Greatest Hits  (Audio Cassette) 
by Dan Fogelberg

Soft-rock troubadour Dan Fogelberg fills a transitory slot in the singer-songwriter food chain, a satisfying stopover for those ready to graduate from the pure schmaltz of Barry Manilow but not quite prepared to jump up to the pseudo-deep lyricism of Jackson Browne. Fogelberg's efforts to be "artistic" are overtly transparent, but equally obvious is his gift for melodic songwriting and harmonic arrangements, particularly those that stress the tender touch of his high-pitched voice. It's no surprise, then, that most of Greatest Hits is ballads, most notably "Longer," "Leader of the Band," and "Same Old Lang Syne," though he tosses in "The Power of Gold" in a failed attempt to show he can rock out, too. --Peter Blackstock