- Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In) (The First Edition) (Based on his first hit with The First Edition in 1968, I don't think any listener could have predicted Rogers would take a different direction and score such country crossover hits as "Lady," "Love Will Turn You Around," and "You Decorated My Life." If you've never heard Rogers sing like a psychedelic album rocker, this will surprise you.)
- Kids (This sentimental Christmas tune about how the holiday makes us feel young again has grown on me over time.)
- Tell It All Brother (Kenny Rogers & The First Edition) (The idealism in these lyrics is pure 1970. Listening to it again, I wonder if Troubadours Of Divine Bliss had this song in mind, or at least in the back of their minds, when they wrote "Fortune Teller." Both songs convey comparable messages about using your powers for good instead of evil.)
- Through The Years (It's no accident that, for years, so many listeners requested this for their significant others as a Long Distance Dedication on "American Top 40.")
- What Are We Doin' In Love? (with Dottie West) (An honest description of the thornier parts of a relationship as "a mess like this.")
Saturday, March 21, 2020
In memory of Kenny Rogers
In honor of Kenny Rogers, who passed away Friday, here are five tracks I'd consider among his best:
