Symphonion Dream was the first Nitty Gritty Dirt Band album I purchased. I bought it back in 1976, toward the end of my freshman year in college, and I still have my vinyl copy of the record. Now that Dream has been re-released on CD, I decided to check out the CD version of this classic NGDB record. I'm just as impressed as I was in '76.

The initial hit off Dream was NGDB's bluegrassy remake of the Everly Brothers' classic song "All I Have To Do Is Dream". Besides solid vocals by Jeff Hanna and Jimmy Ibbotson and great work by John McEuen on banjo and mandolin, "All I Have To Do Is Dream" has Jimmie Fadden playing some excellent harmonica parts. Hanna also gets in a guitar solo at the end of the song which is awesome. The best song here, though, is "Ripplin' Waters", Ibbotson's tale of life in the Colorado mountains. Though I like NGDB's live version of "Ripplin' Waters" on their Live Two Five album better than the studio version, I think the original version of the song, with McEuen on mandolin and Hanna on lead guitar, is still great. I think Ibbotson is NGDB's best songwriter, and "Ripplin' Waters", with its vivid imagery("Blue spruce flamin' on the grate in the evening/Takes the chill away fine"), is probably his best work. Another great Ibbotson composition on Dream is the reggae number "Joshua Come Home", with guest artist Leon Russell on piano, synthesizer and percussion. John McEuen plays banjo on "Joshua Come Home", but unless you listen closely to the song, you won't recognize the banjo in it. When John's banjo is amplified on "Joshua Come Home", it sounds just like a Jamaican steel drum. That is part of NGDB's genius; not only do the individual band members play a lot of instruments well, but they find different ways of playing them. Another fun song on Dream is Hanna's Cajun rocker "Bayou Jubilee". Hanna does a spirited singing job and once again has some fine lead guitar, and McEuen's fiddle and Ibbotson's accordion make "Bayou Jubilee" a rousing number. Pop superstar Linda Ronstadt, a friend of the members of the Dirt Band, duets with Ibbotson on NGDB's upbeat version of the Hank Williams classic "Hey Good Lookin'". Fadden, who wrote NGDB's humorous songs "Fish Song" and "GloCoat Blues", contributes "Daddy Was A Sailor" to Dream. This song is still another of Fadden's fun songs. Finally, there are great instrumental songs on Dream. The bluegrass instrumentals "Raleigh-Durham Reel", "Sally Was A Goodun" and "Gotta Travel On", along with McEuen's classical medley "Classical Banjo I/Malaguena/Classical Banjo II", feature some of the Dirt Band's best picking.

I think the Dirt Band hit their high point musically with Dream. Ibbotson left to perform solo in mid-1976, almost a year after this record's original release, and NGDB's music went in more of a pop direction. The Dirt Band's change in style in the late '70s may have helped them sell more records, but in this fan's opinion, they've always been a bluegrass/country/folk-rock band, and when they went "pop", their music lost its country element. Thankfully, Ibbotson came back in '83, and the Dirt Band rediscovered their country roots, which were so prominent on Dream. I recommend that you listen to this classic album. Even if you've heard the Dirt Band before, listening to Dream will be like rediscovering an old friend.

Music of the times...As a young LT, stationed at Ft. Knox, this was music to celebrate life. The war was just over...we would not be deployed...we would live. After a long day of running tanks through mud holes, we'd return to the BOQ, sip some Early Times and enjoy this music. NGDB played in Louisville that summer of '75, and versions of these cuts were included. Linda R. was just becoming popular and her inclusion here brought smiles and desires. McK. on the banjo...what is more life fulfilling than this. NGDB gave us a reminder that life is joy.

I smile as I look forward to returning to this music. Thanks, David

If you love country/rock music, you NEED to own this CD. It is, in my opinion, one of the true treasures of the country/rock era (the late 60's through mid 70's). Although there were no big radio hits culled from it (The old Everlys classic, "Dream" did get some airplay.), it hangs together beautifully, and is indeed one of the most evocotive albums of that or any era, each song flowing seamlessly into the next, often aided by snippets of "found" sounds like sea gulls, wind, rain and thunder. The bagpipe fade-out of "Battle Of New Orleans" alone is worth the price of the CD. It mesmerized me as a 17-year-old in 1975, and it continues to bowl me over today. Indeed, "mesmerizing" is as apt a one-word description of this work of art as any. With tunes like "Dream" and "Bayou Jubilee", the Dirt Band defines "country/rock". With the beautiful "Ripplin' Waters" and their unique, tricked-out studio version of "Battle Of New Orleans, they transcend it.

Symphonium Dream is a slight departure from the norm for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's country/bluegrass style. Several tracks could better be described as "new-age" or even "classical", but are rendered very well. ("Winter White" is somewhat evocative of Mannheim Steamroller). There's still enough country/bluegrass to satisfy a die-hard Dirt fan, and the mod stuff is really enjoyable.

This album was a dud on the charts probably because the Dirt Band had the worst record company (UA) at the time.

This is their best single album - for all the reasons that make an album great. If you only own one dirt band album this is the one - but check out the 3 circle package (104 audio and video selections from 60 of americana's greats) on amazon if you want a great piece of amercian music history, dirt cheap-no pun intended.