Is In Your Dreams too long?

dontlookdown · #1 05-14-2011, 03:50 PM

So many reviews are saying this album is Stevie's best in 30 years. And I think they might be right.
But I went back to Bella Donna and remembered that it's only 10 songs long.

If a few of the weaker tracks had been left off of In Your Dreams, it would have been a really solid record from start to finish.

I burned a copy leaving off:

Secret Love (i remember loving the demo in the 70's but it doesn't hold up next to the much stronger tracks on the album).
Moonlight (sounds like something you'd hear on Grey's Anatomy. Starts off bland and goes nowhere).
Ghosts Are Gone (Generic arena rock - sounds like too many other mediocre songs - like an Eagles reject.
She's covered this ground before and it's just boring.)
Cheaper Than Free (The album ends so strong with Italian Summer. This one sounds like two aging drunk rock starts who stayed too late at the party. Too sappy for me).

If you take those off and play the record from start to finish, there's not a weak link in the bunch.

RickRobert · #2 05-14-2011, 03:53 PM

No
te53535n

**mylittledemon** · #3 05-14-2011, 03:53 PM

I feel just the opposite from you... I'd lose New Orleans... and Wide Sargasso Sea... and put MY HEART back on there as a mainstay

dontlookdown · #4 05-14-2011, 03:55 PM

Funny how subjective songs are.
I love New Orleans - I think it's one of her best songwriting efforts in a long time.
And Wide Sargasso Sea is great - reminds me so much of something from Don Henley's first solo album.

Is My Heart anywhere on the internet?
Curious what it sounds like now that I know Mike Campbell wrote it.
For What It's Worth is my favorite track on the album.

Artemis · #5 05-14-2011, 04:00 PM

I'd leave off Cheaper Than Free (Despite really really really loving the song, it has no place on Stevie's album as well as Dave's).

Also, I do not like the new version of My Heart. At all. I'm so glad it's a bonus track. I much prefer the TISL outtake.

Apart from that though, the album is perfect. I love how long it is, because it's so varied. She's sequenced it really well; whilst TISL drags in the middle, IYD goes through nicely. I just wish she'd called the album after FWIW.

sara1998 · #6 05-14-2011, 04:03 PM

I think the length of it is fine.

markolas · #7 05-14-2011, 04:52 PM

Bella Donna only had 10 songs because that was about all that would fit on an LP. I don't think there are any weak tracks on the album. The only thing that makes me cringe is that intro on Everybody Loves You, but I wouldn't leave any tracks off the album, and I think the length is fine.

WildHearted · #8 05-14-2011, 05:03 PM

I would definitely leave off CTF. That's the one song that I honestly never listen to... subconsciously for some reason I feel like the album ends after Italian Summer so I always stop there.

mikephxaz · #9 05-14-2011, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dontlookdown

So many reviews are saying this album is Stevie's best in 30 years. And I think they might be right.
But I went back to Bella Donna and remembered that it's only 10 songs long.

If a few of the weaker tracks had been left off of In Your Dreams, it would have been a really solid record from start to finish.

I burned a copy leaving off:

Secret Love (i remember loving the demo in the 70's but it doesn't hold up next to the much stronger tracks on the album).
Moonlight (sounds like something you'd hear on Grey's Anatomy. Starts off bland and goes nowhere).
Ghosts Are Gone (Generic arena rock - sounds like too many other mediocre songs - like an Eagles reject.
She's covered this ground before and it's just boring.)
Cheaper Than Free (The album ends so strong with Italian Summer. This one sounds like two aging drunk rock starts who stayed too late at the party. Too sappy for me).

If you take those off and play the record from start to finish, there's not a weak link in the bunch.

Everybody Love You & Cheaper than Free shouldn't have made the cd and "My Heart" should have been between GAG and YCBTO

Tango · #10 05-14-2011, 03:58 PM

My cd of Tusk holds 20 songs.

I'm not going to complain about too many songs . . . I think if a radio station ever played any cuts from her new album they would just cut them off before the end.

chriskisn · #11 05-14-2011, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dontlookdown

Cheaper Than Free (The album ends so strong with Italian Summer. This one sounds like two aging drunk rock starts who stayed too late at the party. Too sappy for me).

I'd go as far as to say that it is the worst song of Stevie's career but then someone will go and mention 'the forgotten chimpanzee'

TerraRhiannon · #12 05-14-2011, 08:48 PM

No. I would never take any of the songs off, they are all beautiful.. there is almost nothing I don't like about this album. I would keep it as it is.

WildHearted · #13 05-14-2011, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chriskisn

I'd go as far as to say that it is the worst song of Stevie's career but then someone will go and mention 'the forgotten chimpanzee'

Yes, but we can blame the Klonopin for that one...

There's no excuse for Cheaper Than Free.

Jondalar · #14 05-14-2011, 08:54 PM

Cheaper than free is a good song. It's amazing to me that some people are making fun of the lyrics and hold up alot of dribble from the past.

But I like some kind of TIME/LIFE edition,
Tradition, competition...
Being the only thing that I really have to remember
The great singers and the great players

Lay off the Jack!

TrueFaith77 · #15 05-14-2011, 09:01 PM

I like Cheaper than Free, even though I do believe it is flawed. My only problem is that I feel that it was conceived for the Dave album and that that makes it seem out of place, but maybe it's because I'm bringing "insider" knowledge to my experience.

Meanwhile, I tried to cut the album down to 10 songs and it didn't work. It needs the first 12 tracks. So when I read about people making playlists out of the album, I feel like I second chili's request that the album have been issued as one long track. Also, I can't start this album without finishing it.