December 17, 2007

Home Free

I just learned this morning of the passing of Dan Fogelberg, and I got that little jolt one gets when a contemporary in age, especially an admired one, dies too young. I saw Fogelberg perform live several times in the 70's (once opening for the Eagles at Akron Civic Theater) and his stage show exhibited the same perfectionism of his studio recordings.

Having not been an instrumentalist myself, I have always had a special admiration for the rather rare talent in the rock era who writes his own music and lyrics, and who also both sings lead vocals, and plays lead guitar, as Fogelberg did. (Springsteen, Rundgren and Zappa are some others that come to mind...I'm sure I'm forgetting some obvious ones.)

The first two recordings, Home Free and Souvenirs, are musts for the Fogelberg listener, and although the critics didn't like Captured Angel as much, I had bought into the formula, and it remains a favorite for me.

I'm aware that the tug in my gut at hearing this news is partly nostalgia for the times in my life for which Fogelberg's music was the soundtrack, so the sadness seems a bit selfish, but it's hard at this stage to separate life from its accompaniment. Rest in peace, Dan Fogelberg.

Posted by dan at December 17, 2007 4:40 PM