Customer Reviews

Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I read Amazon reviews all the time but very rarley put anything to print. However, this album is so amazing that it deserves my valuable time. Someone said the first "side" is as good as anything from the 80's. It's as good a side as anything, anytime and don't forget that beautiful little closing track that is just so perfect. Throughout the album the guitars just bristle with a beautifully fresh sound and the melodies are unforgettable after a few listens.

No one will ever top Little Feat's output from '73 to '76 but this album comes close. Indispensable is a bit over-the-top...but this album is.

As some other reviewers have mentioned, this album is a lost gem of the 1980s music scene. Simply put, it is an awesome debut album from one of the better bands of the 80s. The first three songs are great (and probably the better known ones), and will have you singing along with them after a few listens.

The rest of the album is also very strong, and shows the broad range of musical talent that the band possessed even from the beginning. I have owned this album since it came out, and still enjoy listening to it.

I highly recommend this album to any BoDeans fan who does not own it. This album is where it all started. If you have never heard of the band and are looking for a starting point, this is it. You will enjoy it if you like well written, guitar driven songs. If you like early REM, give them album a listen, I think you will enjoy it.

This record originally came out in 1986, produced by T-Bone Burnett and part of what I called then (and still call) the Great '80s Roots Rock Revival. In many ways still the best BoDeans record, with immediate, simple, instantly engaging songs and bracing playing and youthful enthusiasm. This is one of those records that you can only make as your first record.

If anything, time has been kind to L&H&S&D. This reissue sounds absolutely great-- this album has not sounded this great since it was on vinyl, and an A/B comparison with my earlier CD release revealed this pressing to be fuller and punchier warmer and more immediate; since my turntable is in storage I couldn't compare to the vinyl, but this is the way the record is meant to be heard.

The bonus tracks are OK; "Try and Try" is a fun song, essentially a Buddy Holly rave-up with Every harmonies; the rest sort of confirm that the best songs made it onto the record in the first place. It would have been nice to hear some of the demos for the songs that actually got released; how did "Angels" sound in Kurt's bedroom? And I haven't even watched the DVD yet.

But no matter; this is a great record, in hindsight I'd say a high water mark for the decade, and this version sounds brilliant.

I did not discover this album until my final year of college (1994). I lost my original tape, so when I went online to purchase the CD, I was shocked to learn that it was released in 1986. The songs on this album could easily be released today and still sound like current music. This CD goes everywhere with me: the office, at home, in the car.

This review is not focused on the songs per se, as this 1986 release is well-known by music fans. Instead, here are some thoughts on the re-mastering and the extra disc of a 1985 concert.

When I received the item, I pulled out my earlier version on the Reprise/Warner label. Then I set up my stereo system, with all settings on `flat' (i.e. no boosting of high ends, etc.), using a high-end amplifier, CD player and a pair of older JBL professional studio monitors, designed to provide an uncolored sound in the recording studio.

I positioned myself in the `sweet spot' between my speakers, and put on the older version. I listened to the first two songs in their entirety, making sure to pay very close attention to the sounds...the separation of instruments, bass response, high ends and vocal colorings. I actually kept my eyes closed most of the time in order to better focus on the range of sound. I then sampled about 30 seconds of several other tunes. Afterwards, I put on this re-mastered version, returning to the same listening spot, careful not to change any setting on my receiver.

When I pressed `play', I was almost knocked to the ground, the sound was so much better. The music leaped out of the speakers at a much higher volume (even though the volume level had not been changed). The comparison in separation and overall clarity was stunning. While it seems almost clichéd these days, I literally could hear instrumentation in this version that was simply not discernable in the Reprise label version, especially in quieter passages. The improvement in sound quality alone justifies buying this new version. As another reviewer noted, the bonus tracks are good but nothing outstanding was omitted from the original album selections (`Janey' being among the best added tracks).

A few evenings later, I settled in to play the bonus DVD. And man, was it good! Recorded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in July of 1985 (the year before this first album was released), it was great to hear this early concert by these four skinny rockers (I doubt if all four of them together would weigh more than 400 lbs. in those days). Consisting of 17 songs, many of which ended up on the album, this was a rousing concert from start to finish. And unlike `Live at the Pabst', this was one continuous concert, with no irritating fade-outs between songs. Sammy Llanas' voice seemed to be slightly higher pitched than today (I think his voice is actually better now than then), and he was very energetic and animated during this show, frequently jumping on top of amps and playing. The other band members (with original drummer Guy Hoffman) showed just how talented they were, even at that young age. Kurt Neumann demonstrated his impressive guitar chops, although he just got better and better as time went on.

One bit of trivia I discovered watching the concert was a banner hanging over the top of the stage with the name `DaBoDeans' emblazoned on it. Apparently, that was what they called themselves in the beginning. Dropping `Da' was probably a good move.

Any BoDeans fan, indeed, any fan of great roots-rock music would do well to pick up this superb re-mastered version of a classic album. Big thumbs up!

Back in 1985/86, Slash Records seemed to be on the brink of starting a whole new American Breed of Rockers. They had new albums and new bands from Los Lobos to The Blasters to The Bodeans. They all got sort of lumped into the 'new wave' category, but there was something more going on here. "Love and Hope and Sex and Dreams" was one of the best embodiments of this group of bands, and reissue, almost 25 years after the fact, shows why.

The Bodeans were young and enthusiastic kids who wanted to make their own sound. Being from Wisconsin, they has no burning desire to be trendy or fashionable, just to make music that felt like escape to them. With the first thrilling notes of "She's A Runaway" and the rocking theme of breakout the song offers, it's an instant classic that should have slotted in comfortably next to the Springsteen or Mellencamp hits of the day. T-Bone Burnette heard the truth inside the songs and the vocal magic Kurt Neumann and Sam Llanas made, and hauled them away to Los Angeles to make this album. "Love and Hope and Sex and Dreams" is a missing link of an album, the chain the runs between The Everly Brothers and The Rolling Stones (from whom the album nicked its title).

The remaster sounds incredible. The BoDeans were still fresh and excited, with T-Bone at the top of his early production game. "Rickshaw Riding" has sudden space in its slowbreathing sound. "Looking for Me Somewhere" sounds like Johnny Cash passed on it to hand it over to these youngsters. And the bonus track "Turn Your Radio On" makes you wonder why this Chuck Berry-ish rocker got left behind.

The there's the DVD, a homecoming of sorts with a live Minneapolis concert from 1985. Again, there's this brash enthusiasm that only a hungry young band could muster, and it's great fun to watch. It's east to see why (if you believe Kurt's liner notes) the T-Bone urged the suits at Warners to sing The Bodeans because "they're gonna be bigger than The Beatles." It includes songs that never made it to the studio albums done in front of a hometown audience, excited that their local heroes just might be the next big thing. "Love and Hope and Sex and Dreams" captures that desire, and this re-issue - from the good folks at Rhino - makes you scratch your head as to why it didn't happen.

I have been a long time fan of the boys and try to see them in concert as much as I can, but NY isn't on their tour list often (a giant shame!). They are the ultimate live band, and they themselves said they really only wanted to make music and play it for the fans. Not big studio guys. This album is so honest, raw, and touching, as well as tons of fun, that you can have a wide range of experiences as you listen to it. There is a lot of love, loss, and a lot of things in between. For people new to their music, go back here, go back to the beginning, and enjoy the youth, but with a startling maturity about them. Vocally, no one has it on Kurt and Sammy. Alone or together, they just nail it every time. They are unique and so genuine, it's impossible not to love them from the very start.

I have listened to all of the Bodeans releases and I have to say none of them have surpassed the quality of their first one (a few of them come close such as "Outside Looking In"). Almost every song on "Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams" is a catchy tune that is still fresh today as it was nearly 15 years ago. I still can play this CD over and over and not get tired of it. The only one weak track is "Rickshaw Riding" with its cheesy lyrics (Will you be my mama-san?). I'm willing to overlook that minor flaw, which would only cost them less than a half point. Why can't these guys get the respect they deserve?

This is the first album of the rock band BoDeans and is a great introduction to the group. Although the vocal style of Sam Llanas takes a little getting used to, the raw power of the performance and the quality of the song writing makes the transition seemless. This and the next two albums released makes up the bulk of the Best of... with each of the two subsequent garnering 5 Stars each. Subsequent albums, however, try too hard from a stylistic and production standpoint never really capturing the sheer simplicity and musicality of these first three records. If you want a taste of timeless, roots rock with a bunch of good times thrown in, get the first three BoDeans albums. These guys rock. And, oh yes, by all means see these guys live.

If you don't own a Bodeans album, you're nuts. this starts the band off in america with a bang. first release and every major publication in america raved about this brand new band. heartfelt and powerful, it's beautiful lyrics and straightforward style of guitar work brings nearly perfect songs in 4 minute formats.