AMG Review of Outside: From the Redwoods

William Ruhlmann
All Music Guide

On his second live album, Kenny Loggins puts together a special show consisting of rearranged versions of old favorites like "What A Fool Believes" (complete with co-author Michael McDonald on vocals) and "Your Mama Don't Dance." It's Loggins' version of an "unplugged" performance (despite a substantial backup band), and as such, a turning away from the technology-happy days of albums like Back To Avalon (which, by the way, is forgotten in a catalog promotion in the CD booklet), without quite returning to the more homegrown quality of early albums like Celebrate Me Home. The real question in Loggins' career is what will happen with his next set of new material, but as a placeholder, this release should be welcomed by his fans, who may find even "Footloose" tolerable in a barrelhouse piano arrangement.