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Dan Fogelberg - Souvenirs Audio CD

A fair review of the Dan Fogelberg "Souvenirs" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Dan Fogelberg reviews here, or go back to the Dan Fogelberg tabs.

Dan Fogelberg Band: Dan Fogelberg
Title: Souvenirs
Rating:
Release Date: 1990-10-25
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Part of the Plan 2: Illinois 3: Changing Horses 4: Better Change 5: Souvenirs 6: Long Way 7: As the Raven Flies 8: Song from Half Mountain 9: Morning Sky 10: (Someone's Been) Telling You Stories 11: There's a Place in the World for a Gambler

Pretty music but cliched
I liked it initially but then got bored with the inane lyrics and breathless singing. I first listened to this album in college when it was first released. But the tunes were nice. I recently purchased it after reading the reviews and, unfortunately, I still find it somewhat boring. Don't get me wrong: some songs are pretty good: When the Raven Flies and Telling You Stories are fine. But most just don't stay with you. Take the opening track, Part of the Plan. Full of cliches. The lyrics sound nice but don't reach you. Same with most of the rest. There's a place in the world for a gambler has a nice sound, but again, it is difficult to feel emotionally connected to the song and the lyrics are dopey. Look at Changing Horses. "Changing horses in the middle of a stream / gets you wet and sometimes cold / Changing faces in the middle of a dream / gets you old. " Most of the songs have these types of cliches and sometimes nonsense lyrics that sound nice but don't survive and don't connect. And his singing has little emotion to it. A pretty voice, but no soul, and lyrics that can make you gag. So only two stars.
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A Timeless Masterpiece
I still remember the first time I heard it in my dorm room in Waterson Towers at Illinois State University - it totally blew me away. Souvenirs brings back so many great memories. Dan created a timeless masterpiece that has survived the years by uniquely blending rock, folk, country, classical, and bluegrass styles. Listening to Souvenirs today is just as enjoyable as it was in 1974.


(4.5 stars) SOUVENIRS IS HONEST AND NATURAL IN IT'S SIMPLICITY (Dan Fogelberg's 2nd album of finely crafted gems from the heart)
It features a photograph of Dan sitting in an antique rocking chair as he holds an eagle feather and looks directly at you. Dan Fogelberg's Souvenirs (1974) is an album that's perfectly represented by it's album cover. Simplicity can be a beautiful thing in this complicated world where things aren't always the way that they should be. It's honest and reassuring, and it connects each generation with the wisdom of the past. The music on this album is heartwarming and natural in it's simplicity, and it is also thoughtful, compassionate and as crisp and clear as the morning mountain air in Colorado where Dan lived during this time.

Dan Fogelberg was a musical master craftsman who carefully wrote and arranged intricate songs that were elegant and precise. His down-to-earth lyrics of love and life were genuinely majestic, and his mastery of the acoustic guitar was impressive. On this album he also played the electric guitar, piano, synthesizer, organ and the vibraphone.

Joe Walsh, who produced Souvenirs, played the electric guitar, 12-string guitar and sang backing vocals along with The Eagles' Glenn Frey, Randy Meisner and Don Henley (who also plays drums on the album).

Souvenirs opens with the hit single, Part Of The Plan. It's an acoustic guitar driven and philosophical song that Dan convincingly sings with sincerity and spirit.

Await your arrival
With simple survival
And one day we'll all understand. . .

Part Of The Plan is the most famous song here, but it's only just a sampling of the purity and wisdom that can be found on Souvenirs. Changing Horses, Souvenirs and Song From Half Mountain feature lovely acoustic guitar arrangements and are just gorgeous. Illinois and Better Change are country-folk/soft-rock gems with meaningful lyrics and beautiful vocal harmonies. Morning Sky works well as a contemporary bluegrass (w/ drums) number, and As The Raven Flies is a minor-key acoustic/electric guitar free-for-all and warning of evil disguised as beauty that really rocks.

There's A Place In This World For A Gambler is the album's masterpiece. The compassionate lyrics and inspiring arrangement make this gently compelling song the perfect way to close this album of "souvenirs".

There's a calm at the eye
Of every storm
There's a light in the depths
Of your darkness

Let it shine
Oh, let it shine

Dan Fogelberg, you've given us a gift we never can repay. . .

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A Great Album Deserves Better Sound
2008)or the blurb about it being a limited edition 2007 Japanese pressing. Do not be fooled by either the release date of this album (Feb. What you will get is a standard CD with the same artwork and packaging that it has always had. The mastering sounds pre-1990, claustrophobic and inauthentic. Yes, the price can't be beat and for some people that's enough. But this album deserves to be heard with modern mastering. Anyone who cares about good sound, save your money, listen to your vinyl. Sony will probably remaster this shortly.


Classic Dan
Eaglish, Joe Walshish, but ultimately Dan Fogelberg's most classic of classics. Many others rate 'The Innocent Age' as Dan's classic work, but for me this one gets the prize.


You can see a complete list of all Dan Fogelberg discography, or go back to the Dan Fogelberg tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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