Customer Reviews

Dreams

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

 

 

I bought this album on LP in early 1971, and it has proven to be an interesting document in the history of Jazz/Rock. A reflection of the open minded musical attitude that existed at the time, Dreams takes the sophisticated and more loosely structured horn charts and solos of Jazz and places them over a rock oriented rhythm section. The results are always listenable, never boring, and often surprising. All of the pieces contain musical subtleties that make this recording special. Certainly, many of the ideas expressed here were well above those expressed by Chicago and BS&T, yet the music is just as accessible.

The individual musicians were just beginning to stylistically assert themselves at the time. John Abercrombie's brief but eclectic guitar breaks (Devil Lady, for instance) are a hint of what was to come in his own later recordings on ECM, and Randy Brecker's trumpet and fleuglehorn fills embellish pieces like Holli be Home and 15 Miles To Provo very nicely. Billy Cobham shows his powerful style on the drum kit (however restrained) that caught the attention of John Mclaughlin and later led to his gig with the Mahavishnu Orchestra.

Please Note:
It has been my experience over the years that those who listen to jazz exclusively do not really enjoy this recording, but those who listen to both Rock and Jazz enjoy it immensely. Dreams was the best expression of Jazz/Rock in the pre-fusion era here in the States. (IF was doing quite well in this regard on the British end.) As such, it is a fine document of the Jazz/Rock scene circa 1970, and one that remains, after all of these years, a favorite in my collection.

this mostly live studio album was done in the early 70's. DREAMS is an inovative album by the young BRECKER BROS.(michael barely 19, randy formerly of B,S&T). It has great horn licks and catchy songs. The second side is an unbelievable, energetic drum solo by the classic BILLY COBHAM and wild, frantic sax solo by MICHAEL. This is a must have album for early horn band afficianados!!

I first heard this album in about 1970, when it first came out. I was so impressed I saw the band twice in one week at the Village Gate. Even though they did the same set list, the songs were very different with each performance.
A listener gets the same feeling when playing the album--the musicians were improvising a lot of the riffs; there's a freedom to the playing that's different from most jazz-rock bands of the early 1970s.
Michael Brecker on saxophone is nothing short of amazing on "Asset Stop." Billy Cobham on drums changed my concepts of what a drummer could do in jazz-rock.
The sound on the original LP is a little unclear as the band gets louder (a lot of it was recorded live in the studio), but the overall sound is still great.
Liner notes and credits on this CD re-issue are non-existant.

Haunting and beautiful. Its a shame that the only people who will find this gem are those who already knew it existed. Preview "The Maryanne" and "Holli Be Home", they're my favorites on this disc.

I have always loved this album and am overjoyed that it is still in print as a CD. While most of the players have Jazz backgrounds, The music is an eclection of Jazz, rock, and pop with some of the tracks harkening to folk roots as well. The pedegree of the musicians has been well documented: Randy Brecker, from Blood Sweat and Tears and his brother Michael went on with Billy Cobham to create the Brecker Brothers, Will Lee found his way to the Letterman show as The bassist for the band, John Abercrombie had a nice career in Jazz and I believe a few of the members went on to form a band called Pace Arrow.

Of the 2 Dreams albums recorded, I favor this one however the influence of Steve Cropper and the Title track to "Imagine my Surprise" make both albums worth owning.

This group epitomizes the Jazz/rock Fusion of the 60's and 70's better than any other group.

I bought the Dreams album when I was in college in the early 70's, and it was my favorite album for a long, long time. I still have 2 copies of the LP, but I've been searching for years for a copy of the CD. I finally found a listing on Amazon.com, but it is out of stock. I've searched E-Bay and other websights, with no luck. Should anyone have a copy to sell, please contact me at slimjimzim@aol.com. Thanks.

I agree with the reviewer that said it was a shame that only the people that know of this album will be aware of it (redundant I know but...). Featuring the Brecker brothers and John Abercrombie in a jazz-rock setting not unlike early Chicago or Blood, Sweat & Tears, this record is a forgotten gem; full of great jazz jams and rock sensibilities. Highly recommended to all fans of the aforementioned bands, and all others who wish to delve into early 70's jazz-rock.

I bought this album on LP when it hit the budgie bins in the early 70s, and the CD a few weeks ago.

The recording had so much promise: Randy and Mike Brecker, Billy Cobham, John Abercrombie.

Ultimately, this album was a disappointment to me. While the arrangements are interesting in spots, there are too many diffused attempts to hit pop charts with vocal pieces and insufficient solo space for either Brecker (although Mike had a couple of nice solos on the last 2 cuts). I agree that Columbia might have been trying to nudge them toward a BS&T thing, since BS&T was selling lots of records at the time.

The talent clearly compares to the fusion bands that were around then and soon thereafter, but saddling the talent with boring vocal pieces with boring vocalists and lyrics squanders it.

This album might be interesting to collectors to hear what these players sounded like before they became well-known, but I can't recommend it to anyone else.

This is one of the greatest Jazz Rock Albums of ALL time...A turning point in Jazz rock history! with the likes of Billy Cobham On Drums(argueably the greatest drummer in history), The late Barry Rogers on Trombone (who innovated Afro Cuban Jazz),The Iconic Brecker Brothers,Doug Lubahn,Eddie Vernon(Lead vocals) and Especially the super multi-talented Jeff Kent the man who wrote the album, played Keyboards..vocals..music.. words conceptualization.and went on to write Pierce Arrow and many more..is there anything this guy can't do?? A masterpiece and musical Classic.

Graham Hunter

I was very happy to find this classic on disc. I'm not a big jazz fan, but I've not anything quite like this one.