Symphonion Dream

Performer: The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Artist: Linda Ronstadt; Leon Russell
Producer: William E. McEuen
Distributor: EMI Music Distribution

Notes: Nitty Gritty Dirt Band: Jeff Hanna (vocals, acoustic, electric & slide guitars, percussion); Jim Ibbotson (vocals, acoustic guitar, accordion, Arp synthesizer, bass, conga); Jimmie Fadden (vocals, National guitar, harmonica, drums); John McEuen (electric guitar, dobro, lap steel guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle). Additional personnel includes: Linda Ronstadt (vocals); Leon Russell (piano, synthesizer, hand drum, gourd, chimes; Paul Harris (piano). All tracks have been digitally remastered. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band: Jimmie Fadden (vocals, guitar, harp, harmonica, percussion); Jimmy Ibbotson (vocals, guitar, accordion, keyboards, bass instrument, drums, congas); Jeff Hanna (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide guitar, drums, percussion); John McEuen (guitar, banjo, claw hammer banjo, mandolin, fiddle, accordion). Additional personnel: Jim Ratts, Linda Ronstadt, Rae Hanna (vocals); Leon Russell (piano, synthesizer, drum, chimes); Paul Harris (piano); Teddy Jack Eddy (drums, cowbells, timbales); Kae McEuen, Mary Stevens, Alice McEuen (background vocals); Don Preston . The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's first pure studio recording since Will the Circle Be Unbroken, Dream is another very different earful sort of psychedelic country/bluegrass. The band is joined by Linda Ronstadt, Leon Russell, and actor Gary Busey (as "Teddy Jack Eddy," and on drums). The sound is more varied than on previous albums, with a harder electric country feel on "Bayou Jubilee," which segues directly into the bluegrass instrumental "Sally Was a Goodun." Ronstadt does a great job singing "Hey Good Lookin'," but mostly it's the Dirt Band singing, including a superb rendition of "(All I Have to Do Is) Dream." The group had previously released a fun live rendition of Jimmie Driftwood's "The Battle of New Orleans," and they cover it here in a somewhat funkier studio version. John McEuen also offers a taste of some of the sounds he'd later explore more fully on his solo releases with "Classical Banjo I/Malaguena/Classical Banjo II." They offer a non-country instrumental, "Sleeping on the Beach," which could have come from a '50s mood instrumental album -- of course, they follow it up with William McEuen's carnival music-inspired "Santa Monica Pier," which segues into the gorgeous lost single "Ripplin' Waters," by Jim Ibbotson, one of two hits that should have been off this album (the other is Ken Edwards' "Mother of Love"). The disc ends with William McEuen's wind harp instrumental and a music-box piece called "Symphonion Montage." ~ Bruce Eder

Q (8/96, p.139) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band seemed able to supply anything in 1975. Bluegrass, folk, hornpipes, straight country or rock all seemed to come easy....despite the diversity, everything fitted....A record of great charm..."

Their earliest incarnation was as a large, fun-loving jug-band/trad folk group in mid-1960s California. Eventually the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band evolved into a tight, critically lauded country-rock ensemble, and had a Top Ten hit in 1970 with the poignant "Mr. Bojangles." The band was also legendary for assembling informal recording sessions with Nashville veterans such as Merle Travis and Roy Acuff, the results of which, 1972's MAY THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN, inspired two more volumes, a 30th anniversary reissue, and a box set. Through many lineup changes and a brief name change (the Dirt Band), their career has extended through the millennium and shows no signs of letting up.

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