Clearly
Dan Fogelberg's most disappointing album,
Exiles was an obvious attempt at creating an edgier, more contemporary sound. It's not that
Fogelberg doesn't have a powerful rock voice or the ability to turn up the volume successfully, it's just that aside from "Lonely in Love," the songwriting here is not among his best. Even with the support of a stellar lineup, including
Bob Glaub,
Larry Klein,
Joe Lala,
Rick Marotta,
Andy Newmark, and
Timothy B. Schmit, among others, most of the music comes off as misguided at best. Oddly enough, the album's release coincided with the advent of classic rock radio, which played many of the artists who were
Fogelberg's contemporaries as well as many of his classic songs. ~ Steve Matteo