Published on Feb 16, 2001
Kenny Loggins is often given a bad rap for being one of the
poster children for the cultural rock and roll revolution gone
corporate. Having begun his career as a long-haired sensitive
folkie and half of the duo with Poco’s Jim Messina, he discovered
in the mid-’80s that writing movie themes is really where the money
is at, and he’s never really been the same since.
But the career of Kenny Loggins as an independent movie-less
songwriter ended with a bang. Unlike his late ’70s solo releases
(which aren’t bad, don’t get me wrong, but can get awfully
depressing at times),
High Adventure is brimming with energy and vitality. From
the opening heavy metal-like intro to “Don’t Fight It,” a duet with
Journey’s Steve Perry that was a minor hit, to the exotic new-wave
influenced synthesizers of “It Must Be Imagination,” this album has
1982 written all over it.
And as can be expected from an early ’80s pop album, the hits
were all classics. “Don’t Fight It” is an exciting romp featuring,
as previously mentioned, some blistering guitar work and both
Loggins and Perry screeching their hearts out like there was no
tomorrow. “Welcome To Heartlight” (not to be confused with Neil
Diamond’s theme from
E.T. which was a hit around the same time) features a
campfire-like verse leading unexpectedly into more blistering
guitar work in the chorus. A children’s choir rounds out the final
refrain – campy, indeed.
But the most classy of the classics was undoubtedly “Heart To
Heart,” one of the great singles of the ’80s that has mysteriously
been lost to time. The jazz-pop influences of Loggins’ many
collaborations with the Doobie Brothers’ Michael McDonald (more on
that later) are quite apparent here, in fact you can even hear
McDonald singing backup, but unlike most of Loggins’ lame attempts
at a musical sequel to “What A Fool Believes” (a song he and
McDonald co-wrote and both recorded, but McDonald ended up with the
version that became a platinum-selling single, whereas Loggins’
version most definitely did not), this one actually stands on its
own as a terrific song, pop perfectionism at its finest, not a note
wasted as it meanders through its seamless sections of
structure.
As for the rest of the album, it is the other McDonald
collaboration, “I Gotta Try,” that stands out. Again, McDonald’s
version was the hit, but in this case Loggins’ version is the
superior one, as he sings it with so much enthusiasm that you
almost forget how stale the subject matter is (whoop-de-doo,
another song about believing in yourself…) And like “Heart
To Heart,” this is a fun song to play on the piano, too. “If That’s
Not What You’re Looking For” is the other monster cut, fat ’80s
synthesizers, dense, multi-tracked vocals, and yet more blistering
guitar work all rolled into one fun-filled package. Todd Rundgren
would be proud.
But as much as the upbeat songs had improved from their
counterparts on Loggins’ late ’70s records like
Nightwatch and
Keep The Fire, Loggins had simultaneously lost his ability
to write a good ballad. “It Must Be Imagination” is kind of Duran
Duran lite, if such a thing is possible, all effects, but very
repetitive and little of lasting substance. “Only A Miracle,” an
ode to his newborn son, may have an applaudable subject for a song,
but it doesn’t take from its extreme sappiness. And “The More We
Try,” on which Loggins apparently had forgotten how to sing above a
whisper or write more than one verse, is also way, way too drenched
in synthesized strings for its own good. The sweeping, soulful
textures of the slow songs on his earlier records like “Set Me
Free,” “Who’s Right, Who’s Wrong,” or even the duet with Stevie
Nicks “Whenever I Call You Friend,” are nowhere to be seen on
High Adventure, and they are sorely missed.
All in all, it’s mostly a wash, and whether
High Adventure is a better or worse record than other
Loggins records depends entirely on what mood you’re in. This is an
easy album to like, full of ear candy, and if you have the vinyl
version, the slow songs are conveniently at the end of each side
for easy skipping. And although much of it hasn’t aged as nicely as
one might hope, as a period piece or simply something to play air
guitar or drums to, it’s hard to beat.