By: Jesse Striewski
Growing up a kid in the ’80s, Kenny Loggins to me was simply “the movie soundtrack guy,” as faceless in my mind as the famous “voiceover guy” for all of the big movie trailers back in the day. Of course it wasn’t until later in life I started realizing these were actual people with lives that I never gave much consideration to, with many other artists such as Loggins eventually becoming more human to me.
Reading his book I discovered even more about him than I ever expected to, perhaps even a bit more than necessary if I’m being honest (Loggins’ memoir is a tad more detailed than many others I’ve read in the past, often teetering on the brink of boredom). In fact, I nearly forgot completely that he experienced his first success prior to being a solo artist with Loggins & Messina, and had even written/co-written such classics as “Your Mama Don’t Dance” and “Danny’s Song.”
Loggins goes over every chapter of his life’s journey without missing a single note, sharing with audiences all of the highs and lows that come along with pop stardom. At times it’s a fascinating ride, while at other moments you want the point to be reached already (and on a side note, I think Loggins and I are complete opposites as far as politics are concerned, not surprising).
But I have to give thanks where it’s due; if not for hearing that opening guitar riff from “Danger Zone” the first time I saw Top Gun all those years ago, I might never have fallen in love with rock music the way I did (okay, maybe that’s a stretch, but it was a definite mind/eye-opening moment for me nonetheless). If you’ve ever felt remotely the same about Loggins’ music, you’ll likely enjoy the ride as well.
Rating: 3/5 Stars
