Every Moment Has A Song

Dan Fogelberg: “Hurtwood Alley” (1978)

How is it that you can hear the outdoors in Dan Fogelberg’s music? How do certain musicians conjure a sense of the place, the scenery that moves them, in a song with no words? Whatever the secret, it’s a sign of true musical artistry.

Fogelberg always had a gift for evoking scenic outdoor vistas and the soul’s interiors all at once. His 1978 Twin Sons of Different Mothers album, recorded with flautist Tim Weisberg, had a little of everything: songs that showcased Dan’s oft-overlooked guitar prowess (on electric or classical acoustic), jazzy flute instrumentals, tasteful covers (of the Hollies and Judy Collins)…oh, and Dan’s highest-charting hit up until that time (“The Power of Gold”).

“Hurtwood Alley” is the type of song we heard now and then in the ’70’s, but rarely now–a structured instrumental written in the same pattern as a vocal song, with chorus- and bridge-like sections, as opposed to a “jam” or anything blues-based. People like Elton John (“Funeral For a Friend”) and Jeff Lynne (“Fire On High”) made such songs lead tracks on platinum and gold-selling LP’s.

See also: https://edcyphers.com/2013/09/19/songs-you-may-have-missed-476/

See also: https://edcyphers.com/2012/05/10/recommended-albums-17/