Except for two brief reunions, Loggins & Messina ended for good in 1976. In April 1977, Kenny Loggins released his Platinum-certified solo debut, Celebrate Me Home. The album had three songs of note. First was “I Believe In Love,” originally performed by Barbra Streisand in the 1976 version of “A Star Is Born.” Kenny’s cover only peaked at #66, while the album’s second single, the title track, did not chart at all. However, it did become a popular holiday staple. Finally, the album opener, “Lady Luck,” was moderately big on rock airplay.
Despite the commercial success, Ira Mayer’s review for Rolling Stone magazine gave it a lukewarm 3 out of 5 stars. While the production from Phil Ramone and Bob James received praise, the review stated that Kenny himself was trying to sing like Stevie Wonder and give the songs more “dramatic intensity” than they needed. I liked the album, but when you hear songs like “Lady Luck,” you understand exactly what Ira Mayer meant. That isn’t to say the album is bad. The songs are pleasant enough. I enjoyed “Why Do People Lie,” as well as the entirety of Side B. The title track and “Enter My Dream” are absolute gems. The gentle, jazzy cover of Eddy Arnold’s “You Don’t Know Me” that closes the album is quite nice. And if you can look past the title, “Daddy’s Home” is also really good.
To keep my review short, Celebrate Me Home is a decent album. If you like Seventies soft rock, you will probably like this.
Leave a Reply