The Kenny Rankin Album
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Album Summary
The Kenny Rankin Album arrived in 1977 on Little David Records, and honey, it was the kind of record that made you turn down the lights and just let the music wash over you. Kenny Rankin — that cat was something else entirely — a singer-songwriter and guitarist of rare sensitivity who had been quietly earning his stripes on the New York scene for years before this gem hit the shelves. Produced with a reverence for Rankin's extraordinarily supple voice, the album found him navigating a beautifully curated set of originals and carefully chosen covers, all wrapped in arrangements that leaned into his signature blend of pop warmth, soft rock intimacy, and that unmistakable jazz-kissed phrasing that set him apart from every other singer-songwriter working in that fertile mid-seventies moment.
Reception
- The album earned Rankin appreciative notices from critics who recognized his vocal sophistication and the refined elegance of the arrangements, even as it flew somewhat under the radar of the mainstream pop charts.
- Adult contemporary and soft rock radio formats gave the album a sympathetic home, where Rankin's intimate, unhurried style resonated with listeners who appreciated craft over commercial calculation.
- Though it did not generate blockbuster sales figures, the album cemented Rankin's reputation among discerning listeners and fellow musicians as one of the most gifted vocal interpreters of his generation.
Significance
- The Kenny Rankin Album stands as a crystalline example of the sophisticated adult contemporary sound that flourished in the late 1970s, where jazz sensibility, pop melody, and singer-songwriter introspection converged into something genuinely timeless.
- Rankin's treatment of material ranging from the tender balladry of 'Here's That Rainy Day' and 'When Sunny Gets Blue' to the soulful reimagining of 'You Are So Beautiful' and 'While My GuitarEntly Weeps' demonstrated his rare gift for making every song feel like it was written expressly for his voice.
- The album occupies an important place in the continuum of 1970s vocal artistry, representing the bridge between the Great American Songbook tradition and the more personal, introspective singer-songwriter movement that defined the decade.
Tracklist
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A1 A House Of Gold 63
3:02
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A2 Here's That Rainy Day 64
2:35
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A3 Make Believe 66
2:58
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A4 On And On 183
3:26
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A5 You Are So Beautiful 91
3:42
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B1 Groovin' 91
4:10
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B2 While My Guitar Gently Weeps 86
4:42
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B3 When Sunny Gets Blue 121
2:58
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B4 I Love You 78
4:25
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B5 Through The Eye Of The Eagle —
2:40
Artist Details
Kenny Rankin was a New York City-born singer-songwriter and guitarist who emerged in the 1960s and truly blossomed through the 1970s with a silky, intimate sound that blended jazz, folk, pop, and bossa nova into something that felt like pure velvet on the ears. His voice — soft, precise, and achingly beautiful — made him a cult favorite among musicians and serious listeners who appreciated the kind of artistry that didn't need a flashy gimmick to move your soul. Rankin never quite broke through to mainstream superstardom, but his influence on sophisticated pop and his recordings like *Silver Morning* cemented his legacy as one of the most underrated vocal treasures of his generation.
