 Kenny Rogers Lately I've been thinking about late 70s/early 80s country as a great neglected period in music, a time where perhaps the superstar aspect of many performers overhadowed an appreciation of the music for what it was. Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Juice Newton, Willie Nelson … these are names so big that no one really thinks of them musically anymore. And Kenny Rogers in particular hasn't helped his case by opening a chain of chicken restaurants. But when you consider the current spate of country superstars it makes you downright nostalgic for the days when Kenny and Dolly commanded the airwaves. Kenny's Greatest Hits remains a favorite from the days when it was a mainstay on the family 8-track player (note: that was not a "funny" 8-track reference, it was a "serious" 8-track reference), and is one of those greatest hits albums that is more satisfying than the later attempts to compile the artists' best (a la also Olivia Newton-John's Greatest Hits Vol. 2). Although there have been several Kenny Rogers hits collections released since this one came out in 1980, this one remains the best possible light in which to marvel at the unlikely superstar with shiny silver clothes. Listening today, I'm reminded of the sometimes shocking subject matter of Kenny Roger's big hits, which surely went over my head when I was in third grade (at least I hope it did): there's "Ruby Don't Take Your Love to Town," in which a paralyzed Vietnam vet bitterly watches his young wife go out and screw other men, and he considers shooting her dead. Then there's "Coward of the County," wherein an unassuming man presumably kills three men who gang-raped his sweetheart. Even "The Gambler" is about a guy who dies on a train. Kenny Rogers has an unusual niche in country music, with a repertoire that mixes these soap opera tales with middle-of-the-road ballads like "Don't Fall in Love With a Dreamer," "You Decorated My Life," and the Lionel Richie-produced "Lady." Say, what's with Lionel Richie's country music fixation? Isn't this the guy that wrote "Brick House?" Anyway, Kenny's Greatest Hits is a must-have for the well-rounded CD collection. First-rate pop with a country flavor, it drives home the fact that for awhile, country wasn't country. And while the ballads can get a bit treacly, the story songs are always worth a listen in any mood. "Lucille," "Reuben James" … now that I think of it, most of them are thin rewrites of "The Gambler," but all of them are really good songs unto themselves. "Long Arm of the Law," "She Believes in Me" … I think most people would have to admit they like these songs, if God himself cornered them in the bathroom and threatened to burn them with a cigarette if they didn't tell the truth. I suppose Kenny Rogers is an acceptable alternative to Bob Seger, or a better conversation subject than Roger Whittaker. I'm sure even Kenny himself would be at a loss to explain why he's been a superstar for 30 years, maybe it was all that orange juice.
Review by Cranapple "Juice" Jones |