Dream of Life [Original recording remastered]

Patti Smith | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 18, 1996)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Arista
• ASIN: B000002VQR
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,658 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Different Patti Smith, December 4, 2001

By 

Gary F. Taylor "GFT" (Biloxi, MS USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dream of Life (Audio CD)

Smith's celebrated ferocity is more subdued here, as she explores less aurally aggressive sounds than those found in other collections. Some may disdain the result as over-produced and under-engerized, but in truth--with the single exception of the truly dismal "Where Duty Calls"--virtually every track bespeaks the artist as both poet and musician, and bespeaks her well indeed. Most of the tracks are considerably more lyrical than than one expects, and Smith clearly demonstrates that her more usual run of raw vocals are merely one aspect of a voice that here can also range into a precise and delicate tonal placement. An admirable collection of music, with "People Have The Power," "Paths That Cross," and "Up There/Down There," and "The Jackson Song" highlights of the work.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Tightly Structured, Vibrant Melodies and a Great Voice, September 14, 2000

By 

dev1 (Baltimore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dream of Life (Audio CD)

So what's new with Patti Smith's Dream Of Life? With the replacement of guitarist Lenny Kaye by Fred Sonic Smith, The Patti Smith Group is basically intact. Patti's compositions are more tightly structured, vibrant melodies are at the core of each song, and Patti's voice has never (1988) sounded more "musical." As a straight up rocker, she puts the majority of girls and guys to shame. Anyone doubting that fifty percent of the intensity of Patti's songs comes from drummer Jay Dee Daugherty needs to simply give `People Have The Power' or `Locking For You' a spin. This guy is riveting. I've been playing `Looking For You' so loud with headphones that I've made an appoint with my audiologist to see if he can repair the damage.

Patti and the band are aggressive with steamroller rockers, but she can also be a sentimental heartbreaker. `Paths That Cross' is a passionate and inspirational ballad of nostalgic love and longing. The piano, cello and harp lullaby `The Jackson Song' is a guaranteed tearjerker. My favorite is neither the heavy duty rockers nor the sentimental stuff, but `Going Under.' The song is a complex dynamic and dreamlike six minute epic. It features a solo vocal "poetry" break at the end, but no reframe - Patti's craftsmanship at its finest.

The flaw on Dream of Life is the eight minute `Where Duty Calls.' Patti attempts to make a "big statement' concerning the Muslim religion, but the song rambles aimlessly for too long. Considering that Dream Of Life weighs in at a skimpy forty-one minutes, the eight minute "sleepy" period is a considerable portion of the album. Still, Dream of Life shows Patti hasn't lost her vigor. Too bad I'm now deaf in one ear.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Last of the independents, August 13, 2000

By 

loteq (Regensburg/Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dream of Life (Audio CD)

Compared with her '70s oeuvre, "Dream of life" is certainly not Patti's most influential and artistically important album, but it shows that she can mature without losing too much of her edge. More inviting and friendly than the vast majority of Patti's prior work, the melodic folk-rock sound of "Dream of life" will appeal to both adult contemporary and alternative rock audiences. The band is led by her former husband Fred Smith (ex-MC5) who provides no real musical chemistry but a smooth, seamless blend of acoustic and electric guitar textures which recall some of R.E.M.'s '80s albums. While some of the material is a little saccharine and bland, the album's best moments stand up to Patti's classics like "Till victory". The gorgeous "People have.." has a very memorable, brilliant melody which sounds timeless. The mid-tempo songs "Up there..", "Paths that..", and "Looking for you" are also well made, only the ballads seem too calm and fail to have something really catchy. This CD is augmented by two bonus tracks, including the worthy "Wild leaves". If you don't like Patti's '70s work for its abrasiveness and scattershot quality, then "Dream of life" will prove a quite rewarding alternative.