The Dreaming Fields

Matraca Berg | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 17, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2011
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Dualtone Music Group
• ASIN: B004S3ATZG
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,151 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best living country songwriter, May 17, 2011

By 

George T. Geran - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Dreaming Fields (MP3 Download)

People could honestly debate the above statement. There are many great country songwriters out there. But Matraca Berg brings a special honesty and humanity to her work that few even aspire to. Rosanne Cash has been mentioned and the comparison is apt -- the humanity, literate quality, and soulfulness of both artists' work are compelling. Ms. Berg is a star, a potential guidepost for all who care about songwriting, and Country music (by any name) that retains and honors its historic grounding. She may have only achieved fame by others having hits with her songs (and there have been many, many), but she is a heart-breakingly beautiful performer with a limited catalog of back albums, all worth owning. She is also thoroughly modern. And an excellent companion for the road. I missed her recording, I am glad she is doing it again. The best album I have heard so far this year. Take a chance. Buy it now.

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tasty new material from Matraca, May 16, 2011

By 

William Merrill "eclecticist" (San Antonio, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dreaming Fields (MP3 Download)

With Matraca Berg writing so many songs for other country artists, in recent years we haven't had as many opportunities to hear her sing her own songs. The Dreaming Fields is a nice return for her. I've seen it categorized a few places as "folk," but to my ears most of these songs still sound like country. It is country in the vein of Rosanne Cash's music or the like, singer-songwriter stuff. Listen to "Clouds" with its exquisite pedal steel work, and see if it sounds like country or folk to you. I'm going with country. One nod in the other direction, the wistful title tune, does have a traditional folk air to it.

The song lyrics to all eleven of these songs are available on the artist's web site, along with songwriting credits. I noticed that several of Matraca's peers have joined her in writing the new tunes, including Gretchen Peters, Deanna Carter and Suzy Bogguss. There's also a song co-written with actress Mary Steenburgen, "Fall Again."

Ms Berg is in good voice on The Dreaming Fields, and the backing musicians are all excellent. Among my favorite new songs are the sweet "Oh Cumberland," "Racing the Angels" (which sounds Emmylou Harris-ish, and is an instant classic), and a bluesy-funny number, "Your Husband's Cheating On Us." The whole album is good, though.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Far too long since the last album from Matraca, May 16, 2011

By 

ThomWill - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Dreaming Fields (MP3 Download)

We have waited a long, long time for a new album and Matraca did not disappoint with The Dreaming Fields. A favorite among singer-songwriters. Meaningful lyrics in a voice that is not off the cookie-cutter assembly line from which so many more commercial artists seem to come.