Kenny Rogers Album: “Water & Bridges”

Description :

Personnel: Kenny Rogers (vocals); Bryan Sutton (acoustic guitar); Dann Huff, Tom Bukovac (electric guitar); Russ Pahl (steel guitar); Bruce Dukov, Darius Campo, Susan Chatman (violin); Carole Mukogawa, Karen Elaine Bakunin, Matt Funes (viola); Paula Hochhalter, Suzie Katayama, Dan Smith (cello); John Jarvis (piano); Michael Rhodes (bass instrument); Matt Chamberlain (drums); Eric Darken (percussion); Perry Coleman (background vocals). <p>Kenny Rogers may be the grand old man of country pop, but in the mid-1990s, he fell off the mainstream/major-label radar. He didn't stop making music, but his records didn't make the same big footprint anymore. Newly signed to Capitol, his "comeback" bid, WATER & BRIDGES, is a tasteful, mature outing. Full of wistful longing, it finds a 68-year-old Rogers in contemplative mode, inhabiting characters that look back on their bittersweet pasts with a mixture of regret and sanguinity. <p>There are no good-time romps a la "The Gambler," and no "Islands in the Stream"-like mega-pop productions, but WATER & BRIDGES is still a far cry from the starkness of Johnny Cash's latter-day outings. Those who've been enchanted in the past by Rogers's mellow, Nashville-meets-L.A. ballad style will find firm footing here. At the same time, the depth of the emotional content, and the obvious seriousness with which Rogers approached the making of the record, may endear him to those who dismissed his best-known songs as pop trifles. Not a reinvention, then, but a firm step forward, surprisingly late in the game, for this veteran balladeer.

One needs a box of tissues the first time this album is listened to. Anyone who is a baby boomer coming of age, will relate to most of these songs & it will stir emotions thought to have been put away a long time ago.

I loved it.....

I wonder if ole Fredrick White from Canada feels stupid when he reads the rest of these reviews out of 14 now 15 only one reviewer that does not love this CD. Sorry Fred you are all off the mark obviously you don't know country music. This CD is fabulous and not only that but its by one of the Greats of Country Music--which means its an honor its even out there for you to buy!!! Way to go Kenny, another big hit!

I got free tickets to a Kenny Rogers concert and forgotten how good he is. His voice sounds the same today as it did forty years ago. He sang some songs from his new album, and they sounded great. I went out and bought the album the next day.

Kenny Rogers has the ability to pick songs with lyrics that matter and does a great job of intrepreting them. The album is well worth the money and unlike a lot of albums I've bought recently, I would buy it again and recommend it wholeheartedly