samey and generic -- this is true whether the production is spare or soothingly layered -- which can make the entirety of this collection a little much to take for listeners just wanting "Please Come to Boston." Nevertheless, this is as generous and complete a single-disc retrospective as could be assembled on Dave Loggins, and even if it may be a little lengthy for some listeners, it still is welcome, because it does an excellent job of rounding up the highlights from this overlooked singer/songwriter, when he was an active recording artist, not merely a professional songwriter. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine |
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