Symphonian Dream
The initial hit off Dream was NGDB's bluegrassy remake of the Everly Brothers' classic song "All I Have To Do Is Dream". Besides solid vocals by Jeff Hanna and Jimmy Ibbotson and great work by John McEuen on banjo and mandolin, "All I Have To Do Is Dream" has Jimmie Fadden playing some excellent harmonica parts. Hanna also gets in a guitar solo at the end of the song which is awesome. The best song here, though, is "Ripplin' Waters", Ibbotson's tale of life in the Colorado mountains. Though I like NGDB's live version of "Ripplin' Waters" on their Live Two Five album better than the studio version, I think the original version of the song, with McEuen on mandolin and Hanna on lead guitar, is still great. I think Ibbotson is NGDB's best songwriter, and "Ripplin' Waters", with its vivid imagery("Blue spruce flamin' on the grate in the evening/Takes the chill away fine"), is probably his best work. Another great Ibbotson composition on Dream is the reggae number "Joshua Come Home", with guest artist Leon Russell on piano, synthesizer and percussion. John McEuen plays banjo on "Joshua Come Home", but unless you listen closely to the song, you won't recognize the banjo in it. When John's banjo is amplified on "Joshua Come Home", it sounds just like a Jamaican steel drum. That is part of NGDB's genius; not only do the individual band members play a lot of instruments well, but they find different ways of playing them. Another fun song on Dream is Hanna's Cajun rocker "Bayou Jubilee". Hanna does a spirited singing job and once again has some fine lead guitar, and McEuen's fiddle and Ibbotson's accordion make "Bayou Jubilee" a rousing number. Pop superstar Linda Ronstadt, a friend of the members of the Dirt Band, duets with Ibbotson on NGDB's upbeat version of the Hank Williams classic "Hey Good Lookin'". Fadden, who wrote NGDB's humorous songs "Fish Song" and "GloCoat Blues", contributes "Daddy Was A Sailor" to Dream. This song is still another of Fadden's fun songs. Finally, there are great instrumental songs on Dream. The bluegrass instrumentals "Raleigh-Durham Reel", "Sally Was A Goodun" and "Gotta Travel On", along with McEuen's classical medley "Classical Banjo I/Malaguena/Classical Banjo II", feature some of the Dirt Band's best picking.
I think the Dirt Band hit their high point musically with Dream. Ibbotson left to perform solo in mid-1976, almost a year after this record's original release, and NGDB's music went in more of a pop direction. The Dirt Band's change in style in the late '70s may have helped them sell more records, but in this fan's opinion, they've always been a bluegrass/country/folk-rock band, and when they went "pop", their music lost its country element. Thankfully, Ibbotson came back in '83, and the Dirt Band rediscovered their country roots, which were so prominent on Dream. I recommend that you listen to this classic album. Even if you've heard the Dirt Band before, listening to Dream will be like rediscovering an old friend.
I think the Dirt Band hit their high point musically with Dream. Ibbotson left to perform solo in mid-1976, almost a year after this record's original release, and NGDB's music went in more of a pop direction. The Dirt Band's change in style in the late '70s may have helped them sell more records, but in this fan's opinion, they've always been a bluegrass/country/folk-rock band, and when they went "pop", their music lost its country element. Thankfully, Ibbotson came back in '83, and the Dirt Band rediscovered their country roots, which were so prominent on Dream. I recommend that you listen to this classic album. Even if you've heard the Dirt Band before, listening to Dream will be like rediscovering an old friend.
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