Bread--Everything I Own (1972)

     Soft Rock for some seems an oxymoron, and perhaps it is. On the other hand, I don't think I've seen any album in more people's collection's than, "The Best of Bread". In the early 70's, Bread was the leading light of what was known as "soft rock". They didn't invent it, but along with The Carpenters, took it to a true art form. If Karen Carpenter was the queen of the genre, than David Gates was the king. Having been a producer/writer/singer since the early 60's, he had struck upon a formula that aimed for the soft hearted in all of us, and carved out a niche which brought them success . "Everything I Own" was one of my favorites, but could have put a half dozen songs here as well. For a young teenager who was painfully shy around girls, there couldn't have been better music to express the angst of a kid watching the object of his affections (there was more than one....) walk away with another guy. They're not The Beatles, but they helped me through adolescence, and for that are recipients of my gratitude.