Music Review: Kenny Rankin - Mind-Dusters, Family, Like A Seed, Silver Morning, Inside, and The Kenny Rankin Album

Last year, the music world lost a truly gifted singer/songwriter: Kenny Rankin. He possessed a singular voice, skill at playing acoustic guitar, and a knack for writing meaningful lyrics. To celebrate his life, Sly Dog Records has reissued Rankin's first six albums, some long out of print: Mind-Dusters, Family, Like A Seed, Silver Morning, Inside, and the Kenny Rankin Album. Fans of Rankin will marvel at listening to his talent develop over the course of these CDs, and jazz and pop enthusiasts should be converted to his unique sound after hearing his early work.

None other than Johnny Carson wrote the liner notes for Rankin's 1967 debut, Mind-Dusters. Other than that distinction, the album mostly hints at the talent to come. A definite product of its time, Mind-Dusters includes covers of Bob Dylan ("Mr. Tambourine Man") and Gordon Lightfoot ("Song for A Winter's Night"). In addition, it features typical late-60s folk songs such as "Come Away Melinda," which paints an ideal picture of young love "before the war." A highlight is Rankin's composition, "Peaceful," later a hit for Helen Reddy in 1973. Rankin's ethereal voice soars over the chorus, with words that describe a state with "No one bending over my shoulder/Nobody breathing in my ear." While sounding somewhat dated, Mind-Dusters still shows a talented singer and guitarist just embarking on an impressive career.

His second album, Family (1970), follows along the same lines as his debut, but Rankin's artistic growth begins to emerge. He had a gift for not simply covering songs; he would transform them and make them his own. "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" gets a full jazz makeover, with Rankin displaying his scatting skills. On this album he began his tradition of covering Beatles songs, and immediately establishes himself as a premier interpreter of the catalog. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (later revisited on the Kenny Rankin Album) gains emotional power from his tender voice, and the lyrical beauty of "Dear Prudence" shines through in his delicate version. A handful of Rankin compositions are included on this album, most notably the pretty "Soft Guitar," where he could easily be referring to his own superlative playing skills.

Article Author: Kit O'Toole

Kit O'Toole is a lifelong music enthusiast who maintains a music blog, Listen to the Band. In addition, she is the internet columnist and a contributing editor for Beatlefan magazine. She also holds an Ed.D. in Instructional Technology.

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