Why Stevie Nicks? For a mix of intuition, gamble, and fascination, out of curiosity, thanks to my instinct which rarely betrays me. I still remember when, some years ago, I tried to listen to the famous "Tango In The Night", attracted more than anything by the cover, feeling a bit foolish for trying after two or three pieces at most, yet, despite my total repulsion for that type of style and sound, Stevie Nicks' name remained recorded in some recess of my memory, almost without an apparent reason. Like it or not, we are faced with a first-class star, singer and songwriter of great repute, a charismatic and influential figure; and then there are those strange rumors about her, and I confess that it was precisely those that made me interested in her and her music, I wanted to verify for myself if Stevie Nicks was indeed capable of "bewitching" me, if she had that touch of mysterious charm, that somewhat eccentric personality indispensable for making an impression on me. Did she succeed? Hmmm, let's see...
I wanted a recent, modern album, and this "In Your Dreams" from 2011 seems just right for me, also because produced and composed in collaboration with Dave Stewart, someone who surely guarantees a clean, varied, and refined sound. A very substantial listen, with thirteen songs, almost all over five minutes long, that glide elegantly with absolute pleasure, highlighting an interpreter of great class, undoubtedly charismatic, and equally undoubtedly visionary, and a great stylistic and compositional richness; no need to hesitate further, for me it's a yes. Stevie knows what she's doing, indeed, she captivates the listener with the right combination of heart and elegance, offering powerful and excellently arranged songs like "For What It's Worth", an intense, almost moving folk/country ballad made more ethereal and dreamy by the perfect use of synths, or "Italian Summer" with a highly scenic and engaging orchestral crescendo, which enhances all the theatricality and the unmistakable timbre of the singer. Also beautiful is "New Orleans", melancholy, an open wound, and the desire for rebirth, a splendid refrain crowned by gospel harmonies; now I understand what makes Stevie Nicks the icon she is, her lyrics, her voice have a common power, that of evoking scenarios and landscapes, be they physical or emotional, with great strength and impact. She also manages to do this with "In Your Dreams", the most driven and rock episode of the album, a piece for wind in the hair and adventure on the road, or with the electronic blendings of the first single "Secret Love", a subtly refined song growing with each listen, introducing a world of beautiful sounds and emotions that flow freely.
The backbone of the album consists of mid-tempos of medium duration, with the guitar almost always in the foreground, sometimes similar in structure but with a wide range of styles and nuances to offer; we have vibrant and energetic pieces like the crescendo with final apotheosis of "Wide Sargasso Sea", and "Ghosts Are Gone" with its very stylish and energetic oriental riff and shamanic atmospheres. The bitter "Everybody Loves You" with synths in the forefront and Dave Stewart personally appearing alongside Stevie in a beautiful refrain, and "Soldier's Angel", cadenced and powerful, with blues/western suggestions, in which the historic duo reunites with Lindsey Buckingham on guitar and backup vocals. "Moonlight (A Vampire's Dream)" begins as a very delicate piano ballad, giving an idea of great shyness and insecurity, with a Stevie Nicks demonstrating great sensitivity and interpretative versatility, maintaining this character even when the guitars break in; an excellent prelude to what I think is the pinnacle of the work: "Annabell Lee", with lyrics adapted from Edgar Allan Poe. An enthralling song, of great impact and atmosphere, guitars, synths, orchestrations, and very prominent bass, all perfectly balanced, in the service of an atmosphere imbued with a slight mystical aura, most fitting for the piece and the character, which however results absolutely spontaneous, achieved solely with the right melody and perfect arrangement, without unnecessary similar-gothic artifices.
And finally it closes, once again in duet with the ex-Eurythmics partner, "Cheaper Than Free" is a very sweet and relaxing ballad, with a beautiful guitar phrasing and a perfect intertwining of voices: brief and simple, a nice farewell, the best way to close an almost impeccable album. Well yes, Stevie Nicks has cast a nice spell on me, she deserves a very positive evaluation and my sincerest compliments; "In Your Dreams" is a very communicative album, direct and emphatic as needed; above all, it has a soul that many "alternative" nouvelle-cuisine female singer-songwriters don't even know where it lives. The kind of album you enjoy listening to at various moments, precisely because it's rich, it's easy and offers a bit of everything, many nuances and sensations. Simply a great album.
I wanted a recent, modern album, and this "In Your Dreams" from 2011 seems just right for me, also because produced and composed in collaboration with Dave Stewart, someone who surely guarantees a clean, varied, and refined sound. A very substantial listen, with thirteen songs, almost all over five minutes long, that glide elegantly with absolute pleasure, highlighting an interpreter of great class, undoubtedly charismatic, and equally undoubtedly visionary, and a great stylistic and compositional richness; no need to hesitate further, for me it's a yes. Stevie knows what she's doing, indeed, she captivates the listener with the right combination of heart and elegance, offering powerful and excellently arranged songs like "For What It's Worth", an intense, almost moving folk/country ballad made more ethereal and dreamy by the perfect use of synths, or "Italian Summer" with a highly scenic and engaging orchestral crescendo, which enhances all the theatricality and the unmistakable timbre of the singer. Also beautiful is "New Orleans", melancholy, an open wound, and the desire for rebirth, a splendid refrain crowned by gospel harmonies; now I understand what makes Stevie Nicks the icon she is, her lyrics, her voice have a common power, that of evoking scenarios and landscapes, be they physical or emotional, with great strength and impact. She also manages to do this with "In Your Dreams", the most driven and rock episode of the album, a piece for wind in the hair and adventure on the road, or with the electronic blendings of the first single "Secret Love", a subtly refined song growing with each listen, introducing a world of beautiful sounds and emotions that flow freely.
The backbone of the album consists of mid-tempos of medium duration, with the guitar almost always in the foreground, sometimes similar in structure but with a wide range of styles and nuances to offer; we have vibrant and energetic pieces like the crescendo with final apotheosis of "Wide Sargasso Sea", and "Ghosts Are Gone" with its very stylish and energetic oriental riff and shamanic atmospheres. The bitter "Everybody Loves You" with synths in the forefront and Dave Stewart personally appearing alongside Stevie in a beautiful refrain, and "Soldier's Angel", cadenced and powerful, with blues/western suggestions, in which the historic duo reunites with Lindsey Buckingham on guitar and backup vocals. "Moonlight (A Vampire's Dream)" begins as a very delicate piano ballad, giving an idea of great shyness and insecurity, with a Stevie Nicks demonstrating great sensitivity and interpretative versatility, maintaining this character even when the guitars break in; an excellent prelude to what I think is the pinnacle of the work: "Annabell Lee", with lyrics adapted from Edgar Allan Poe. An enthralling song, of great impact and atmosphere, guitars, synths, orchestrations, and very prominent bass, all perfectly balanced, in the service of an atmosphere imbued with a slight mystical aura, most fitting for the piece and the character, which however results absolutely spontaneous, achieved solely with the right melody and perfect arrangement, without unnecessary similar-gothic artifices.
And finally it closes, once again in duet with the ex-Eurythmics partner, "Cheaper Than Free" is a very sweet and relaxing ballad, with a beautiful guitar phrasing and a perfect intertwining of voices: brief and simple, a nice farewell, the best way to close an almost impeccable album. Well yes, Stevie Nicks has cast a nice spell on me, she deserves a very positive evaluation and my sincerest compliments; "In Your Dreams" is a very communicative album, direct and emphatic as needed; above all, it has a soul that many "alternative" nouvelle-cuisine female singer-songwriters don't even know where it lives. The kind of album you enjoy listening to at various moments, precisely because it's rich, it's easy and offers a bit of everything, many nuances and sensations. Simply a great album.
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