Customer Reviews

I Can Dream About You

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

 

 

This album, much like its creator, seems to have slipped through the cracks when the music medium went from cassette tape to CD. Dan's death in 1994 certainly didn't help. In life he was a dynamo in the music industry and very well loved. I consider this CD testimony to the quality of his writing and production. It has long been in my top five albums, containing four of my absolute all-time favorite songs.

If time is a test of quality music, Dan's vision for this album remains vital. The instrumentation, much done via synth, absolutely sparkles through headphones. For one dubbed by some as the "untility infielder" of the music industry (apparently because he helped so many others achieve fame far surpassing his own), this album to me borders on genius.

Almost everyone knows "I Can Dream About You," and for good reason. It's a top quality hit song that helped carry the movie, "Streets of Fire." But the gems are "Power of a Good Love," "The Name of the Game," and "Shy Hearts." When my tape copy wore out I was sick. Finally I found a CD mastered from a cassette, and was happy to pay a premium to have it shipped from Europe. "Power of a Good Love" remains the number one played song on my iPod and has pulled far ahead of the rest.

This is not a CD of guitar power chords. The sound is predominantly synthesizer, layered not unlike a symphony. Small parts come and go, just at the right time, and in the right amount. Dan's instincts with these are uncanny. And yet it is distinctly pop-rock, featuring a balance of fun grooves and thought-provoking lyrics. It even features one of earliest rapped verses to be offered, in the finale, "Electricity."

There are very few albums which I consider to be done this well, start to finish. While no CD is for everyone, if you like melodic rock and want to experience what a master musician and producer can do given a synthesizer and a studio, and possibly find a song or two that will remain in your top ten list for all of time, give it a listen.

Talented as he was, Dan Hartman was a creator for the rough tunes. Working with several big names in the music, he also wrote some very good tunes for himslef also. This album was the "harder" side of Hall & Oates, up tempo and down tempo songs which only Dan Hartman could do it. Beeing a fan of Dan Hartman for a long time, this album was his best...no doubt. The songs gets you, and they takes you away in its passion. Dan Hartman was an honest artist and you can hear that in his songs. Just listen to..."i can dream about you"...."we are the young"...."shy hearts".

This album also gave Dan Hartman the opportunity to work and write for many big names......i understand that very well after this great album.

This album is for the ones that like the combination of pop, rock and soul..........and it is good..check it out.

Today I like remember a friend, a big musician that is not more between us, but his music stays in the time like if pits here, and then he has played bass on Fair Warning of ToddRundgren. I have told all.

Lino Terlati