132. Megan Mayhew Bergman Discusses The Audacity of Kenny Loggins

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This week’s episode isn’t about an album, but rather about a particular artist’s legacy. Author and professor Megan Mayhew Bergman makes her return to YMAAA (she had been the show’s guest on Ep 93) to make the case for reexamining the career of Kenny Loggins. Megan also argues that Loggins’ musical career has been marked by audacious decisions, including choices made regarding his arrangements, lyrics, collaborations and music videos. She and Al explore the theme of audacity through a discussion of several of Loggins’ better-known songs that span the various eras of his career.

Al made note of Megan’s recent piece in The Atlantic on this summer’s flooding in Vermont. You can read it here (subscription required): https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2023/07/climate-change-safe-states-vermont-floods/674780/

1:14 Megan joins the show

1:24 Why are Megan and Al talking about Kenny Loggins?

2:27 Megan and Al put their Kenny Loggins game faces on for this episode

3:47 Megan recounts the moment when she realized Loggins needed a deeper examination

Song-by-song analysis

6:31 Danny’s Song

9:38 Whenever I Call You “Friend”

13:15 Was Loggins a trend-setter or trend-follower?

17:16 Celebrate Me Home

22:34 This Is It/What A Fool Believes, and a discussion of “yacht rock” and “blue-eyed soul”

31:06 I’m Alright

34:26 Don’t Fight It

35:47 Heart to Heart

38:16 Megan reveals another aspect of Kenny Loggins’ audacity

40:54 Footloose/I’m Free

42:41 Danger Zone

49:07 Meet Me Half Way

52:17 Conviction of the Heart

54:16 We’ve lost track of how much of pop music’s foundation Loggins is responsible for

59:04 Megan updates us on her latest projects

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