My first encounter with Dreams So Real, was their video for "Rough Night in Jerico," from their major label debut album of the same name, sometime back in 1988. Although "Rough Night..." had all the earmarks of a rock and roll classic (which I still esteem to this day), I was in for even more of a treat when I heard their first LP, Father's House. Hailing from the alt-rock hotbed of Athens, Georgia, Dreams So Real, as did many bands from that era (and area) took a page from REM. In DSR's case, they honed in dead-center on Peter Buck's crystalline Rickenbacker jangle, and just ran with it on Father's House, albeit with a slightly more pedestrian approach.Preceding that album, was the "Everywhere Girl"/"Whirl" 7" on Coyote Records in 1985. These two songs were quintessential examples of the southern indie-rock sound of the 198os, and also function as the unofficial centerpiece for Nocturnal Omissions, a Dreams So Real "fan club" CD of outtakes and rarities of damn-near every song that didn't make it's way on to the band's three official albums. Released in 1992, it chronologically follows DSR through every phase of their brief and largely ignored tenure. There's so much gold to warrant mentioning here - pre-Father's House demos, "Golden" from the Athens, GA Inside/Out soundtrack, copious outtakes from their two Arista albums (including a collaboration with the B52s Cindy Wilson on "Appalachee Shoals"), a pair of Christmas tunes, and an embarrassing foray into old-school rap. Dig in, but as precursor for anyone new to Dreams So Real, you may want to check out their debut album from here.
01. (Maybe I'll Go) Today
02. Heaven
03. Window
04. History
05. Up to Fate
06. Golden
07. Everywhere Girl
08. Whirl
09. And So We Love
10. Open Your Eyes
11. Entwined
12. A Shipwrecked Sailor
13. Appalachee Shoals
14. Please Don't Cry
15. In the Garden
16. Egypt
17. There's a Fire
18. Red Lights (Merry Christmas)
19. Just For Christmas
20. Eppy
5 comments:
Was this inspired by my list?
I'm very happy to have this, I've always been curious to hear more DSR, having been a fan of "Golden" and "ROUGH NIGHT IN JERICO" since the '80s. A few tracks sound a little wonky, like the skip at the beginning of track 12, or the jumps in the middle of track 10. Is this the way they sound on the original cd or did something happen in the rip? Excellent stuff throughout, much of it's as good as anything I'd heard from them previously. Thanks a lot.
Man, thanks for posting this album cover! I have been looking for a digital image of it ever since I ripped this album. I bought the CD from the band in 1993 or 1994 when they Played in Knoxville, TN. It's one of my favorite albums. yeah I know I could have found a scanner somewhere and did it myself but I don't have access to one. Thank you!
I like their early singles more than the albums. Everywhere Girl / Whirl was also my introduction to Dreams So Real. Thanks for the post!
Where can I buy o copy of this record?
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