Re: The Dreaming

[jdrukman%dlsun87@us.oracle.com (Jon Drukman)]

Rob Petrone jabs a stick in a hornets' nest:
>Could someone tell me *why* The Dreaming is nearly everyone's
>favorite KaTe album?  I always thought the album exalted production
>over substance

problem 1: you've got it all wrong - the production is deeply entwined
with the substance.  the album is a triumph of SOUND crafting... the
words are just part of it.  "sat on your lap" done as a folky tune
with an acoustic guitar and bongos just wouldn't work.

>and that the lyrics were no more deep than anything else she's ever
>done.

if you don't see a substantial difference in complexity between
"you're the one" and "get out of my house" then i don't think we have
any basis for conversation, as we're speaking entirely different
languages.

>Neither do the compositions strike me as masterpieces.  So what is
>it?  WHY does everyone love this album so much?

as i said, it's a masterpiece of audio sculpture.  kate's voice is at
its peak - strong and authoritative.  the songs are incredibly deep -
i still find new ways to look at certain lyrics, 12 years on.  it's
other major strength for me is that most of the songs tell stories.
kate doesn't write that kind of track much anymore and i think it's a
real shame.  she did it better than pretty much anybody.

all this would be enough by itself but the other point that really
kicks the dreaming into the stratosphere is its uniqueness...  there
was nothing like it prior to its existence and nobody has done
anything like it since either.  (including kate... darn.)

so there you go.

-- 
Jon Drukman                                         jdrukman%dlsun87@oracle.com
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This calls for a very special blend of psychology and extreme violence.