Customer Reviews

Dreams Are Nuthin More Than Wishes (24bt)

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

 

 

Finally, 22 years after it's initial release on LP on the now defunct Bell label, this collection makes it's debut on Japan's BMG label and it's well worth the wait and it's relatively high price sticker. This is Cassidy's third solo effort on the Bell label, home to all of the Partridge Family's recordings. This was the last LP released as a single recording for Cassidy, aside from the sadly yet unreleased "Cassidy Live" LP and his Greatest Hits. It is one of his first truly creative departures and contains some of his most soulful smokey vocals at their best. A truly mature, beautifully produced LP with a twist. The recording begins with an opening overture from the ending title "Hold On Me" which is minimalistic in music and showcases David's fine vocals and then segues into the piano pumping John Sebastian remake of the classic "Daydream" which David embraces and makes his own in an original honky tonk style.The single tune is followed by David's friend, song writer Tony Romeo's (writer of Partridge's smash "I Think I Love You")original "Sing Me" a great single release-worthy tune which was penned especially for David and was biographical in nature and lovingly rendered here. Next comes an homage to his father Jack Cassidy, the song "Bali H'ai" from the musical "South Pacific" which his father did on stage. A beautiful heartfelt redition followed by the tempo bulding sexually charged "Mae". Fittingly, next comes Cassidy's smokey version of the oft-copied "Fever" which David also makes his own. Another remake of a Partridge hit follows with Tony Romeo's "Summer days" which Cassidy already had a hit with the Partridge Family. The arrangements are different and th tempo changed but is more befitting this cleverly crafted set. Another gem here is David's version of Harry Nilsson's "The Puppy Song" one of my personal favorite's is a cutesy fun loving tune with a beautiful player piano sound in the background which adds to the daydreamer fantasy quality of the whole LP itself. The ninth selection is a remake of Terry Dempsey's "Daydreamer" a vocal masterpiece which tioghtens up the overall dreamlike quality of the selection. "Some Ol' Woman" is another fun loving sexually charged innuendo of a tome. Two of the biggest musical achievements by Cassidy are saved for the ending of the LP. Cassidy co-penned these tunes with songwriting married duo Kim Carnes and Dave Ellington. "Can't Go Home Again" and "Preying On My Mind" are two of my all time favorites by Cassidy and goes to show the true underlying talent of this artist that was long overlooked by the critics. Both are heart wretching tales of loss of love and innocence that Cassidy then felt. Two of the best from the heart of this truly talented artist. The CD wraps up with "Hold On Me" a great tune with solid meaningful lyrics. The LP has had a love/hate relationship with Cassidy fans everywhere. I t is a true departure from anything he had done to that point but in itself is a true musical achievement and in its time did not receive its proper attention it well deserves. Hopefully here,in this form as a re-release, it will receive the true acknowledgement it more than richly deserves whereas it is a undisputable milestone in this truly talented performer's career. A great CD which could make a believer out of the Cassidy detractors everywhere. A bluesy jazz oriented album for the discriminating tastes out there. Buy this CD! It's well worth the price of admission. A musical journey! Don't just listen, check out the lyrics, they are well worth your time. Rarely does an artist bare their soul so freely as this. This is David Cassidy!

"One of my best ones", wrote David Cassidy in his liner notes of the song "Can't Go Home Again" in the album. The statement could be applied to the whole "Dreams Are Nuthin' More Than Wishes..." album. For me, it is simply the best.

Cassidy gave his most brilliant performance here. More than 32 years after its original release, nearly 4 years after the announcement of re-release from Buddah; BMG's Japanese branch, BMG Funhouse, finally brought out the best Cassidy recording that Japanese man Jugo Nagisa in his liner notes would have to say, "Thank You David Cassidy (and BMG Funhouse) for (giving us) Summer Dream". He is probably speaking for all Cassidy fans.

This was the first real David Cassidy recording in the sense that it moved away from the Partridge Family sound. As a matter of fact, it could arguably be regarded as the first "Da-idy" record, pre-dated his 3 RCA releases. Gone was Wes Farrell, the Partridge Family producer. Instead, David Cassidy brought in his musician friends Kim Carnes, Dave Ellingson, Michael O'martian, Mike McDonald, etc. It would become a common practice in the next few albums. (With America's Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell, Beach Boys' Bruce Johnston, Carl Wilson, Turtles' Flo + Eddie, Richie Furay and Mick Ronson on the RCA albums and George Michael, Basia and Alan Tarney on "Romance").

David Cassidy's material selection and vocal performance was near perfect. "Preyin' on My Mind", "Hold on Me", "the Puppy Song", and "Daydreamer" were strong, while the cover of "Daydream", "Bali Ha'i" and "Fever" were charming. My personal favorites would be "Mae", "Can't Go Home Again" and the wonderful "Sing Me". "Dreams..." is the definite David Cassidy album to own. "This one is singing me", as David Cassidy would write.

The only complaint, if any, is that the Japanese offering does not contain "If I Didn't Care/Frozon Noses", the '74 singles, as bonus tracks (which Japanese prints usually do). Were that the case I'd give it a five and half stars.

All in all, this beautifully remastered cd vividly re-captured David Cassidy's capacity as a recording artist. While for all music fans it demonstrates Cassidy's caliber, for Cassidy fans it reveals that you probably can go home again. Now the cd re-releasing of two other RCA albums "Home is where the heart is / Gettin' It from the Street" (both 1976) would be the next thing which all Cassidy fans would really love to have a chance to go back again.

This album, one of David's favorites, is finally making it's debut on CD. And I'm so glad it's from Japan, as they always do a remarkable job of remastering, and this release is no exception.

I agree with the previous reviewer that "Frozen Noses" should have been included also, as for 37 minutes of music -- this is quite a hefty price tag. I see it's released by BMG/Arista, and let's hope that the next release will contain the last two Bell albums from David, Bulletin Board, and Cassidy Live together, as a twofer, as these prove to be great sellers in any genre of music.

This particular album is quite a departure for David. And many of my friends who do not like him at all, love this album. Possibly for the sole reason that there are no electric guitars, and it's an incredibly smooth listen. The single "Daydreamer" went to No. 1 in England, while it was never released in the U.S. At the time of this album's release, Bell had just about given up on marketing David Cassidy in the States, though this and Live were released as lps in this country, singles never were.

I think the remastering on this CD is terrific, especially since I've been listening to a very good lp transfer for the past five years. The stereo separation, and David' vocals have never sounded better. Also many jazz lovers love this album, just because it is not rock oriented, but rather a personal journey, with beautiful piano and backing vocals -- not to mention the tremendous songs it contains.

Here's to this album!! And let's hope that the same people who put this out will also put out his last two RCA albums on one CD, as a twofer. That would make the hefty price tag worth it to many many more than just his die hard fans!!

AND a two CD set of the PF songs that were never released on any lp would be a terrific third release. THEN we would have all, finally, on CD, as well as David's new albums. Now that we have waited so long for this single album to be available, and I notice that it's selling incredibly well, hopefully it won't be another three years to get the rest of the Bell and RCA catalog out, and -- hopefully on twofers!! People do not mind paying more for a Japanese issue, if it contains two albums, and some bonus tracks!!

Okay, a couple of reviews speak to DC as some kind of McCartney or Dylan--he wrote only TWO of the songs here and plainly admits on the album's liner notes that one of them was primarily someone's else's song so basically he wrote ONE song. Moving past that myth, (his hardcore fans are like most rabid fans in that they have a huge blind spot when it comes to their favorite singer and can't see his faults--and in DC's case, there are many) it is an essential truth that David Cassidy was blessed with one talent--singing. And as far as I am concerned, that's the end of his talent BUT what a talent it is. His voice to me has always been one that never got its due by any critic ever. That may have been due to the light weight tunes that Wes Farrel made him sing in the Partridge Family but someone should have recognized that the man's voice is like honey. His phrasing was exquisite and full of emotion (ironic for a kid who was, at least at that time, a horrendous actor)

And on this, his first departure from Wes Farrel, he even tries singing some blues and does so quite successfully. This is adult contemporary music at its very best. The tracks include a marvelous versions of John Sebastian's Daydream and the old classic Fever, which is nothing like the original. And though he's free from the restraints of Farrell, he still includes two tracks here written by partridge songsmith Tony "I Think I Love You" Romeo. Without having to endure the often annoying DOO DOO DOOO trademark partridge backing vocals, the songs are much more heart felt and less wimpy than they would have been if Farrell were allowed to puke all over them with his overproducing. (And to be fair, I must mention Farrell did produce some marvelous songs with DC and the Partridge sound but by 73 it was getting very tired.) The two best songs on the album are Romeo's Sing Me and Michael McDonald (I assume it is THAT Michael McDonald)'s Hold on Me. Both tracks need another verse as they are too short but they are hauntingly beautiful. Kudos not only to Cassidy for his sincere vocals but also to Producer Rick Jarrad's minimalist approach.

What truly amazes me about this album is that Cassidy does not really sound like the Cassidy from the Partridge Albums of the same year (Crossword Puzzle and Bulletin Board). His singing on earlier PF albums was terrific but then his ego (I think) got in the way and you can practically hear him fawning over himself in his later PF vocals. Yet on Dreams, recorded around the same time, he just FREAKING sang his ass off. I assume he felt humbled to be around such talent or just truly loved the music, but whatever the reason, I will be damned if this isn't one of the best vocal performances I have ever heard--by anyone. It's absolutely brilliant.

As for the price of this minor classic--search around and you can find it for around $25. It is worth it as it is the best album of the Partridge years (1970-73). In fact, if you want a good sampling of PF/DC music --limit yourself to this one, DC's Cherish, PF's Shopping Bag and PF's Sound Magazine. Plenty of good stuff on the other PF and DC albums (except the horrendous Crossword Puzzle) but those are the only four consistenly good albums.

A few weeks ago I was watching TV with friends, and a soda ad came on. One of them commented, "What a happy commercial!" Being a renowned smarty-pants I informed her, "Why that's David Cassidy, when he went by the alias the Partridge Family" To which she replied, "But David Cassidy is sooo white, and that guy is not." Since know-it-all people are never wrong, I proved my point by finding a clip on this web site. That inevitably led me to purchase a few albums, including this one. As you can tell by the 5 star rating, I recommend you buy this album. My words will justifiably elicit the response, "Why the hell should I believe you?" I have no defense, other than to say that this album is good enough to make me write a review, and after all, I am a know-it-all. Since there are no clips for you to hear this music you are left to rely on your own instincts in the matter. With a $40 price point you'd have to either be a risk taker or compulsive shopper to simply buy this album without sampling a few tracks. I'll leave it for you to decide which category I fall in.

Either way, I feel like I'm coming out of the musical closet by recommending this album. There is a stigma associated with the music of teen idols and rightfully so, since most can not sing.(What a surprise.) David Cassidy is the exception. This is not so much of a surprise, since soda ads are never wrong. This album is a good place for you to discover the voice behind the former teen idol. I am by no means a musical expert, but I own a few albums that have what I call a "summer breeze" effect. These albums are light, airy and curiously refreshing at the same time.(no mints included) "Dreams are Nuthin' More Than Wishes" is one of those "summer breeze" albums. The music of Israel Kamakawiwo'ole has this same affect on me.

Listening to this album and selected songs on his others Partridge era albums, I notice Cassidy can sing different styles of music and not sound the same. Apparently he can sound un-white, which is code for - he has a soulful voice. The songs in this album are suited to that voice. Sometimes performances can be ruined by bad arrangements, intrusive background singers and lousy sound quality. On one of his other Partridge albums, I found a song that made him sound like he was channeling Cher. However, this album, much like Mary Poppins, is "practically perfect in every way". The only exception is the song "Fever", which I loathe no matter who sings it. My apologizes to fan dancers and strippers everywhere.

With the recently onslaught of performers covering "classic jazz" music, I wish David Cassidy would take on the music of that era. He would do a great job on the songs of Nat King Cole, Sinatra, Tony Bennett or the music of writer Cole Porter. Please keep the arrangements simple, and lose the Vegas style scoobie-doobie effect. Only Sinatra could pull that off. It's always better to sound like an original anyway. How can I state all of the above with such conviction? Smarty-pants people are never wrong - or at least we never admit it.

I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A BIG FAN OF DAVID CASSIDY. WHAT A BUM RAP THIS GUY GOT FROM PLAYING KEITH PARTIDGE. THIS GUY HAS LOADS OF TALENT AND MOST OF THE WORLD DOESN'T EVEN KNOW IT. I BOUGHT HIS "CHERISH, AND "ROCK ME BABY" ALBUMS WAY BACK WHEN (IN THE EARLY 1970'S). I REALLY THOUGHT THEY WERE GOOD ALBUMS. A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN THE PARTRIDGE TUNES. HOWEVER, AS I GOT A LITTLE OLDER, I RETIRED MY PARTRIDGE FAMILY, AND MY DAVID CASSIDY ALBUMS. SIMPLY BECAUSE MY MUSIC INTEREST WAS CHANGING. AT 16 AND BEING A MALE IT JUST WASN'T COOL TO LIKE DC AND THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY.
AS I GOT OLDER I DECIDED TO GIVE THE MUSIC ANOTHER LISTEN AS THEY WERE RERELEASING PARTRIDGE TUNES ON CD. AND FRANKLY AS YOU GET OLDER YOU REALLY DON'T GIVE A DAMN WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF YOUR MUSICAL INTEREST. PLUS I HAD NEVER FORGOTTEN DAVID CASSIDY AND HOW MUCH I REALLY ENJOYED LISTENING TO HIS RECORDINGS, AND BEING A HUGE MUSIC COLLECTOR I HAD TO ADD THEM TO MY COLLECTION. AFTER SOME CAREFUL LISTENING I HAVE TO ADMIT THIS IS DAMN GOOD MUSIC, AND I REALLY MISSED IT! HOW DAVID COULD HAVE HATED THIS MUSIC IS BEYOND ME. ALTHOUGH, I HAVE NOTICED HE HAS RERECORDED A BUNCH OF THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY TUNES ON HIS MOST RECENT CD'S. SO, I GUESS MAYBE HE DIDN'T HATE THE TUNES AS MUCH AS HE THOUGHT HE DID. AND WHY SHOULD HE HAVE? THIS IS SOME OF DAVID'S BEST WORK. I NEVER KNEW THAT THIS ALBUM EVEN EXISTED "DREAMS ARE NOTHIN MORE THAN WISHES" FROM THE 1970'S. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN DAVID'S THIRD SOLO ALBUM. AND I THINK I LOST INTEREST BEFORE IT'S RELEASE. I WAS SCANNING THE INTERNET WHEN I FOUND THIS TITLE AND WAS NOT SURE IF I SHOULD GIVE IT A TRY. HOWEVER, I DECIDED TO CLOSE MY EYES AND CLICK ON THE ORDER BUTTON JUST TO FORCE MYSELF TO GIVE IT A LISTEN. THANK GOD I DID!!!!!!! I LOVE THIS ALBUM. IT IS ONE OF DAVID'S BEST! OLD AND NEW CAN'T COMPARE. HOW COULD I HAVE MISSED THIS ONE. IF YOU ARE A DAVID CASSIDY FAN AND YOU HAVE NEVER HEARD THIS ALBUM/CD DO YOURSELF A FAVOR DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS LITTLE GEM IT IS TRULY ONE OF DAVID'S BEST

I hated this guy when i was 13 in 1973,then i bought daydreamer which hit no 1 in uk that fall.this album i never heard untill about 10 years ago when i bought it at a boot sale on vinyl.
This is a beautiful album,very well written recorded and sung.
This shows david cassidy not as a teen idol but a true wonderfull songwriter and singer.his other album i'm just a rock n roll singer must be heard too.now i have grown up and see what the record charts offer today compaired with that time i feel so sorry for anyone who dismisses this music as old stuff.this needs a european release to bring the price down.
so but this with confidence it is a beautiful album from a wonderful singer.David you are still up there with the rest mate!

This has always been my favorite Cassidy album! I made my own CD from the vinyl album years ago... I can't wait to hear it without that vinyl noise...

This is one of those albums I can listen to over and over again. It definitely shows the most vocal talent of his albums. My favorite song is - I can't pick!!! I LOVE IT ALL!

Having been a David Cassidy fan practically from Day 1, this album in my opinion is his crown jewel. Never was so much heart and soul put into one of his albums as this one. This is the CD, I have been waiting for since the dawn of CD's began. Every track is sheer joy, every lyric touching, and his voice never sounded better. I've always been proud to be his fan, but never more so, than when this album first hit the record stores. David was always conveniently dismissed as a serious singer because of his pop status and association with The Partridge Family, but this album, even today, 33 years after it's initial release, should prove to even the most skeptical, that he was indeed a truly talented singer. Thank God someone had the good sense to finally believe enough in this album to release it on CD. Kudos to you and David!!!!!

actually, if i'm being honest, i don't remember this whole album, i was born in '72. but my sister had it, and i used to play it, i guess that would have been approaching the 80's by that time. i never knew the partridge family, and i never knew david cassidy before this, but parts of this album i adored, the tracks i remembered are... preyin' on my mind, the puppy song, daydreamer, some old woman, hold on me & can't go home again, the last of which being a personal favourite. i, like many others, travelled 100's of miles and set up home far away from my place of birth & growth, and that song just mesmerises me in thought, the words ring so true, you just can't go home again, coz it is no longer home. well done DC, 20 odd years on, and these songs still mean so much and are still amongst my most listened to. a classic, a true classic.