Customer Reviews

Dream A Little Dream

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Forget the history lesson of the other reviewer. If you want to hear some distinctively smart, stylish and oh so sultry singing this is your CD.

When Helen Schneider entered the music scene in the mid-70s, she was railroaded by her label into pop songs that showcased both a doe-eyed sensibility and a powerhouse wallop, often in the same song. "Until Now" was a prime example of Schneider's ability to let loose with a wail and pull back quickly to a whisper, drawing in the listener (in a manner similar to that of American Idol's Adam Lambert, who seemed to drop off some other planet to steal away the whole contest this year [2009]). After a couple albums of pop, Schneider then dabbled in rock and pre-punk, but eventually found her calling in Kurt-Weill cabaret, with occasional forays back into standards. Dream... is one of those trips. Backed by a jazz trio, Schneider whispers and purrs her way through a dozen chestnuts, many of which were done in a similarly sexy-breath fashion by the late Julie London. While this WILL induce closed-eye sways, I can't help but wonder where the power went. Schneider was a smoker when I met her in the late '70s at a business dinner regarding promo work for Deborah Heart & Lung Center. Ironic -- is that why she's now doin' Julie instead of beltin' Helen?