Customer Reviews

Dreamin My Dreams

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Prime Cuts: Nobody By that Name, Everything But the Words, Never Ending Song of Love

When it comes to being a matchmaker for contemporary country and mountain-soul tradition, Patty Loveless is peerless. Following the precedence set by 2003's "Find Your Way Home," "Dreamin' My Dreams" continues to show the folks at Music Row how to be commercial without sacrificing an iota of sonic warmth. Thanks are in order to Loveless' hubby Emory Gordy and Lonestar's producer Justin Niebank for striking just the right balance. Another highlight of course is Loveless' rich, pliant and laser penetrating voice: No one can bend notes into such a bluesy snarl as this Kentucky native can. Further, when this former CMA winner croons a sad ballad, a besotted ache exudes from the speakers that sends lonely chills down the spine. Having championed for Nashville's finest songwriters, Loveless has brought big names such as Leslie Satcher, Jim Lauderdale, Richard Thompson, Tony Arata, Lee Roy Parnell, Steve Earle, Delbert McClinton to satisfy her interpretative palate. Such diversity of songwriters has certainly added a melange of color, depth and texture to the album.

Teeming with an irresistible Southern sass, Loveless struts her way through Richard Thompson's "Keep Your Distance" with confidence and dignity. Reuniting with the king of Bakersfield country Dwight Yoakam, their spirited performance on the Delaney Bramlett's classic "Never Ending Song of Love" is top notch stuff. After almost 15 years since their last duet, it's almost as if time had stood still as Yoakam's nasal twangy trollop perfectly contrasts Loveless fire-and-brimstone boldness on this evergreen declaration of love. Despite the recent lack of traffic by Loveless at the upper tier of the country charts, the Loveless/Gordy tune "Big Chance" ought to turbo Loveless back into the top slot. Like Dolly Parton's infectiously catchy "Marry Me," "Big Chance" is an old fashioned-sounding tune narrating a love-struck protagonist telling her parents of her new-found flame.

Baring her soul to the naked flame of heartbreak, the Tony Arata and Pete Wasner ballad "Nobody By That Name" joins the lofty ranks of classics such as "Find My Way Home," "Nothing But the Wheel," "You Don't Know Who I Am," as living and breathing testimonies that a broken heart can sing. The demise of romance has never been more blatant as these lines: "I can tell by lookin' at the shadows across the wall/Without pickin' up, who it is, who decided to call/It's late and you're all tore down/You woke up darlin' and found/You ran another one off and you want somebody to blame/But there's nobody here by that name." Jim Lauderdale and Leslie Satcher have crafted another winner with the "When Being Who You Are is Not Enough." Though not as stark, "When Being Who You Are," with its theme of baring the soul, equally strikes a cord in the heart. "Everything But the Words," another Satcher/Lauderdale ballad, finds a tongue-tied Loveless not knowing how to express her feelings to her sweetheart. The restrained, yet hauntingly beautiful, melody only showcases what a classic this is. Reaching into the lofty heights of spirituality is the gospel-like "When I Reach the Place I'm Going" which Loveless first recorded in 1996 for the AIDS researched project "Red, Hot and Country."

Whatever the groove, tempo or subject matter, Loveless stands head and shoulders above the crowd. Over the years, many female artists have come and gone. But after almost two and half decades, Loveless is still singing with absolute authority and there's still more under her wings. "Dreaming My Dreams" is country music that matters. And this is definitely a strong contender for album of the year.

WOW!!! Patty Loveless' "Dreamin' My Dreams" cd is AMAZING!!!!
Proves why Patty is the Queen of Traditional Country Music. Once again, she never dissapoints with her albums. Just when you thought she could not possibly get any better, after "Mountain Soul" and "On Your Way Home" she does an exquisite job with the songs on this album. There is not a single bad or filler song... Here is how I rate all the 12 songs from a 1-5 scale, 5 being best:

1) Keep Your Distance- great first single, love her humming and pure mountain vocals on this one. She does it 50 times better than Richard Thompson's original. (5 stars)

2) Old Soul- nice ballad. (5 stars)

3) When Being Who You Are Is Not Enough- I LOVE this song!!! Probably one of the album's best... Emmylou Harris on background vocals is pure ear candy.. her voice blends really well with Patty's and the song's message is great!!! (6/5 stars)

4) Nobody Here By That Name- great song about where to place the blame. (5 stars)

5) Same Kind of Crazy- this song shows the rocked out Patty, but it's a really fun song and she is the only artist that can pull it off. (4 stars)

6) Everything But the Words- great, slow ballad...written by Jim Lauderdale and Leslie Satcher!!! Need I say more. (5 stars)

7)Dreaming My Dreams- remake of a Waylon Jennings song and the title track of the cd... Once again, Patty outdoes the original. Yay! (5 stars)

8) On the Verge of Tears- I love this song!!!! A very emotional song and I love its rawness. (6 stars/5 stars)

9) Never Ending Song of Love- duet with Dwight Yoakam... really great song, just as good if not better than the Loretta Lynn/Conway Twitty version. (5 stars)

10) Big Chance- My favorite song on the album!!!! It's Up-tempo, fun and co-written by Patty. A pure bluegrass tune with banjo. Reminds me a lot of "Pretty Little Miss" from Mountain Soul. (6 stars/5 stars)

11)My Old Friend the Blues- another nice ballad. (5 stars)

12) When I Reach the Place I'm going- a great finale to the album. After this song, there are two bonues tracks which are a nice treat as well.(5 stars)

Overall, Patty Loveless' album is excellent. One of the best albums of 2005 and probably the most underrated. Definitely deserves a nomination for CMA Album of the Year in 2006. Keep the great music coming Patty.

An owner, and huge fan, of all of Patty's albums, I was excited to finally listen to her new line of work. To put it simply, Patty always connects. Her latest work does just that. I have enjoyed hearing Patty test her vocals with different sounds over the years. It never ceases to amaze me: with all she does, she hits it right everytime.

"Dreaming My Dreams" is perhaps her best work to date. I say this because with each new album Patty's vocals get stronger and more soulful. Patty is the only country woman who can sing a song of heartache ("Nobody Here By That Name")and then turn around and rock it out ("Same Kind Of Crazy") with the same soulful and poignant voice. Her work is an amalgamation of her talents. Anyone who has had the pleasure to see this Kentucky woman in concert is truly privileged.

Ahhh....this is what country music is supposed to be. I'll stay off of my soapbox about some of the garbage that passes for country music on today's radio. Patty Loveless is hands down the reigning queen of country/bluegrass. If you loved Mountain Soul, you will LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this CD.... Patty absolutely shines!

When she got to Nashville, Patty Loveless knew her dreams had come true. That's what this splendid new album is about. "Keep your distance" gets you at once in the swing of things. In the style of "Mountain Soul" or "On Your Way Home". Patty has an extraordinary, thrilling voice. The voice is emotional, strong, warm and pure enough to put you under its spell. You can't listen to "When Being Who You Are Is Not Enough" or "Nobody Here By That Name" without feeling strong emotion. "Same Kind Of Crazy" shows you that Patty can also use drums (very reasonably indeed) to add some swing to a few tracks, allowing her to widen the scope of her repertoire and talent. It's been quite a clear change of style for a few years now, but that suits her perfectly. Richard Thompson, Jim Lauderdale, Julie and Buddy Miller, Leslie Satcher, Delbert Mc Clinton, Steve Earle, Delaney Bramlett, Tom Schuyler, Gary Nicholson, Tony Arata, Pete Wasner, Lee Roy Parnell and Allen Reynolds all play a part in this new album. What a dream! For every bluegrass/folk music fan. Know your fundamentals!

FACM ( French Association of Country Music -)

As a huge fan of Patty Loveless, I am already inclined to like her music. That said, fans will not be disappointed, and those who aren't fans will be pleasantly surprised. She dives into the 12 tracks (plus a bonus snippet) and, as always, her voice carries an honesty that goes straight to the heart, as well as to matters of the heart: Listen carefully to "When Being Who You Are Is Not Enough" or "Everything But the Words." There's more to life than heartache, of course -- "Never Ending Song of Love for You" -- and, in the next track, how can you resist a song that includes the line "Girl, you're crazy as a bat, you ain't gonna marry that!"

In addition to her band, she enlisted several names you'll recognize: Lee Roy Parnell, Emmylou Harris, Dwight Yoakam and bassist Barry Bales among them. Embrace your inner twang -- you'll be singing along and tapping the steering wheel in short order.

What can I say, Patty will never disappoint you. I've never known a singer who makes you really LISTEN to every single word she's singing like Patty does. She's like a friend who comes to vistit through the speekers. I'm proud of her for hanging on to her roots, she believes in her music. Trust me, this CD will grow on you, every single time you listen to it. I liked it from the start, but I have to say that I like it more and more. That's the way it should be. Don't hesitate, do yourself a favour and get this CD.

I really didn't expect this CD to be this good but every cut is great. She covers several different style songs here and some are real gems. I especially like "Nobody Here By That Name" and her cover of Delbert McClinton's "Same Kind Of Crazy As Me". The arrangements are tight and very good musicians and backing vocals. Emmylou appears on "When Being Who You Are Is Not Enough" and is great as usual. Her duet with Dwight Yoakam on "Never Ending Song Of Love" is well done. Albert Lee plays guitar on a lot of cuts and Lee Roy Parnell plays slide on "Old Soul"

I really like this album. Patty has the definitive country voice and works magic with the songs. The sound is much the same as the last album, but it focuses on older tunes rather than newly written songs.
My only and biggest complaint is that I can't enjoy this on my mp3 player because of the built in copy protection. It's going to kill the music industry faster than pirating, since I believe most people will just stop buying albums with it. I know I won't buy any more.

I own every album Patty Loveless ever made, and listen to most of them on a regular basis. There is no bigger fan of her pure, honest, authentic music than me, and this is the CD I find myself listening to over and over and over again. It's not a theme album -- it has commercial country, mountain soul/bluegrass, southern gospel rock, a revived old country classic and alternative/folk/rock genres all in together, yet it flows beautifully and every song is a gem in its own right. I never get sick of it.
Emmy Lou Harris teams up with Patty for the heartbreakingly beautiful "When Being Who You Are is Not Enough." Emmy Lou is a perfect female duet partner for Patty, and Dwight Yoakam is the perfect male duet partner. They're back together again on "Never Ending Song of Love," Delaney & Bonnie Bramlett's great southern gospel rock song from the 1970s. Patty does "Keep Your Distance" better than writer Richard Thompson -- the more you listen to this one, the better you realize it is. She has dug up the great old chestnut - "Dreaming My Dreams With You" and done it perfectly. Beyond her great singing, Patty has always had excellent taste in songs: her rendition of Steve Earle's "My Old Friend the Blues" (THANK YOU PATTY!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DID THIS - MY PRAYERS WERE ANSWERED) gives me goosebumps every time. There's a fun bluegrass ditty "Big Chance" with fun, spot-on lyrics by Patty and Emory. Patty's forte was always barroom rockers, and it's been a while since she had a good one. "Same Kind of Crazy" by Delbert McClinton is good (not as good her best: Blame it on Your Heart; I Try to Think About Elvis; and, to a lesser degree, Halfway Down, but this one is better than many). This album shows Patty's ability to choose totally excellent songs from many different genres, and to knock them out of the park: she scores a perfect ten on nearly every one of these. Patty sings in a totally honest, heartfelt way that's one-on-one, like you're listening to your best friend's sister on the back porch with her guitar some balmy summer evening. She talks right to your soul - no flash, no showoffiness, just pure communication through a beautiful voice. If you're not familiar with Patty's work and want a good overview of what she's so good at, this album is a great place to start. If you're like me and you already know how great she is, you probably already have this one and wear it out just like I do.