So what is soft rock after all? Is it the music strictly defined by some definitions that place its origins back in the late sixties tie it primarily to Southern California ("L.A. sound") and is mostly done by singer-songwriters or bands that created subtle, gentle sounds, often dominated by acoustic instruments and orchestration?
Or is it something that they later on started calling adult contemporary (with the adult being the keyword there), and even yacht rock - music that along with rock elements included quite a bit of pop, soul, and lighter shades of jazz?
Well, frankly it is probably all of those things and a sound that is tied in its origins to big names in modern music from The Beatles and Bee Gees to Elton John, The Carpenters and The Eagles, and many others. The key element, of course, is the softer side of sounds, but with a distinct substance that doesn’t turn a song into musical wallpaper.
Five soft rock albums you should not be ashamed to listen to
So many great artists have touched upon it, or worked within that sound, along with the above-mentioned. The list includes Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers, Carole King and so many more, creating so many great and well-known songs and albums within the genre.
Yet, there is quite a number of albums that fall within soft rock (or pop if you will), that have been forgotten, never got the acclaim they deserved, or need to get a more favorable assessment. Here are five of my personal soft rock favorites that should get more love.
Joni Mitchell - For The Roses
When this album came out in 1972 it signaled changes in Mitchell’s music. Her previous four albums got an excellent reception, particularly among the lovers of the folk and singer-songwriter genres that were forming at the time.
While it was awaited with anticipation at the time, the gentle and elegant introduction of jazz elements into Mitchell’s music on this album got a somewhat cold shoulder reception, both among the critics and it still doesn’t get a very high ranking among her wide-spanning output. The only song from the album that seemed to resonate with the listeners was the uptempo “You Turn Me on I’m a Radio.”
Yet, it turns out to be a very strong album that actually set some stylistic parameters for not only Mitchell, but other artists that went on to pursue the softer side of rock and other genres.
All the new elements are introduced with both elegance and care like on “Barangrill” with songs connecting the music here to Mitchell’s previous work (the introductory “Banquet” or “Lesson in Survival”) smoothing the transition. Even today, this album has quite a timeless aura that gives it a right to be reconsidered.
David Crosby - If I Could Only Remember My Name
Crosby’s solo work seems to be always overshadowed by the one he did with The Byrds, Crosby Stills and Nash, and Crosby Still Nash and Young, even with the albums that lagged a bit in the output of these bands. At the time when this album was released back in 1971, it actually got quite a lot of flak, particularly from the critics, and its real re-assessment has only begun recently.
Crosby’s solo debut included quite a wide group of his colleagues and stars, from Neil Young and Graham Nash to Jerry Garcia and other members of The Grateful Dead as well as Crosby’s good pals from Jefferson Airplane.
It turns out that the album caught Crosby at the moment of creative fire he was in when he wrote his material for CSNY. These tracks include the elongated “Cowboy Movie” equalling the excellence of “Deja Vu” with the rest of the album, particularly the introductory “Music Is Love” and soothingly gentle “Laughing” leading the way.
The 2021 reissue of the album with the inclusion of additional material started the much-deserved re-evaluation of this excellent album. Everybody should actually remember the name of the late legend.
Eric Andersen - Blue River
The early seventies seem to be some sort of the golden age for soft rock and singer-songwriters, and it should have been for Eric Andersen, who has been making a name for himself since his folky days in the mid-sixties. Actually, Andersen still quietly makes some outstanding music to this day.
In many ways, Andersen is to this day considered one of the key predecessors of more successful singer-songwriters. Even his brilliant albums like this one, however, never got as wide a reception as they should have.
The introductory “Is It Really Love At All” (with Joni Mitchell on backing vocals) is an absolute soft rock classic and a hard one to follow, as is the more rocking “Pearl’s Goodtime Blues” that follows. But, Andersen’s songwriting and vocals are on absolute high throughout the album, deserving all the great support he gets here, not only from Mitchell but also from the likes of David Bromberg and The Jordanairers, among others.
A complete rediscovery (and reissue) of this album (as well as Andersen’s output in general) is not only well deserved but quite needed too.
Michael Franks - Time Together
Back in the eighties, when soft rock and adult contemporary became something of alternative terms, Michael Franks and his jazzed-up version of soft rock/pop were all the rage, and Franks was often at the top of, well, adult contemporary charts. But, then, as yuppie became something of a derogatory term and Franks was labeled as the yuppie theme music, he slowly went into shadows, even though he kept on recording to this day.
So what happened to Franks’ music in the meantime? It just remained as silk and jazzy-smooth as it ever was, never losing any of its quality or his signature half-hushed voice, as evidenced on this subtle gem from 2011.
Here Franks presents a sort of a summer travelogue - going from his front porch lawn to New York, French Riviera, Egypt and back throughout with his signature take on Brazilian sounds and subtle rhythms.
As is always the case with Franks’ records, the backing and arrangements are impeccable, touching exactly at that crossing point between pop, soft rock, and jazz he was always so good at. Time Together is a togetherness album at its high point.
Faye Webster - I Know I’m Funny haha
Webster's third album (2021) is a perfect example of what soft rock does (and possibly should) sound today. Even with her two previous albums (her self-titled debut and Atlanta Millionaires Club), the Atlanta singer-songwriter presented herself as a fully-formed artist with an excellent sense of melody.
She knew exactly how to envelop her quiet melodies in tasteful arrangements, picking up musical elements from anywhere - indie rock, folk, country R&B - you name it. Very often, she combines an R&B melody with a country-tinged backing that in her version sounds like a hand in a (silk) glove.
At the same time, her lyrics exemplify exactly what the title of this album says - she is surely funny, with quite a touch of irony in there to boot. Even the fact that she started her recording career with an Atlanta hip-hop label adds to that.
Yet, even with all the critical acclaim she got so far, Webster her enchanting music on this album seems to be still in the shadows of a wider audience she definitely deserves, particularly with this late-night delight.