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.

mikephxaz · #5 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 · #6 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.

Artemis · #7 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 · #8 05-14-2011, 04:03 PM

I think the length of it is fine.

markolas · #9 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 · #10 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.

bluefox4000 · #11 05-14-2011, 05:13 PM

For me the album starts with FWIW.....and Ends with Italian summer. And I also chop off Everybody Loves You. Long Albums i usually edit. this album was an exception. Now that i've absorbed it......it's no exception.

Mick

jrpjr · #12 05-14-2011, 06:02 PM

i would remove, and i did:

"soldiers angel"...beautiful lyrics...respect it VERY much..just fall asleep b4 its over.

"ghosts are gone"...sounds like "fall from grace"...but less interesting.

"cheaper than free"...as someone said above.."Italian summer is a PERFECT closer for this record..so MAYBE not remove it..just put it somewhere else.

"secret love"..dont hate it..but i have yet to "like it".this one i would keep if i have "my heart" on it...MUST have at least 10 songs.

saintvox · #13 05-14-2011, 06:49 PM

I love Secret Love.

I wouldn't edit any tracks, although You May Be The One is boring and I've yet to listen to it as much as the other tracks. Cheaper Than Free is nice, but it's out of sequence to me.

TrueFaith77 · #14 05-14-2011, 07:09 PM

In defense of "Ghosts Are Gone": nothing generic here. If the first half is like an actually enjoyable version of "Rock and Roll", the second half takes off into the stratosphere. I wanted to give Stevie a copy of Morrissey's Years of Refusal, which feels to me like what punk must have felt to its audience in the 70s, when she was telling the press she wanted to make political music. I needn't. Morrissey would salute--and jealously covet--the sound of "Ghosts Are Gone."

As for the album being too long. I think so. But I recently decided that the only thing "too much" about it is the inclusion of "Cheaper than Free." It should have remained the highlight of Dave's album rather than the lowlight of IYD. Otherwise, I've decided it's perfect.

flickersticked · #15 05-14-2011, 07:55 PM

I think it's fascinating how so many people love songs other people can't stand

Secret Love has finally grown on me but I skip New Orleans, Soldier's Angel and Cheaper than Free every time. I think You May Be the One is perfection. I think it's pretty cool how much even us hardcore Stevie fans vary in our opinions.