Dreaming in Romance Languages

Catie Curtis

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 16, 2004)
• Original Release Date: March 16, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Vanguard Records
• ASIN: B0001ENYA8
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #69,616 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Curtis's fifth album is her most musically engaging and her most lyrically risky; despite the sunny, acoustic backdrops, these songs are fairly dark, frequently skeptical portraits of private and public doubt. She pits the deep resilience of humans against life's equally deep violence, stares down love's deceptions, and questions the easy answers of faith, as well as the powers of her own imagination. The angels of "Deliver Me" are broken and covered in mud; the girl in "Red Light" watches a carnival town, as well as her innocence, burn. "I lost my one way ticket home, I'm at a busted telephone," Curtis sings on "Hold On," her finest breakup song, "And I got no way to show you you're not alone." In the end, Curtis's honesty and steadily maturing voice are the consolations that last. --Roy Kasten

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dark Weather, May 9, 2004

By	Lee Armstrong (Winterville, NC United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Catie Curtis' "Dreaming in Romance Languages" is an excellent collection that juxtaposes her dark lyrical images with sweet optimistic melodies. This creative tension creates some of her most interesting and affecting work to date. On the closer "Dark Weather" the lyrics "Some days the ocean's cruel, the waves, they don't suffer fools" counters with the languid rolling melody. Stephanie Winters' cello embodies deep sadness on "Doctor," "Once upon a time there was a little baby bringing light to the world." "Red Light" is one of Catie's most lighthearted breezy melodies with Julie Wolf's accordion giving a holiday feel crosscut with the lyric, "Mister fire marshal suspects the landlord of the penny arcade while all his plastic prizes and Riley's Clam Shack fall burning in the waves." Beth Nielsen Chapman helps write "Cross Over to Me" with one of Catie's lovely melodies, "I've been out there alone, you've got something I need." Jimmy Ryan who worked with Catie on her 1991 "From Years to Hours" set is back again and co-writes one of my favorite tracks, "The Trouble You Bring." The only track Catie didn't pen is Mark Sandman's "The Night" which is a dreamy track, "I hope you're waiting for me across your carpet of stars." "Hold On" is classic Curtis, "I lost my one-way ticket home; I'm at a busted telephone and I got no way to show you you're not alone." "Deliver Me" is another delight, "All the angels that I love, they don't hang out above, they come down to deliver, they deliver me." This is a strong set filled with consistently excellent songs done as only Catie's can sing them. Enjoy!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Catie keeps on getting better, April 9, 2004

By	Liz (Madison WI) - See all my reviews

All of Catie Curtis' CDs are terrific and this one is no exception. In "Dreaming's" most powerful songs the singer focuses on repairing a relationship gone wrong. As with "My Shirt Looks Good on You," several of the songs are real rock and roll--a fun departure from Catie's beautiful folk songs. The best of the best on "Dreaming in Romance Languages" is "Dark Weather"--a classic addition to the "We Can Work it Out" canon of music.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A triumph from Catie Curtis and her army of talent, January 24, 2005

By	NYC Dad (New York City) - See all my reviews

Catie blew me away with this one and producer Trina Shoemaker (known best for her work with Sheryl Crow) left her signature as well. DIRL is well written and the perfomances are a force of nature. This album really demonstrates Catie's range of talent, with equal success in both the folk and pop tracks on this album. I highly recommend it.

I also recommend that listeners find out about a documentary produced during the recording of this album. The film, "Tangled Stories", is due out later this year: www.tangledstories.com