Of course, the album was also helped along to the top of the charts by the inclusion of the hit single "Longer", which was a number one song. Fogelberg tends to favor a very full "wall of sound" approach to his music, and sometimes tends to somewhat overproduce arrangements by having too much going on simultaneously in his works. In this case, however, the songs are clear, crisp, and simply terrific, from "Gypsy Wind" to "Last To Know" to a terrific performance of "Face The Fire", Fogelberg's personal contribution to the "No Nukes" anti-nuclear power movement. My own personal favorites here are "Face The Fire", with its intricate, amazing, and powerful electric guitar arrangement, "Along The Road", a dreamy recolelction of life on the run, and "Wishing On The Moon". This is a wonderful album, folks, and a splendid example of Mr. Fogelberg's considerable skills and talents. I highly recommend it. Enjoy.


My First Fogelberg album   April 7, 2004
James Choma
11 out of 11 found this review helpful

I remember hearing "Longer" on the radio back in the early 80's and thought, What a beautiful song! I know a lot of folks consider it a sappy song, but when you're in love, the words fit perfectly. I liked the song so much that I had to pick up the album to see what the rest was like. I wasn't disappointed.

It seems this is an album Fogelberg fans either love or hate. "Phoenix" has Dan venturing outside of his more acoustic based songs into more fully orchestrated and polished pop/country songs. For me, this musical direction is really appealing. This is one album that I can listen to from front to back without ever skipping a song. You know how music can trigger memories? For me, "Phoenix" evokes memories from warm, care free Spring nights back in my teens -- a good feeling.

After this album, I made it a point to get a hold of Dan's other albums and found him to be a highly versitile artist, exploring lots of musical styles. This album of his, though, is my favorite. Highly recommended. Enjoy!


Tried and True!   July 10, 2005
Karoly (Western WA-USA)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful

This album is a collection of the best songs Dan Fogelberg has ever written. It has been one of my favorites since first released some 20+ years ago. I bought it on vinyl when it originally came out, cassette to listen to it in the car as a teen-ager, and finally CD, as it is a must have. Fans will recognize it as being his finest work, a masterpiece, and truly timeless. Being as old as it is, it is not at all dated.


One of his best   March 22, 2008
MtnBird
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

This is one his best, after Souvenirs and Captured Angel.. Innocent Age, etc. But some of the best tracks on this album are those that didn't make the Top 40 - Gypsy Wind, Beggar's Game, Last to Know and Along The Road. All fantastic lyrics and orchestrations. One of the most underrated songwriters of our time.


The Beginning of the Affair!   August 22, 2002
Jonathan Holley (New York City)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Phoenix was the album which began what has developed into a 25 year (give or take a few) love affair between myself and Dan Fogelberg (his music that is). Longer was the first song that I heard from this collection. No matter how many times I hear it, the perfect wedding of words, music, and Dan's youthful clear voice never fail to move me. Countless times over the years, I have mentioned his name in passing to someone who responds with a blank stare of non recognition. However, when I begin to sing the tune, no one ever fails to recognize it. Additionally, songs like Along the Road, Beggers Game, and Heart Hotels help to make this a wonderfully varied tale of rebirth and renewal. An early signature touch of Dan's is reflected in his tendency to open with a brief instrumental cut (Tullamore Dew), then to move quickly into the first vocal (Phoenix). Finally, Dan frequently manages to speak his mind on current social/political issues, within the context of pretty good music. Such is the case with Face the Fire, in which protests the use of nuclear power,taking up the cause for the development of Solar power.