Long time I haven’t written any review about my CD collection. This time, I will write about one of the most collectible album, Amanda McBroom: Dreaming. This is one from two collectible album from Amanda. The other one is “Growing Up in Hollywood Town” which also ever reviewed somewhere around last year.
Amanda is an American singer and also a songwriter. I think most of her song was written by herself.
Around 1985, Amanda with her manager (also her husband) set up a label named Gecko Records. And this “Dreaming” was their first album under Gecko Record (on 1986). Previously, the “Growing Up in Hollywood Town” was done under Sheffield Labs label.
This CD contains a lot of very nice songs, like “From Time to Time”, “When Hearts Collide”, “The Portrait”, “Quiet Man”, and off course the main course, “Dreaming”. All of them shares similar tonality and style. Don’t forget the most famous “The Rose” also on track #3. But frankly speaking, I prefer “The Rose” on the other album (Growing Up in Hollywood Town) as it sounds more vintage and classic.
Beside a set of very nice songs, this album also has a very neat, nice, and sweet recording. Not the best in terms of naturality – a little bit too neat and slightly artificial for my taste, though. Also (I think), this album was very well equalized. Whenever you will use $10 earphone, $500 bookshelf, or $1000 floorstand speaker, it will share similar tonality which is ‘equipment friendly’ a.k.a ‘forgiving’. Very good, well rounded bass. Sweet and delicate vocal. Enough treble for most ears. But I’m not saying you will have similar low on your earphone vs on your 10″ subs 🙂
The producer seems not just know how to handle the ears of 80’s, but indeed, it works until now, 2012.
Below is the track list, simply printed on the black background on the back cover of the album.
This track is playing during my writing session for this post…
Some say love, it is a river
That drowns the tender reed
Some say love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed
Some say love, it is a hunger
An endless aching need
I say love, it is a flower
And you, its only seedIt’s the heart, afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance
It’s the dream, afraid of waking
That never takes the chance
It’s the one who won’t be taken
Who cannot seem to give
And the soul, afraid of dying
That never learns to liveWhen the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snow
Lies the seed
That with the sun’s love, in the spring
Becomes the rose