Customer Reviews

I Often Dream of Trains in New York

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In 2008 Robyn Hitchcock toured Britain and America, playing his classic 1984 album,I Often Dream Of Trains, in it's entirety. On one night in New York director John Edginton filmed the show, which is presented on the DVD. Accompanying Robyn on stage for most of the show are Terry Edwards and Tim Keegan. On two songs the band is joined by Gaida Hinnawi (vocals). One of the encore songs has Amir El Saffar on the trumpet.

The film starts with an interview Robyn on a train (of course) and then moves to scenes from the rehearsal for the show, which was at Symphony Space. All of this is quickly done and really didn't seem necessary. The show opens with a version of "Sometimes I Wish I Was A Pretty Girl" playing on a cassette tape which is resting on top of a piano. Robyn enters stage-right after a minute or so, shuts the tape off and eases into Nocturne, the opener.

The rest of the concert is pure Hitchcock, including his stream of conscious stories between songs. The standouts for me was a lovely version of I Used To Say I Love You and a haunting version of Winter Love.

The one thing I found annoying was John Edgintons decision to cut into the concert at different times to show clips of the interview he did with Robyn on a train. This takes away from the flow of the concert in my opinion. I feel the interview and scenes from the rehearsal could have been easily put on the DVD in it's own section and that would have made the whole much better.

The encore consists of two new songs (I'm Falling and Up to Our Nex) from Robyn's latest CD Goodnight Oslo. (2009)

Also on the DVD is a short film called Beyond Basingstoke. It's a mix of bizarre music and stream-of-conscious narration recorded over archival footage of Robyn on a train (I think some of this footage is what made up his video I Often Dream Of Trains). I think it is Robyn doing the voices and music, so I assume he is responsible for the whole piece, for better or worse.

The CD is an audio version of the show, of course, with most of the banter between songs amputated for the sake of keeping everything on one CD I imagine. There are two changes in the tracks on the CD as compared to the film version. The song America appears on the CD in place of I'm Falling, which is in the film. Also, the last track, Goodnight I Say, is rendered in-full on the CD but is only played, in part, during the end credits of the film.

Otto

Robyn Hitchcock saved me from oblivion in the early 1980s, shortly after David Bowie had sold out to stadium pop. What can you say about an artist who is like a cross between Bob Dylan and The Gormenghast Trilogy? The first thing that stands out in any Hitchcock excursion is the quirky sense of humor, best seen here in the hilarious Freudian barbershop "Uncorrected Personality Traits." But the underside of a dark sense of humor is just plain dark: "Sometimes I Wish I Was a Pretty Girl" and "Sounds Great When You're Dead" have an edge and desperation so intense and authentic as to border on the frightening. But there is sweetness and sadness here as well, as in "Autumn Is Your Last Chance" and the instrumentals that bookend the album. This is one of finest pieces of solo work by an utterly unique artist.

This album hasn't been as revered by me as much as it has been many Hitchcock fans, but I have to say I really enjoyed the DVD and have a new apprecation of the orginal after viewing the DVD. Recommended!

Length:: 0:18 Mins

Undoubtedly the best album by the man

Peter Buck (of REM) in a recent documentary on Robyn points out that this is a great album that everyone should pick up on

Not much to add to that - I've seen Autumn is your last chance & Heartful of Leaves played live in the past - Robyn still does songs from this album live. Its still held in high esteem by his fan base. Robyn has spoken of the atmosphere that runs through the album.. very true. You get a definite vibe from songs like "Trams of old London" - theres a melancholy that runs through this from the very first track (a piano instrumental)

The video from this album (the title track) is a lot of fun - Robyn being menacing with a newspaper, sipping his tea.. Thats worth checking out too

This is Robyn's Forever Changes - it really doesn't get better than this. A VERY strong collection of songs, all the way through. And very entertaining in parts ("Sleeping knights of Jesus")

For starters, listen to Autumn, or the title track. "Uncorrected personality traits" is a hoot

Buy it buy it! and see the tour for this album later in the year (2008) - hes playing the album in its entirety. In this area (NYC) hes playing the Symphony Space in November