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Released 1971

And a big Transition it is from the psychedelic near hard rock of "Just Dropped In," produced by Mike Post in 1968, to mellow tunes by Mac Davis, Kris Kristofferson, Carole King, and Alex Harvey, among others, just three years later. Ex-New Christy Minstrels bandmate Kim Carnes contributes "Where Does Rosie Go," and the Jimmy Bowen and Kenny Rogers production is crystal clear, allowing the singer to develop the sound that would hit big six years after this release. In fact, it was six and a half years between the last hit from the First Edition, 1970's "Heed the Call," and Rogers' number one country smash, "Lucille," which opened the floodgates to 19 subsequent chart songs. What is amazing about Transition is that it is so good, yet its sound took more than half a decade to get established, more than a lifetime in the record industry. Not only was co-producer Jimmy Bowen responsible for Delaney Bramlett's Class Reunion and a Kim Carnes album, he worked with Frank Sinatra and Glen Campbell, and was the guy who oversaw many a Kenny Rogers & the First Edition hit. Side one is gospel pop, beginning with a Kenny Rogers original, "Take My Hand," with heavy religious overtones, a strong chorus, and big keyboards. It is Rogers going to church, but it's a great original, and had Aretha Franklin performed a duet with Rogers, "Take My Hand" would've been a smash. The Carole King/Toni Stern number "What Am I Going to Do" has another very strong hook, a bit more subdued, but the chorus kicks in almost as powerfully as on the first song. The one-two punch of these tunes is amazing. Alex Harvey's "All God's Lonely Children" continues this adult contemporary and gospel-oriented slant, gearing the listener up for the country-pop of side two. Rogers is in great voice for the most part, and the book he wrote, Making It in Music, published in 1978, would help explain to those interested what happened to him in between the hits. Gene Thomas' "Lay It Down" sounds like a sequel to "Tell It All," the 1970 Top 20 hit by the First Edition, but lines like "self-made hell" and Rogers' voice showing signs of wear and tear on the high notes are cause for concern. Despite that, Transition is an album of immense depth, and is the bridge between the First Edition and his solo career. It is the album that displays Kenny Rogers as a serious artist, and is worthy of a special place. If Rogers were Lou Reed, this would be the great lost album fans would go bonkers over. The country-pop that Rogers would become so famous for is totally revealed on the second side, with Kristofferson's "For the Good Times" and Mac Davis' "Poem for My Little Lady." The album is well named, and the singer gives his audience a taste of things to come. Classic stuff. ~ Joe Viglione, All Music Guide

TRACKS

1. Take My Hand
2. What Am I Gonna Do?
3. All God's Lonely Children
4. Lay It Down
5. Tulsa Turnaround
6. Poem for My Little Lady
7. For the Good Times
8. Good Lady of Toronto
9. Two Little Boys
10. Where Does Rosie Go?

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