TS: Dan Fogelberg vs. James Taylor vs. Kenny Loggins vs. John Denver vs. Jackson Browne

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Sometimes all these mush together in my mind as late 70s/early 80s Sensitive Guy folk-rock.

Wuss singer-songwriters unite! You have nothing to lose but your floral-embroidered guitar straps!

I think that for me it's a close call: Browne, with Taylor in second. Both have a few songs that redeem them from the dustbin, and can make me hum along from time to time in spite of myself. "The Pretender," "Lawyers in Love," "Steamroller," "Never Die Young." Not mindblowing, but not completely without merit.

Denver seemed like a sweet enough soul, and I have nostalgic feelings about some of his songs. It's possible that his embrace of twang puts him on the country shelf and thus safer from ridicule.

I see no excuse, really, for Fogelberg or Loggins.

― The Mad Puffin (The Mad Puffin), Thursday, 5 May 2005 19:22 (twenty-one years ago)

browne > denver > loggins > taylor > fogelberg

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 5 May 2005 19:27 (twenty-one years ago)

I would pick Gordon Lightfoot.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Thursday, 5 May 2005 19:28 (twenty-one years ago)

BUT "take me home country roads" > "i'm alright" > "somebody's baby" > "fire and rain" > whichever fogelberg i "like" best

― j blount (papa la bas), Thursday, 5 May 2005 19:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Didn't think of Gordon Lightfoot.

I almost put Croce in there, but think he's really of another era, and would go better in a TS with Cat Stevens and Joni Mitchell.

― The Mad Puffin (The Mad Puffin), Thursday, 5 May 2005 19:31 (twenty-one years ago)

WUSSROCK

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Thursday, 5 May 2005 19:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Denver wrote some timeless songs, but generally Taylor was more fun, espcially circa Mud Slide.

― 57 7th (calstars), Thursday, 5 May 2005 20:02 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.artistdirect.com/Images/Sources/AMGCOVERS/music/cover200/dre800/e837/e83749zhvt1.jpg

Well, that explains the beard.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Thursday, 5 May 2005 20:15 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.musiq.pl/zdjecia/1589.jpg

See above.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Thursday, 5 May 2005 20:23 (twenty-one years ago)

That old Wussrock thread mentioned Dan Hill. Not bad in terms of spiritual kinship, but his output doesn't approach the level of the Big Five.

― The Mad Puffin (The Mad Puffin), Thursday, 5 May 2005 20:27 (twenty-one years ago)

can we add Christopher Cross to the list?

BTW i love all this stuff

― [that bastard] jaxon (jaxon), Thursday, 5 May 2005 20:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Fogelberg's "Leader of the Band" holds a huge piece of my heart. my dad was a big fan of his and he used to play that song on guitar all the time. even though my relationship with my dad has been sometimes rocky growing up, every time i hear this song i get teary eyed

― [that bastard] jaxon (jaxon), Thursday, 5 May 2005 20:37 (twenty-one years ago)

For providing the theme to Caddyshack, Kenny Loggins wins forever.

― DougD (DougD), Thursday, 5 May 2005 21:14 (twenty-one years ago)

also, once again and again.... "ANGRY EYES" by loggins is a fucking killer song.

― [that bastard] jaxon (jaxon), Thursday, 5 May 2005 21:28 (twenty-one years ago)

i went to high school with dan fogelberg's nephew; he had bad acne.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Thursday, 5 May 2005 21:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Can't believe that out of those five I actually like Kenny "Laser" Loggins best! Dunno what it means that his three best songs (my three faves, anyways) are all themes from '80s movies of varying quality...

I share Puffin's nostalgia for some of John Denver's stuff, but don't really need to hear it. "Jet Plane" and "Country Roads" are pretty good songs. Dan Fogelberg I only know one song by. James Taylor is possibly the least interesting ex-junkie musician ever.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Thursday, 5 May 2005 23:06 (twenty-one years ago)

John Denver did the best holiday music: John Denver + the Muppets >> "Celebrate Me Home" >> James Taylor's seasonal sedatives.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Friday, 6 May 2005 00:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Browne really doesn't belong in this thread -- he wrote half the first Nico record, and all of his '70s records are significantly better than anything the other four ever did (with maybe the exception of some of the early Taylor singles).

― Jeff Wright (JeffW1858), Friday, 6 May 2005 01:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Browne is in another set altogether >>>>>> Denver & Fogelburg for writing some bootstompers early on > Taylor for writing a few good songs and performing them horribly > Loggins.

― diedre mousedropping (Dave225), Friday, 6 May 2005 10:29 (twenty-one years ago)

i'm echoing many previous sentiments but browne is streets ahead of the rest of those guys, even just for "these days" alone.

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Friday, 6 May 2005 10:31 (twenty-one years ago)

My ranking not much different from anybody else's, with Browne at the top and Taylor near the bottom.

I gained renewed appreciation for Denver through the Toots and the Maytals cover of "Country Roads" and especially Robbie Fulks's cover of "Jet Plane."

Dan Fogelberg indeed the worst, but not as bad as his namesake Dan Hill.

― Ken L (Ken L), Friday, 6 May 2005 11:25 (twenty-one years ago)

"Leader of the Band" is definitely the least objectionable of Fogelberg's oeuvre. Sappy as fuck, but in a kinda good way. But for "Longer" alone, the man deserves every bit of his present obscurity.

And I agree that Mr. Browne can be a stellar songwriter. His rootsy rawk posture is vastly more credible than Loggins's attempts to crank up the volume ("Footloose," the "Top Gun" theme, etc.).

― The Mad Puffin (The Mad Puffin), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Easily Jackson Browne. He has done several excellent album. And he beats the rest, just based upon the first two tracks on "Late For The Sky" alone.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:43 (twenty-one years ago)

"Lawyers in Love" and "Running on Empty" (which, admittedly, sounds like Broose should have sung it) rip a new one in anything by Loggins or Fogelberg.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Honorable mention goes to Kenny Loggins because of "Footloose", which was a great song.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Musically, I can see Jackson Browne having a lot in common with the others.

Artistically, putting him up against John Martyn, Nick Drake, Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell would be more fair (I am not saying he'd still win when put up against them though)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 6 May 2005 12:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Not that I'm in the habit of defending Dan Fogelburg, but "Leader of the Band" was about the shittiest thing he ever did, except for everything that followed it. His early records were more Eagles-like (Randy Meisner style), and God knows I hate the Eagles, but he banged out some pretty listenable songs, considering how awful the other (sans Jackson) artists sound.

Of course, it's been many moons since I've heard a Dan Fogelburg song.

― diedre mousedropping (Dave225), Friday, 6 May 2005 14:03 (twenty-one years ago)

six months pass...

I'm not sure Browne belongs on this list at all. His bitterness, self-doubt, and naked cynicism put him way above anything like wuss rock. The nasty 70's disillusionment with love and culture is far closer to the sentiments of Steely Dan, although far less artfully rendered. His lyrics can be treacle, but sometimes he crafts a metaphor that hits just right. See: "Late for the Sky," "The Pretender." And sometimes he just writes a great sad song, without much artifice at all. See: "Love Needs a Heart."

The first album > the second album > the third album > anything else he ever did. I like me some Jackson Browne.

― Paunchy Stratego (kenan), Sunday, 27 November 2005 23:44 (twenty years ago)

Sample lyric: "I can cry with the best, I can laugh with the rest / But I'm never sure if it's real."

I love that. It implies that the best cry and the rest laugh, first of all, and never being sure if it's real can be a pretty heavy emotion.

― Paunchy Stratego (kenan), Sunday, 27 November 2005 23:49 (twenty years ago)

I'll still take Browne, but Loggins' "Whenever I Call You Friend."

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Sunday, 27 November 2005 23:49 (twenty years ago)

WHO THE DICKENS IS DAN FOGERBURP???

― Chinchilla Volapük (Captain Sleep), Sunday, 27 November 2005 23:56 (twenty years ago)

be glad you don't know.

― Paunchy Stratego (kenan), Sunday, 27 November 2005 23:57 (twenty years ago)

i like to call jackson brown "jacked up clown"

― howell huser (chaki), Monday, 28 November 2005 00:45 (twenty years ago)

Didn't Jackson Browne beat the shit out of Daryl Hannah while he was out of his mind on coke? That should get him some credit. Or blame.

― Austin Still (Austin, Still), Monday, 28 November 2005 00:59 (twenty years ago)

In the hard light of an angry sun, no one remembers what was said or done, but I always assumed this to be true. Turns out it remains contested: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/leslienoelani/TNI.html

All we know for sure: he's giving up a lot of weight and a lot of reach in that fight.

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Monday, 28 November 2005 01:26 (twenty years ago)

Everything about that fight has been so hyperbolized and unconfirmed that I have no choice but to assume that it was just a bad divorce, none of my business, and nowhere near as serious as some people would like to make it out to be. I've heard that he punched her and broke her cheekbone, I've heard that he broke her arm -- none of this is true. So the whole incident seems to me like a big damning thing being made out of what was probably just a particularly ugly screaming match.

― Paunchy Stratego (kenan), Monday, 28 November 2005 04:19 (twenty years ago)

Also, I think Browne's cocaine use is over reported. But I guess he brought that on himself.

― Paunchy Stratego (kenan), Monday, 28 November 2005 04:20 (twenty years ago)

four years pass...

Loggins: smooth.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 22 February 2010 21:56 (sixteen years ago)

I prolly mentioned this before on ilx, but the closest I've ever come to dying was nearly drowning in kenny loggins' pool when I was in 2nd grade. it was at his kid's birthday party.

when me and my brother were getting put on an ambulance and everyone else at the party was huddled around us, kenny loggins decided to go for a hike.

― iatee, Monday, 22 February 2010 22:16 (sixteen years ago)

also dan fogelberg is secretly awesome

― iatee, Monday, 22 February 2010 22:17 (sixteen years ago)

he didn't save me from drowning or anything, he just has some good songs

― iatee, Monday, 22 February 2010 22:17 (sixteen years ago)

fogelberg and browne both hung out with that Eagles/linda ronstadt southern californina crowd...in some circles that might give them some cred... but not in my circle it dont...
I agree that Gordan Lightfoot and Jim Croce need to be in this conversation as well...hell, maybe even cat stevens and donovan...and if you are gonna throw them in, then why not Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell?

― acer, Monday, 22 February 2010 23:32 (sixteen years ago)

please explain your circle and its standards of cred please

― i know who the sockpuppet master of ilx is (velko), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 00:26 (sixteen years ago)

also dan fogelberg is secretly awesome

very secretly.

― Daniel, Esq., Tuesday, 23 February 2010 00:31 (sixteen years ago)

gg allin needs to be one of the options here. he is secretly awesome, too.

― Daniel, Esq., Tuesday, 23 February 2010 00:32 (sixteen years ago)

Jackson Browne is great. Even his strange 80s fixation on Central America yielded some killer songs. You brats better show some respect goddamnit.

― kornrulez6969, Tuesday, 23 February 2010 00:34 (sixteen years ago)

Jackson Browne wrote "Somebody's Baby" ergo he is awesome

― Wrinkles, I'll see you on the other side (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 00:35 (sixteen years ago)

Jackson Browne also wrote "Lawyers In Love" ergo he is doubly awesome.

― Daniel, Esq., Tuesday, 23 February 2010 00:38 (sixteen years ago)

And Tender is The Night from that same record.

― kornrulez6969, Tuesday, 23 February 2010 00:54 (sixteen years ago)

seven years pass...

heard this Dan Fogelberg song on the radio and it made me dislike him even more than I thought I did
what a jerk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmVXYOJzAJM

― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Wednesday, 31 January 2018 19:22 (eight years ago)

He's bizarre: a folkie with New Age and often spectral touches. His music is soothing in a creepy way.

― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 31 January 2018 19:28 (eight years ago)

Mickey Newbury can be like that. In her memoir,Stardust Memories, Susie Nelson recalls that she and Newbury were going to run away together (she was underage, he was def. not). Dad Willie and her Mom, usually at odds, prepared to meet Newbury with a six-shooter at the rendezvous point, but he didn't show (precognition?)

― dow, Wednesday, 31 January 2018 20:39 (eight years ago)

apparently this story is autobiographical
i imagine her face twisted into a grimace as she recognizes him and then spills her purse
i'm sure they both convulsed with laughter on the floor as he claims

can you imagine running into some dude you used to know, having him startle you into spilling your purse, then drinking three beers with him in your car and then he goes and spills the beans about the whole thing in a song this awful? i'd want to murder him.

― weird woman in a bar (La Lechera), Wednesday, 31 January 2018 20:46 (eight years ago)

nine months pass...

sleepless since 3 a.m., I somehow find myself thinking about Dan Fogelberg, whose name, to me, when I was a snotty "everything louder and darker" teen, was anathema. turns out, unsurprisingly, that there is considerably more to him than "Longer" (which still dislike, but I wonder if that also isn't lasting adolescent aversion to a certain strain of grown-up schmaltz). early pre-dawn explorations only allow two observations so far and these are they

1) I wonder if anybody on ilx would have been able to ID the artist listening to this outstanding bluegrass workout without knowing who it was by. The list of bluegrass luminaries on the album is bonkers & the harmonies are unsurprisingly cosmic, just gorgeous.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W365cFlw4XM

2) the cover of that album, seen in the YouTube embed, is the most striking "I don't give a fuck what you think about me, this is how I'm trying to look" picture I have ever seen

― she carries a torch. two torches, actually (Joan Crawford Loves Chachi), Friday, 23 November 2018 11:12 (seven years ago)

Fogelberg has an incredible voice

― brimstead, Friday, 23 November 2018 18:04 (seven years ago)

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