The Birds, The Bees, and Kenny Rogers

If you’re too timid to explain the facts of life to your kids then perhaps you should just let them listen to this album from beginning to end. It’s got everything including drinking, smoking, gambling, adultery, rape, teenage pregnancy, unfulfilled potential, broken dreams, and the awful truth life is tough- and only gets tougher until you die (in your sleep, with any luck). Not long after this album's release my family and I embarked on a holiday road trip from New York to Florida- and back- and Kenny Rogers' Greatest Hits was the only tape we had in the car. Each of us enjoyed the songs in his or her own way and even though I was only a little boy at the time “Every Time Two Fools Collide” got to me; “Reuben James” thrilled me; and “Coward of the County” became my story.

Years later I was living in Bulgaria and was surprised to learn that during the Cold War Kenny Rogers’ Greatest Hits was nearly as popular behind the Iron Curtain as it had been in the United States. Each song on Greatest Hits spins a tale about what it feels like to be alive- and Rogers is a gifted storyteller who understands human desire. With stellar production, superb track sequencing, and strong duets with Kim Carnes and Dottie West, and yes, “Lady” (written by Lionel Richie), this classic collection is probably the only Kenny Rogers album you’ll ever need. Consider bringing it with you on your next family road trip- your kids may thank you one day. Grade: B+

Listen to songs from the album on Spotify...