Thursday, May 05, 2011

Reviews: Stevie Nicks "In Your Dreams "Conjures Early Stevie Nicks Magic"

4 out of 5 stars  
Stevie Nicks In Your Dreams
All Music Guide

Perhaps it’s all down to Stevie Nicks being at peace with her legacy, perhaps she was coaxed back toward the ‘70s by producer David A. Stewart, perhaps it’s the presence of Lindsey Buckingham on “Soldier’s Angel,” or perhaps it’s the fact that she excavated a 1976 song called “Secret Love” for this album, but In Your Dreams is Stevie’s first solo album to embrace the sound of Fleetwood Mac at their prime. Nicks never exactly ran away from the Mac, but her ‘80s solo hits were tempered by a steely demeanor and her subsequent solo albums strove too hard to recapture the magic that In Your Dreams conjures so easily. Despite the quite deliberate connections to her past, In Your Dreams never feels labored; the hippie folk drifts into the mystic pop, punctuated by some witchy rock that may be polished a bit too sharply by Stewart, yet he manages to keep everything warm despite its cleanliness. Stewart’s real coup is focus: he keeps everything tight and purposeful, letting each element snugly fit together so In Your Dreams winds up capturing the essence of Stevie Nicks, which -- as her previous three decades of solo albums prove -- is no easy feat.

_______________________________________________________________


Stevie Nicks, In your dream.
Sydsvenska dagbladet, Sweden
by Anders Jaderud.
grade 3/5.

The fact that Fleetwood Mac in recent years has become an increasingly frequent source of inspiration to contemporary rock band creates a good starting point for Stevie Nicks comeback.

"In Your Dreams" is the first studio album since 2001 and although Dave Stewart is a somewhat dull choice as producer, the 62-year-old singer sounds convenient in the lavish mainstream rock with some batik patterned mystery. The record certainly contains a few misguided track, as stilted ZZ Top-bogie "Ghosts Are Gone". But on the other hand, succeeds Nick make pliable California radiopop by Edgar Allan Poe's 1800's poem "Annabel Lee" and she keeps on the right side of kitsch border in "Italian Summer", a song that had had Tony Soprano to sob like a child.

Best Track: Secret Love

Swedish original text:
Att Fleetwood Mac på senare år blivit en allt flitigare inspirationskälla för samtida rockband skapar ett bra utgångsläge för Stevie Nicks comeback. ”In Your Dreams” är förs­ta studioalbumet sedan 2001 och även om Dave Stewart är ett små­trist val som producent låter den 62-åriga sångerskan bekväm i den påkostade mainstreamrocken med viss batikmönstrad mystik. Skivan innehåller visserligen ett par omdömeslösa spår, som styltiga ZZ Top-boogien ”Ghosts Are Gone”. Men å andra sidan lyckas Nicks göra följsam kalifornisk radiopop av Edgar Allan Poes 1800-talsdikt ”Annabel Lee” och hon håller sig på rätt sida kitschgränsen i schlageraktiga ”Italian Summer”, en låt som hade fått Tony Soprano att snyfta som ett barn.


Bästa spår: Secret Love


Stevie Nicks: a worthy chapter in rock history.
Borås Tidning, Sweden.
By Fredrik Söderlund.
grade 3/5.

Stevie Nicks is a survivor. In my camp, she has always been Fleetwood Mac's strongest card and her hoarse, trembling voice are still managing to touch on the deep.

In Your Dreams is the first solo album in ten years and more than half the disc has Eurythmics Dave Stewart to help with the songwriting. Unfortunately, it's were it limp significantly. The last five Stewart-tracks is much weaker than the album's first half. If we focus on the highlights instead, we find Bob Dylan-colored "For What It's Worth, " blue tongue "Soldier's Angel" along with old partner Lindsey Buckingham.

In your dreams is a bit shaky but at the same time mature and it is worthy chapter in Nicks present rock history.

Swedish original text:
Stevie Nicks är en överlevare av rang. I mitt läger har hon alltid varit Fleetwood Macs starkaste kort och hennes hesa, darrande stämma lyckas fortfarande beröra på djupet.


In your dreams är det första soloalbumet på tio år och mer än halva skivan har Eurythmics-hjärnan Dave Stewart som låtskrivarpartner. Det är dessvärre också där det haltar markant. De sista fem Stewart-spåren är betydligt svagare än albumets första hälft.  Om vi fokuserar på höjdpunkterna istället hittar vi Bob Dylan-färgade ”For what it’s worth”, bluestunga ”Soldier’s angel” tillsammans med gamla parhästen Lindsey Buckingham.

In your dreams är en lite svajigt men samtidigt vuxet och värdigt kapitel i Nicks pågående rockhistoria.

No comments:

Post a Comment