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Avg: 4.0 (32 ratings)
- Date Released: April 27, 2004
- Genre: Country/Folk
- Style: Honky Tonk, Traditional Country
- Label: KOCH Records
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We Say...
A year after he nearly fatally overdosed following the death of his fiancee in 2000, Dale Watson released the understandably mournful Every Song I Write Is for You. Yet its proper follow-up, Dreamland (a rambunctious live album and a Christmas set preceded it), lightens Watson's heavy heart with an assortment of toe-tappers and love songs that maintain Watson's outspoken, career-long commitment to hardcore honky-tonk.
The production by Asleep at the Wheel's Ray Benson showcases Watson's musical range and vocal command across a musical terrain that extends from the breezy swing of "California Wine" (reminiscent of early Merle Haggard) to the romantic reverie of "Dreamland" to the bluegrass tinge of "Pretty Girls" and "Fox on the Run." Best of all is "I Don't Rock No Cradle," a testament to fidelity amid the temptations of the night. Though "I Wish You'd Come Around" and "She Don't Care" show that the Lone Star singer is no stranger to the lovelorn ballad, the boot-scooting "Way Down Texas Way" and the barroom anthem "Honky Tonkers Don't Cry" remind that good times can triumph over bad memories — which, for the star-crossed Watson, really says something. -
They Say...
A natural-born honky tonk genius who's had the poor fortune of being born in the wrong decade, Dale Watson is the closest thing to Merle Haggard country music has produced since the late '70s, and his rough-hewn cry-in-your-beer style is as sincere as the day is long. For his seventh studio album, Watson has teamed up with another Texan with a fondness for country & western's noble past, Ray Benson of Asleep at the Wheel, and though Dreamland sounds a bit more polished than Watson's best work, Benson certainly understands Watson's approach, and they make a pretty good team for these sessions. If there's a flaw in Dreamland, it's not so much Benson's work as that of engineer Chris Burns, who gives the proceedings a slick, digital sheen that doesn't quite mesh with the material. Also, Watson has moved the emphasis from his harder-edged material to songs with a less flinty approach. But Watson himself has rarely sung with greater strength and confidence, he's written some terrific songs (favorites include "Pretty Girls," "Honky Tonkers Don't Cry," and "I Wish You'd Come Around"), and Benson has rounded up a great set of pickers to back him up, including Redd Volkaert, Ralph Mooney, and Cindy Cashdollar. If the result isn't hardcore honky tonk, it's still honky tonk through and through, and it's an album that'll sound great in a beer hall as you knock back cold ones on a Friday night. I'd advise Benson to hire Ray Kennedy to man the boards for their next session with Dale Watson, but otherwise Dreamland is a step in the right direction.
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| 01. |  |
Honky Tonkers Don't Cry |
2:58 |
|
| 02. | |
Ain't a Cow in Texas |
3:02 |
|
| 03. | |
Love at First Sight |
2:59 |
|
| 04. | |
I Wish You'd Come Around |
3:48 |
|
| 05. | |
California Wine |
2:37 |
|
| 06. | |
Never Ever |
2:37 |
|
| 07. | |
Dreamland |
3:50 |
|
| 08. | |
Fox on the Run |
3:01 |
|
| 09. | |
Way Down Texas Way |
3:17 |
|
| 10. | |
She Don't Care |
3:39 |
|
| 11. | |
I Don't Rock No Cradle |
2:27 |
|
| 12. | |
Pretty Girls |
2:40 |
|
12 Total Tracks, 36:55 Total Length
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Credits
- Ray Benson - Guitar (Acoustic) // Ray Benson - Vocals (Background) // Ray Benson - Producer // Cindy Cashdollar - Dobro // Floyd Domino - Piano // Gene Kurtz - Bass (Electric) // Scott Matthews - Drums // Ralph Mooney - Pedal Steel // David Sanger - Drums // Larry Seyer - Mastering // Redd Volkaert - Guitar (Electric) // Redd Volkaert - Vocals (Background) // Dale Watson - Guitar (Acoustic) // Dale Watson - Guitar (Acoustic) // Dale Watson - Arranger // Dale Watson - Arranger // Dale Watson - Guitar (Electric) // Dale Watson - Guitar (Electric) // Dale Watson - Vocals // Dale Watson - Vocals // Dick Reeves - Art Direction // Dick Reeves - Design // Nancy Lee Andrews - Photography // Billy "Dee" Donahue - Harmony Vocals // Ricky Davis - Harmony Vocals // Don Pawlak - Pedal Steel // Jason Roberts - Fiddle // Jason Roberts - Guitar (Electric) // Jason Roberts - Vocals (Background) // Bridget Bauer - Coordination // James Rabitoy - Assistant Engineer // Chris Burns - Engineer // Dave Kembro - Assistant Engineer
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