Dreamland - Tales From Area 51 | ||
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Album Cover:
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Label: Nuerra Records Producer: G.T. Richards & Dreamland Year: 1999 Total Playing Time: 45:18 m:s Review date: 26 October 1999 |
| Web site: www.nuerra.com , www.alienfunk.com
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| Rating: 7 | ||
| Verdict: Talented musicians and individually impressive tunes, but best sampled a few at a time. | ||
| Dreamland are a 4 piece formed in 1997. The band consists of Sean Joplin on guitars (Janice's cousin), Derek Scott on guitars and keyboards, with Jonathan Launer on drums and G.T. Richards on bass and keyboards. The bands objectives are to express emotion and soul in their music whilst embracing the cutting edge of technology. The band's debut is released on the guitar orientated Nuerra Records, so it is not surprising that the music is centered around the guitar playing of Sean Joplin and that these tales are told without the use of a vocalist to convey the message (although a few spoken samples do get used).
"Charlie 242" sets the scene with some radio communications indicating that flight 'Charlie 242' is flying out to intercept a UFO before "Master In Motion" has some lead guitar work sitting on top a blues-influenced riffing. "Leo's Chew Toy" introduces a lighter note to proceedings in the form of an funky uptempo number. This is followed by the slow blues of "Until We Meet Again", which is very relaxing. "Sloppy Jane" strolls along with a confident gait, before "Hit Me" heads off still further into funky territory over which the lead guitars shred. A combination of Boston & Lynyrd Skynyrd would appear to be the influence behind "Get Out Of My Way". It might have been difficult to think up the name in the first place but somehow "Alien Funk Machine" sounds pretty much like it's title might suggest. By the time "Alternative Route" and "Where's Charlie?" come around I usually have trouble distinguishing individual tracks but they are no less worthy of our attention. Dreamland are a talented bunch of musicians and they've crafted some acceptable pieces of music to show off those talents. If I listen to a few tracks at a time I'm impressed, but sitting down to listen to the whole album I find the music loses it's impact somewhat. | ||
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