Dakota - Three Live Time Ago | ||
Tracks:
* - bonus studio tracks |
Album Cover: ![[Image]](../../Images/dak3lta.jpg)
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Label: Thoughtscape Sounds Producer: Jerry G. Hludzik & Rick Manwiller Year: 2000 Total Playing Time: 73:43 m:s Review date: 17/03/2000 |
| Web site: www.damall.com
Email: | ||
| Rating: Dakota giving a great live performance | ||
| Verdict: 74% | ||
| If you're like me, then you only discovered Dakota in 1996 with the release of Mr Lucky (aka "The Lost Tracks"). This was really the second incarnation of the band. They started out as The Jerry-Kelly Band with Jerry Hludzik and Bill Kelly being the main songwriters and the vocalists. The band released the "Jerry-Kelly" album in 1978 and "Dakota" in 1980. This recording is from a small club gig in 1980 at around the time they were changing their name to Dakota. At this time the band were doing support slots for bands like Foreigner. Tagged onto the end are 4 bonus studio tracks from 1977 that were recorded for the Jerry-Kelly album.
"Settle Down" is lightweight rock to start the concert and is suitably uptempo to get the crowd in the mood. "Magic" is slightly jazzy and also lightweight. Styx come to mind. "Crazy For Your Love" is Westcoast and the first track to really come alive thanks to a good chorus. "Possession" ventures further into Westcoast/soft rock territory. "You Can't Live Without It" is a big ballad with Jerry on lead vocals and Bill doing a fine job of complementing him. "When The Rebel Comes Home" moves uptempo and is the first track that really reminds me of present day Dakota. It could fit onto "Little Victories" very well. I was expecting a ballad with a song called "Lady". Instead we get a rocking slice of early 80's AOR. "Workin' Hot" has been revived for the latest studio album. There is more Styx-style action on "Changes" which starts slowly, but turns out to have quite a rocky chorus. "One Step" features some lightweight jazzy AOR that takes me back to the early 80s. The jazzy influence continues on "It Gets Easier". I've mentioned Styx a few times already and "Restless" is yet another tune that reminds me of them. The band announce "If It Takes All Night" as their latest single on Columbia Records. Yeah, the good old days when the major record labels had AOR acts on their rosters. "Billy Boy" is a gentle tune with kicks off with a slightly country feel before becoming more jazzy. "Dear Love" continues the in similarly gentle mode. "You Can Be" sounds like a pop single from that late seventies period. As if to reinforce just how lightweight the band were at this early stage "Bad Dreams" is a slow ballad. Listening to this album has certainly been an education and given me an insight into the background to modern day Dakota. There is no denying that listening to the material 20 years after it was first recorded it sounds a little dated in places, however I don't think any more so than that of their counterparts. On the sound front, the recording is remarkably good considering it's vintage. Considering that the early Dakota albums aren't available on CD, this album is pretty much an essential purchase for all Dakota fans. | ||
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