Customer Reviews: Read 7 more reviews...
 The road back to Avalon begins with a single step August 16, 2002
Kei Masaki (Salem, OR, USA, Earth, Sol system, Orion Arm, Milky Way)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Back to Avalon, while my favorite KL album, is a difficult one to classify. Something of a transition piece between the solid rock/pop of 1982's High Adventure and 1985's Vox Humana and the introspective, mature sound showcased in 1991's Leap of Faith, Back to Avalon was produced and released a short time before the breakup of his first marriage, and described by Kenny himself as "a tribute to one hell of a good try", which would seems to set a rather somber tone for the production. Yet, when one listens to it, the majority of the songs are relatively upbeat, some even happy. The songs on the album, for the most part, are solid pop-rock numbers - the album's big hit, "Nobody's Fool" from the Caddyshack II soundtrack, is a viable follow-up to "I'm Alright" from the first Caddyshack, and, for my money, was a far better piece of work. By far the best song on the album, however, is the title track, which is a song of the birth and zenith of a love, and its decline, and what must be done to make it flourish again. All in all, Back to Avalon is a very worthwhile purchase for any Kenny Loggins fan, or for any fan of good music.
 This is a tremendous underappreciated album by Kenny July 28, 2002
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I first received this album on vinyl when it first came out. The only two singles that received decent radio airplay were his two movie soundtrack tunes. However, the song "Back To Avalon" is a haunting, roller-coaster, beautiful tune that reveals more to the listener with each play. Isabella's Eyes is a tune written for his daughter and anyone with a daughter can relate to it's touching father's perspective. Lastly, his song dedicated to the homeless children is typical of Kenny's proactivity in the world and is another great 80's tune. If you're a Kenny Loggins fan and don't have this album, you're missing out. A must for every collection.
Classic 80's October 9, 1999
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
If you love 80's mucis, and could use a few good clean love songs, this album is for you.
Unfairly Overlooked and Greatly Underrated July 11, 2006
Lawrence Wilson (Evanston, IL)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I like Kenny Loggins.
What's more, I like "Back To Avalon."
There, I've said it.
Seriously, this album is probably one of his best albums; it's certainly one of his most maligned.
And true, by the time "Avalon" came out in 1988, people were suffering from Loggins Overload. It seemed that there wasn't a single movie made between 1983's "Footloose" and 1987's "Over The Top" that didn't have a Kenny Loggins song in it.
While it's true that "Avalon" doesn't sound all that different from "Vox Humana," which smacked of leftover "High Adventure." But that's not necessarily a bad thing. All three of these albums were highly competent works, and if they weren't ground-breaking, they all were certainly radio-friendly. In addition to "Nobody's Fool" and "Meet Me Half Way," songs like "True Confessions," "Blue On Blue," "I'm Gonna Miss You" and the title track would have made respectable chart hits if Sony had given the album half a chance.
As good as the album is, there are a few clunkers. "Tell Her" doesn't quite come together so well as it should. Nothing against guest vocalist Merry Clayton; it's just that she's overwhelmed by the intensity of the track. Something similar happens with Michael McDonald on "She's Dangerous," where his smoky voice seems out of place next to Pat Leonard's production. McDonald and Loggins have collaborated on better songs like "This Is It" and "Heart To Heart," but even a less-than-stellar collaboration is a good song by any standard.
A must for any Kenny Loggins fan.
Update your collection May 17, 2007
Teresa Meninno (Texas)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Loggins is highly underrated. Forget "Footloose," etc. He is a songwriter, and this is one of the albums that was a great piece of writing set to music. Update your collection, recall some of these radio hits, and really listen to the lyrics.
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