by ight years after Fleetwood Mac’s last studio album and ten years since her last solo release, Stevie Nicks is back with In Your Dreams.
Reviews of the new CD have been overwhelmingly positive, with many reviewers calling it by far her best work since 1981’s Bella Donna, considered to be Nicks’ masterpiece.
I have to admit, I was not expecting much. I was very underwhelmed when I heard the first single, “Secret Love,” which I find a little bland and lacking a catchy hook. Thankfully, the single is not a fair representation of the release as a whole, and I agree that this ranks among her best work.
Like Bella Donna, In Your Dreams explores nearly every genre of music, including country (“For What It’s Worth“), adult contemporary (“Everybody Loves You“), the blues (“You May Be The One“), Fleetwood Mac-style pop (“In Your Dreams“), and pure rock (“Ghosts Are Gone“). One of Stevie’s strengths is her performance on duets, and highlights of the new album include a pairing with Lindsey Buckingham (“Soldier’s Angel,” dedicated to our injured and fallen soldiers) and one with Eurythmic’s Dave Stewart (“Cheaper Than Free“).
The best track on the album is “Italian Summer,” an emotional ode to “romance lost” that builds to a climax of dramatic strings and lonely guitars (and be sure to listen for Stevie’s final note as the song ends….WOW).
Stewart, who also produced In Your Dreams, seems to have captured the essence of Stevie’s poetry better than any of her producers since Jimmy Iovine, and as a result the release is very consistent and avoids the middle-of-the-record drag Nicks has sometimes suffered from.
At 62, the woman often called the “queen of rock and roll” still sounds great (AND, her photo on the front cover makes her look about 20, I might add!). In Your Dreams won’t burn up the charts dominated by Justin Bieber and American Idol castoffs, but after the throwaway pop is long forgotten, talent, poetry, and quality classic rock will prove to have a much longer shelf life.
Just like Stevie, apparently.
(A p.s. from me….I have to recant…I just saw In Your Dreams debuted at #6 on the Billboard charts, so a few people over the age of 12 must still be buying new music, after all!
OMG… it’s what fans say everywhere and well… it just couldn’t have been said much better….
“At 62, the woman often called the “queen of rock and roll” still sounds great (AND, her photo on the front cover makes her look about 20, I might add!). In Your Dreams won’t burn up the charts dominated by Justin Bieber and American Idol castoffs, but after the throwaway pop is long forgotten, talent, poetry, and quality classic rock will prove to have a much longer shelf life.
Just like Stevie, apparently.”
It’s true, the album has something for everyone and for some it has everything. It’s solid and you’re right when you say, it isn’t “throw away pop” (I call it candy). Who said it has to come out of the mouth of a 17 yr old, be painted with war paint, wearing plastic, have cleavage or size 2 (yay Adele!!) to be worthy. That thought is just a crime against all who are passionate about music
Thanks Fred! .
Thanks! I appreciate you taking the time to read and respond to my blog…and I was pleasantly surprised to find it debut in the Top 10; things like that reinforce my belief in the music industry JUST a little bit. I still think, for the most part, it’s stupid and NOT about the music. Thanks again!
Thank you so much for a great review. I love Stevie and just love her new album. You said everything that I was thinking and put it to words!!!!
You are welcome, Joan…thanks for reading my blog!
so true fred… this is definitely more stevie music that will withstand the test of time, as she has… i think her songs are timeless, unlike the forgettable garbage i hear with no emotion or meaning… im a forever fan of the queen of rock n roll, stevie… nicks
Thanks for taking the time to respond Barry…I appreciate it!