Customer Reviews

Prisoner of a Dream

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

 

 

After two decades as a side man for the likes of John Mayall and John Lee Hooker, Walter Trout finally signed a recording contract of his own. His early albums, including this one, were distributed only in Europe and not in his native America. Trout has said in interviews that he feels that he could have done a better job on them but I cannot agree with him. This album approaches perfection as an exposition of magnificent electric blues.

The CD, contains eleven tracks, including one bonus track, of the most powerful blues rock that I have ever heard. The opening track, "Prisoner of a Dream" is one of my favourite electric blues/rock songs of all time. It combines great guitar solos and a strong bass line all topped with terrific vocals and lyrics. This song really has everything that you could ask for in this type of music.

The CD continues with a mixture of styles of from the light-hearted "Victor the Cajun" to slower laments and a traditional twelve bar format in the song "False Alarm" which packs the punch of a moon rocket.

Just when you think that the CD cannot get any better you get to track eight and along comes "Say Goodbye to the Blues" which eclipses not just what came before on this CD but also almost everything else that I have ever heard.

If you like guitar music by the likes of Eric Clapton then you will love this CD it is on my list of essential rock music and it is a great introduction to the work of Walter Trout.

No he's no srv but he is walter trout.alright i'm gonna say it,the new king of the blues.lets face it,he's earned it.not only is his guitar work excellent,his vocals are unmatched in electric blues.trouts vocals are to the blues,what stevie rays guitar was to the blues-untouchable.he has that low down and dirty,nasty,sloppy,"whiskey soaked" growl to his voice naturally.its not forced or over exaggerated like some blues singers.in fact if he didn't play guitar he could be the lead vocalist in any blues or rock band.he's that good.prisoner of a dream is one of the original walter trout band cds never released in the states.it is an excellent and overlooked classic in trouts catalog.the first two songs were re-recorded and included on the livin every day cd.tracks five and eleven are remastered and included on the compilation deep trout.but there are three must have trout studio gems only found on this release.the first being false alarm,a 12 bar uptempo powerhouse track.second being girl from the north country,bob dylan may have penned it but walter owns it on this cover.danny abrams hammond b3 organ is a nice addition to trouts soulful vocals.i am still blown away everytime i play this cover.and third being maybe one of trouts best tracks,period.his stevie ray tribute song say goodbye to the blues.this track just oooozzzzez with passion and soul.he even borrows srv's playing style for this track.this track is worth the price alone.electric blues dosnt get any better than this.i dont care who it is. it was a sin not to remaster it and include it on deep trout.with all this being said i have to give this cd 5 stars.of the three walter trout band originals prisoner of a dream is the must have.the only other talent in the music biz i could even compare to walters passon and finess would be warren haynes.so check this disc out,you wont regret it!

After reading a laudatory music press blurb about Prisoner of a Dream and then reading the two reviews here, I thought I was going to hear a dose of some of the most amazing blues ever. Well, I think you'd have to really stretch the definition of "the blues" to call this a blues album. I'd prefer to call the album blues-tinged rock with a couple of straight ahead blues numbers thrown in to quiet the rabble.
Despite the fact that Prisoner of a Dream is not chiefly a blues album, there is some very good music on it indeed. Walter Trout is a fiery picker and here he delivers some rousing sounds. My favorites are the rocking title cut, some smoking blues on Sweet as a Flower, a competent rendition of the oft-covered Love In Vain, the driving rocker False Alarm, the album's crown jewel Say Goodbye To the Blues, and the sprawling Tribute To Muddy Waters. Trout's vaunted take on Bob Dylan's Girl From the North Country is nothing special and Earrings On the Table does not fit in with the spirit of the album.
Walter Trout shares a trait with Coco Montoya, another good blues picker who also played for John Mayall. That is, when they are away from the master, they tend stray from the sound that brought them critical acclaim in the first place. If you like good, solid rock and roll with a bluish foundation, then you should like Prisoner of a Dream. The CD is unfortunately provided with only a miserly insert that features a bare minimum of album information and lyrics to just two of the songs.