Dan Fogelberg makes familiar, predictable music -- on a surprisingly high technical level -- that goes down as easily as a cheeseburger and fries. It's about as memorable too, even though he has a distinct fondness for strained lyrics ("I saw her first in a beggar's game/ Her eyes were wild but her laugh was tame...") and even though his synthesizer work often reaches virtuoso heights. The best song here is the title track, but even that sounds like something you might have heard ten or twelve years ago (and enjoyed very much then). Y'know, like that really great cheeseburger you had in a little joint in... well, you can't remember exactly where, but you do remember that you liked it. As cheeseburgers go.

- Peter Reilly, Stereo Review, 4/80.

Bonus Reviews!

Fogelberg is known for his elegant, classical guitar-influenced folk/rock songs and this set of 10 tunes doesn't disappoint. He can rock with feeling, and does so on "Wishing On The Moon," "Phoenix" and "Face The Fire," but the slower compositions work best. Jerry Hey's flugelhorn, Gail Levant's harp and Tom Scott's saxophone add graceful touches. This is the kind of music which can be played throughout the day. Fogelberg has a loyal following and last year's duet with Tim Weisberg increased it. Best cuts: "Longer," "Heart Hotels," "The Last To Know," "Face The Fire," "Gypsy Wind."

- Billboard, 1979.

Fogelberg's highest-charting album (#3) features his widest stylistic stretches, between the ultra-sentimental acoustic hit "Longer," to extended rockish numbers like "Face the Fire," "Wishing on the Moon," and the title cut. * * * *

- Rick Clark, The All-Music Guide to Rock, 1995.

This is "the way a heart would sound if it could sing," confess fans who feel this vastly underrated talent's wimpy, yet hefty sixth album is the one where he "shed his 1970s roots and honed his songwriting." Sure, the pop hit "Longer" has been mandatory listening at weddings since, but it's the lesser-known tracks that stand out. Still, a few find it doesn't rise to the level of his best work. * * * *

- Zagat Survey Music Guide - 1,000 Top Albums of All Time, 2003.

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