Of the two albums Dan Fogelberg and Tim Weisberg collaborated on, the first, 1978’s Twin Sons of Different Mothers was the most successful owing to the blockbuster hit “The Power Of Gold.” But I give the nod to their second try, No Resemblance Whatsoever, released in 1995, as the most successful musically.
Both musicians had, obviously, matured – a lot of experience can happen in 17 years – but more than that, they had a more cohesive understanding of what they were trying to create with No Resemblance.
A three-song instrumental set opens the disc, with the memory of “County Clare” the opener, all but disappearing upon the opening notes of the solidly better and humorously titled “Forever Jung.” This spry tune would have been a better first tune, but it’s hard to quibble song order on a disc that is this enjoyable. The third song, “Todos Santos,” continues the pleasant Sunday-morning-after-church-before-nap vibe and leads well into the first vocal.
It should be noted that all of the songs (with two exceptions) are Fogelberg compositions and thus, even the instrumentals are familiar-sounding fare. Two of the vocals, including the first one, “Sunlight,” and “Songbird,” a mid-tempo “Power Of Gold,” are Jesse Colin Young tunes.
The shoulda-been, coulda-been hit on this disc was the typical Fogelberg-record song, “The Face Of Love,” but the best vocal appears on the engaging, yet haunting “Is This Magic,” which was composed in the shadow of Antonio Carlos Jobim. In the song, two lovers meet in a dance with nature that opens up possibilities. Lines like “Is it the voice of the whispering sea / Or is it the way we’re dancing / Is it the way that the moon / Hits your eyes / Or is it magic” perfectly capture the tingle of excitement/jangle of doubt that underscores those first moments with one who might be “the one.”
Few people even knew this was released in 1995 when it was. I didn’t discover it myself until five years later, quite by accident, but it is well worth seeking out. If you own Twin Sons, then you’ll want this, too, and you may find a Sunday afternoon use for them also.
