For longtime Dan Fogelberg fans, those years between 1974 and 1981, when the enduring singer-songwriter defined what for them became "his sound" -- acoustic-based, romantic themed, "Southern California" style folk-rock emphasizing three-part, "stacked" harmony, was a magical period. Anchoring that era were a trio of albums in particular: Souvenirs, released in 1974; Captured Angel, which followed in 1975; and Fogelberg's 1981 coming of age landmark double record, The Innocent Age. Not coincidentally, it also represented the material that radio seemed to embrace most enthusiastically.

For those fans, and the new ones surely to be won this year, there is very good news to report: Dan Fogelberg has come Full Circle.

"The new album says a lot. This is pretty much where I began stylistically," the artist explains from his beloved Colorado home. The music in this record is more attuned to that period, he says. "I've been off on a lot of musical directions. I've gone down a lot of roads personally as a musician and artist. It's ironic that I found myself on my 50th birthday back where I began."

"Each time around there's something new again," he sings in the album's title track, written by the late Gene Clark of the Byrds. "If it's right," he sings, that circle "brings it back again."

This album - his first new studio effort since 1993's River of Souls - captures forever the artist at the top of his game: strong vocals and harmonies, mature lyrics, a sweet, shimmering melodic sensibility. For those fans who have been with him for many years, Full Circle does, indeed, "bring it back again."

"The whole record has that vibe. I wanted to recapture the days when CSN, the Eagles and I recorded that style of music," he explains. It is a musical tour-de-force, with Fogelberg producing and playing electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin, bass, piano, keyboards, percussion, and singing leading and background vocals, augmented by a stellar group of session musicians. His wife, Jean, a former professional singer, and bassist Kenny Passarelli, add backing vocals on two tracks, "This Heart" and the defining artistic statement, "Icarus Ascending."

"It's something (a style) they grew up with. I have a very loyal fan base, very understanding and willing to go along with these musical travelogues of mine. But I always knew they wanted to hear more of the Souvenirs and Captured Angel and Innocent Age style." He did not set out consciously to make another record in that vein. "The thing about art is it doesn't predetermine your life. It just happens."

The material on this CD developed over a long period of time. The beautiful "Once In Love," for example, was written in the early 80's, during, or just after he completed The Innocent Age, he recalls. "There's the reason is feels very similar," he explains. "In a lot of ways, this record took 15 years to make. The first notes on this CD probably were recorded in 1988. It's something that has been on the back burner while doing other projects. I've been trying to get to this record for years."

In the interim, there was the environmentally-themed The Wild Places album (1990); the live Greetings From The West (1991); River Of Souls, 1993's companion in style and theme to The Wild Places; the No Resemblance Whatsoever (1995) reunion with flautist Tim Weisberg; Portrait, the ambitious box set project in 1997; and The First Christmas Morning album in 1999, among others.

"I always felt comfortable where my musical path lead me, where it was commercially viable or not," he insists. "With this album I just came back intuitively to these musical styles as they came up in my life. I always learned that when the juices are flowing and the muses are with you, just go with it and enjoy the ride."

"I hope you can see improvement in my songwriting over the years. I hope people can see I am a more mature or better songwriter than I was when I wrote Home Free," he says. Fogelberg believes he has endured as long as he has because he comes from a very honest point of view and insists on quality songwriting. "It's what I feel deeply. If music can be translated across time and space to another listener, that's magic. I feel like a conduit or voice to this. When it can move others in a way I couldn't predict, I feel that's what art is."

He takes satisfaction in that he and people like Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and Jackson Browne, who began in the '60s and '70s, "kind of raised the bar quite a bit for pop songwriting. I think there are those of us who still hold to that high standard and try to improve ourselves as we go. This is still a very solitary and very meaningful thing to practice for singer-songwriters of the '60s and '70s."

Fogelberg emerged out of his native Peoria in 1971 when Clive Davis convinced him to join his growing Columbia Records family that included such other recent new artist signings as Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel. Working with legendary producer Norbert Putnam, he released his first album, 1972's Home Free.

The follow-up album, 1974's Souvenirs, produced by future Eagle Joe Walsh, brought commercial recognition with the bright, uptempo, "Part Of The Plan." It eventually paved the way fpr the back-to-back double platinum successes of Phoenix (1979) and the revered two-record The Innocent Age, the latter which firmly established Fogelberg commercially with the hits "Same Old Lang Syne," "Hard To Say," "Leader Of The Band" and "Run For The Roses."

Fogelberg hasn't looked back, building an impressive and varied body of work, sometimes taking the creative road less traveled, sometimes speaking directly to, and touching, the heart of the masses.

"I'm still the kid from Peoria who picked up a guitar," he reflects. "But it meant a lot to a lot of people. My music isn't just something to dance to, or background music. It's something that has actually touched a lot of lives."

...And now has come "Full Circle."