David Foster’s Eleven Words worth listening to

MANILA, Philippines — There is a writing exercise that I find very helpful when I find myself afflicted with writer’s block. It is a simple process. Just take any word and then write something about it. It can be just another word or a sentence. On really good days, that word can give you a full-blown essay or a short story and you are off writing again.

I do not think David Foster was suffering from writer’s block that day when he thought of taking some words. He probably just felt like it. He took 11 letters and wrote something about each of them. And because he is David Foster, pop music legend of this generation, what emerged from those 11 letters that he turned into 11 words were 11 melodies.

The result of that exercise is Foster’s latest album. Released early last month, it is titled Eleven Words and the title of every cut was inspired by the letters found in the phrase eleven words. These are Everlasting, Love, Eternity, Victorious, Elegant, Nobility, Wonderment, Orbiting, Romance, Dreams and Serenity. And again, because it is by Foster, every letter of the title Eleven Words has just the right melody to go with it.

Foster is a famous music figure, who has sold hundreds of millions of records and who has won 16 Grammy Awards including Producer of the Year a few times. He is also a lot of other things. Bear with me as I itemize who he is in this long list. A piano player since he was four years old, he later became a pianist, session musician, singer, recording artist, band member, songwriter, arranger, producer, film scorer, programmer, record industry executive, reality show judge, concert artist, philanthropist and there must be more.

If you want to get personal or somewhat gossipy about it, one of Foster’s former wives was Linda Thompson, beauty queen and songwriter, who was Elvis Presley’s girlfriend, and who was married to Caitlyn Jenner when Caitlyn was still Bruce Jenner. Foster was also stepfather to the famous models Gigi and Bella Hadid when he was married to Yolanda Hadid. He is now married to American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee who is more than 30 years his junior.

The sound of the music of Foster though is what people are most familiar with. I believe that not a day goes by in most parts of the world without Foster songs being heard. The music he created, whether as a producer, arranger, songwriter or singer can literally fill the soundtrack of our lives.

Barbra Streisand, Somewhere; Natalie Cole, Unforgettable; Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion, The Prayer; Chaka Khan, Through the Fire; Kenny Loggins, Forever; Peter Cetera, The Glory of Love; Earth, Wind & Fire, After the Love Has Gone; Josh Groban, You’re Still You; Michael Buble, When I Fall in Love; Air Supply, I Can Wait Forever; Neil Sedaka, The Hungry Years; Amy Grant, Grown-up Christmas List; Michael Jackson, Smile; All 4 One, I Swear; Celine Dion, Because You Loved Me; James Ingram, Whatever We Imagine; and so many more.

Given the massive success enjoyed by these mostly soaring ornately arranged recordings, I am not at all surprised that even many of his admirers have forgotten what a gifted melodist Foster is. Remember the sweet and gut-wrenching Love Theme from the 1985 movie St. Elmo’s Fire? That was Foster’s. It still brings on the goosebumps. And that melody was what I remembered when I listened to Eleven Words. Foster still has the gift.

Foster performs the entire album solo on the piano, with some bits of strings here and there. It is simple but powerful, a healing piece of tranquility in this uncertain world. Love is the first single and it is truly lovely. I am so glad that Foster has returned to the basics, the piano and melody. Eleven Words is like a gem, small but brilliant, cut with such precision that it dazzles more than the big, gaudy rocks. That is just the way I like it.