Durnago 95 - Dreams & Trains (1986, Stonegarden)

Another slim week for new content, I know, so apologies in advance.  What can I tell you?  Whether I was even going to share this one or not what highly debatable, given the status of this record itself. My used and somewhat abused copy of Durango 95's Dreams & Trains is at the very least somewhat above "beater" status, but there are some surface noise issues and flaws (namely a skip midway in "When You Looked Away") that I'm going to have to address in the future. 

There were numerous Durango 95s in existence, both simultaneous to, and post the one I'm referring to here. This one was a quartet whose lone LP was produced by Earle Mankey.  The Durango's modus operandi generally slotted into power pop, not far removed from the Plimsouls formula (check out the devastatingly hot "Great Buildings" and "First Dreams in Color"), but elsewhere there are abundant and twangy Americana fixations these boys were wont to excise (e.g. "Better Than That," makes for a tight three minute hoedown). Talented for sure, but sadly there wasn't much more where this came from. At it's height Dreams & Trains resembles a lost Mitch Easter or Don Dixon production. One of the staffers at Goldmine magazine was such a fan he did a fairly lengthy piece on Durango's frontman Frank Barajas just a few months ago.

01. Runaway Train
02. Dreams & Trains
03. When You Looked Away
04. Better Than That
05. Great Buildings
06. First Dreams in Color
07. Durango 95 (Strangers Theme)

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