Enter the human, born into this world with wide eyes and a beautiful imagination. He grows up, learns to live, learns, to love, learns to laugh. Somewhere, though, he loses something. His innocence, his mystification, and his spirit have gone, replaced by the gritty realization that like isn't always fair, that not everybody loves you, that relationships end, and that you will one day die. This is the story of The Innocent Age.

Now that I've made a grandiose and cheesy entrance into my review, I'll actually start reviewing (natural thing to do, you know? I always thought it was, anyway.) I really don't listen to this album very often. It's not because of the quality- the music herein is excellent and often moving, but rather because my tastes have changed. Essentially, you have a two disc album of 80's pop rock that has every reason to be sappy, cheesy, and ridiculous, but it isn't. There's an odd heartfelt quality here, but it's hard to point out. Maybe it's the tribal feel in "Nexus", or the folk sounds of "Only The Heart May Know" and "The Reach". The song cycle is a concept album for people who hate concept albums, sort of like Pink Floyd's "The Wall", but in a different genre. You may have heard the song "Same Old Lang Syne" on the radio a long time ago. If you haven't, it's a quick favorite song about meeting up with a high-school girlfriend on Christmas Eve (true story for Dan) , and an excellent display of what the album should be but isn't, namely, cheesy. Songs like this have become a part of me. Really, the whole album has. This CD is a part of my life.

This download only contains two of the versions from the album. I was very disappointed by the re-mix of the old tunes. Much more 70's like and much less of the soulful, poetic sounding Fogelberg.

This is Dan Fogelberg at his best all the songs are at least good, and a few are exceptional. Each has such excellent, intricate arrangements and gorgeous melodies. The songs seem to me to be split between three types; ballads, of which there are aplenty, rockers (there are four), and epic sounding tracks. 'The sand and the foam' is a gorgeous example of the first, lovely acoustic guitars and melody. The three epic tracks are the best on the album. 'The reach', 'ghosts' and 'in the passage' contain mind boggling brilliant arrangements and excellent singing. They are the type of songs that are so complex, you can keep listening to them as they have multi parts. Of the rockers, 'lost in the sun' has a memorable riff and lead guitar parts, and 'empty cages' also sticks in the mind for the guitar work, the nice playout and the soft breaks in the middle of the song.
Can't criticise this, Dan must have literally been outpouring with creativity! Excellent soft rock album for anyone out there.

If you caught the PBS special on Fogelberg, you were reminded of what a great storyteller he was. Run for the Roses, Leader of the Band, Same Old Lang Syne still grab at the emotions. Great sound quality. Recommended.

This is one of my all time favorite CD's. His music is so enchanting,and the lyrics very haunting and soulful.
I could listen to him for hours and never tire of his lyrics and voice. The world has lost a master musician in Dan.