Unlike most nostalgia-driven compilations,
Once Upon a Song is free of the filler that has bogged down like-minded discs through the years. Focusing in on story-songs from the 1970s, a number of the best ones are here. Launched with what may be the ultimate example of said,
Don McLean's timeless "American Pie," the tunes here veer from confessional (
Janis Ian's "At Seventeen") to bawdy (
Three Dog Night's "Mama Told Me (Not to Come)"). If anything,
Once Upon a Song displays what a unique time it was for music. "America"'s heroin ode "A Horse With No Name,"
Johnny Cash's "A Boy Named Sue" and
Gladys Knight's "Midnight Train to Georgia" all exemplify the diversity and ingenuity of Top 40 radio at the time. In today's segmented airwaves,
Once Upon a Song is a reminder of what we've lost, but luckily these sure-bet singles can still be treasured in one sitting. ~ John D. Luerssen