Bread and 70's soft rock

Post Reply New Topic

I like Bread. The band. It's a guilty pleasure and completely uncool but I really enjoy the songs. I realize there is probably nobody else who shares my interest but post something about Bread if you like them. They paved the way for the sensitive singer/songwriter movement which may or may not be a good thing. I also have a special interest in the music of Dan Fogleberg, Jim Croce (I recently visited the site where his plane crashed), and Gordon Lightfoot.

America is probably my favorite 70's soft rock group

A song people here might relate to





Liked Linda Ronstadt also for a few reasons


Unfortunately she is dealing with Parkinson's these days

I'd throw John Denver on that list, along with Carly Simon. There's a song on America's Holiday album called "Hollywood" that's a bit of perfect AC soft rock schmaltz. My favorite Dan Fogelberg tune is "As the Raven Flies" from Souvenirs, but Fogelberg sort of rode the edge of Folk/Art music, until he started having radio hits in the early 80s. Innocent Age had some nice stuff on it, but after that he was the solo act equivalent of REO Speedwagon (who were also much better before they became commercially hip). Money changes everything.

I always loved Bread and Jim Croce as a teenager, but I was listening to Deep Purple and Black Sabbath at the same time. There's more shame in limiting yourself or defining yourself by a single genre, than there is in indulging in candy for candy's sake.

You guys are making me feel much better about my love of 70's soft rock. I love America as well. Great band. Gerry Beckley (one of the founding members) has a neat blog where he posts photos of the various views out of his hotel windows. http://clickheretocancel.blogspot.com

Lonely People and Tin Man are favorites as well. I'm going to check out Hollywood. My favorite America tune is I Need You.

John Denver is definitely a favorite as well. What great songs. I haven't gotten that deep into Fogelberg but I'm intrigued now about his early stuff. Going to grab a copy of Souvenirs. I have heard Part of the Plan but need to familiarize myself with the rest of the album. I read that Joe Walsh produced it and the Eagles did a lot of backing vox.

Speaking of Sabbath, I was just listening to War Pigs.

I was sad to hear about Linda Ronstadt battling Parkinson's Disease. I had not heard that. What a voice.

As the Raven Flies is about as close as I ever heard Fogelberg come to "rockin' out" (probably Joe Walsh's influence) although the term almost seems oxymoronic when talking about Dan Fogelberg. I was first introduced to Dan's music by a couple of groupies that used to call the first radio station I worked at during high school. One was always requesting Next Time from 'Captured Angel' and the other was such an obsessive fan that she had actually tracked down Fogelberg's parents' phone number and called long distance to chat with them on a regular basis. A couple years later, I was working at a different station when the Netherlands album came out and we played several tracks off that before he and Tim Weissberg released 'Twin Sons of Different Mothers' and The Power of Gold (not the Huey Lewis tune) became a big hit. Next thing I knew, Same Old Lang Syne was a mega smash and from that point on, everything he did was very slick and commercial.

Sad about Linda, yes. Even though virtually everything she did was covers of other people's songs, she had a helluva voice. Her version of Alison is almost better than Elvis Costello's (its a total tossup IMO); same with Tumblin' Dice, Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me and Karla Bonoff's Someone to Lay Down Beside Me. And, like Carly Simon, Ronstadt was always good for a sexy album cover.

What a great job to work as a DJ! Especially in the 1970's. I recall AM slowly dying off in that decade and FM taking over. I know I'm romanticizing the past but I really miss vinyl. You must have a heck of a record collection.

One more question: Do you think Fogelberg deserves to be in the Rock Hall of Fame?