Dan Fogelberg (1977) Nether Lands LOST 70s GEMS

In honour of this being the 40th anniversary of his magnus opus the Nether lands album and the fact I'm currently in the Netherlands and have been discovering this album this year it's fitting to tackle the title track. While some may see it along with False Faces for its bloated string section it creates unique atmosphere


There are trumpets, horns and war drums alongside the strings for a majestic quality with a strong regal or medieval connotation. This gives the album it's own audio stamp separate from his other releases.
Divorced from any yacht rock, folk or soul parameters the song starts with an ornate arrangement of pleasant springtime flute and strings easing us in with a little piano line.


The lyrics are simple but powerful as all Dan yearns for are the simple things like 'a lover' and 'some friends' but at the same time craves to 'do something I never have done'. It climaxes in a realisation that there are two paths your can go by in the long run, one risky and one safe, and the risky route is always the hardest but most rewarding too.


The key musical cue is the crashing drums that occur among a flurry of strings followed by the scurrying slash of violas; an immaculate if indulgent stroke of Disney-esque beauty and grandeur. After this album he could go no further his peak had been reached 'out in the Nether lands'