Search - Kitaro :: Dream

Kitaro meets Yes?? Japan meets Europe?? A fine new age album

Jeffery K. Matheus | Indianapolis, IN United States | 10/16/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have always been a big fan of this album, ever since I first heard it at a friends house on it's day of release back in 1992. The sometimes majestic, sometimes mystical sounds of Japanese new age keyboard-master Kitaro make the perfect backdrop for the high-pitched, ethereal vocals of Jon Anderson (lead vocalist of legendary prog-rockers Yes, as well as a new age/prog solo artist in his own right.) The album is divided fairly evenly between the rich instrumental compositions that Kitaro is most well-known for, and the slighly more pop/rock flavored vocal collaborations with Anderson. Of the instrumental works, "Symphony of the Forest", "A Passage of Life" & "Sympony of Dreams" stand out as the most memorable and melodic; although perhaps revealing a more downbeat/melancholy side of Kitaro's work. All three of these tracks are richly orchestrated and make good use of arrangement & dynamics. Another of the instrumental pieces, "A Drop of Life", is a far more minamalistic composition that leaves the listeners with a tranquil, peaceful feeling (while still maintaining a haunting melodicism.) Although Kitaro is probably most acclaimed as a composer, he certainly should not be underestimated as a synthesist/keyboard player - to my ears he has one of the most original and instantly-recoginzable sounds of anyone in the electronic music feild, bar none. Speaking of instantly-recongnizable; Jon Anderson, who also provided all of the lyrics for this album, lends his distinct voice to four tracks here, although Jon's fans will be happy to know that they are the longest tracks on the album! Anderson once said on his website that "Dream" was one of the most enjoyable and fullfilling projects that he has ever participated in (rating it even higher than his frequent collaborations with Vangelis), and his enthusiasm for the material really shows through. I hate to use this cliche, but Anderson's voice literally 'soars' on the robust & lyrical "Lady of Dreams" (a fairly "progressive" tune than fluctuates between lightness & power.) The darker-toned & dramatic "Agreement" sqeezes an even more impressive vocal performance from Anderson's unique pipes, and Kitaro's band backs him up brilliantly (this track is nicely colored with a rich pallet of percussion, synths, and sitar sounds; and the way that the arrangement builds in intensity towards the end is quite stunning!) Clocking in at over 9 minutes, the emotional album closer, "Island of Dreams", has a flavor not unlike some of Yes' more dreamy/ethereal pieces (think of the "Going For the One"/"Tormato"-era), and it is a track that beatifully plays-up both Kitaro's and Anderson's distinct musicial sensibilities. (I also really love the guitar soloing at the end of the this final track. However, because 3 different guitar players are credited in the liner notes, I'm not sure who to give credit to!) Anderson can also briefly be heard chanting (along with his wife/frequent musical collaborator, Jane Anderson) on the track "Dream of Chant", although, to my ears, it is perhaps the weakest track on the album. In fact, the only reason that I must rate this release at less than a perfect 5 stars is that two subsequent tracks on the last half of the album, namely "Dream of Chant", & "Magical Wave", seem somehat weak & unmelodic compared with the numirable strengths of the other tracks. Still, this is an extremely minor critisism of an otherwise excellent work. All in all, this is a must for any fan of Kitaro or Jon Anderson. I hope that once day we will see these two master musicians working together again."

An enchanting album but not a complete masterpiece

Crystal C. Loh | London, ON Canada | 01/27/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"As a hardcore fan of Kitaro I was as always impressed with his work on this album, but it somehow didn't capture the same magical essence for me that his other albums have (e.g. Kojiki, Mandala). Still I consider this a worthwhile buy simply because of some of the intriguing and poetically beautiful works on this album that I would have otherwise missed. There is no doubt that A Passage of Life, Island of Life and A Drop of Silence are astounding pieces crafted by Kitaro's artistry."

"You Are The Ocean, I Am The Earth"

Marc Ruby? | Warren, MI USA | 04/03/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Dream offers something of a change from his work in the 80's - more heavily orchestrated, and the 'space music' edge has been considerably softened. While it's quite clear that this isn't an acoustic album, it has many acoustic components - more than in most other Kitaro compositions. Sometimes, though the sound becomes a bit over-produced. Never badly so, but there were more than a few moments when I grabbed the liner notes to see if the music was intended for a film.Yet beneath the heavy orchestration and choral voices lies a much more melodic Kitaro than his earlier work reveals. Balanced with a rhythmic component that is reminiscent of Kojiki. The music is a bit muscular as well, not the least bit timid. Initially this toughness put me off a bit, since I'm used to putting Kitaro on as atmospheric music, i.e., background, and Dream is much more insistent on getting your entire attention. Even songs like 'Dream Of Chant' and 'Magical Wave,' which are some of the fiercest pieces of meditation music I have ever heard. There are some exceptionally sweet moments as well, as in 'Symphony Of The Forest' and 'Symphony Of Dreams.'I found the Jon Anderson songs a mixed blessing. Kitaro's lyrics are a bit too New Age for my general tastes. They have a very structured component with fairly strong spiritual statements. I prefer a more intimate and personal touch. Anderson's singing underlines this effect. I can't complain about his sound, but his delivery feels over-emphasized and too precise. Just a little more softness here would have greatly improved the overall effect. Still, I'm quite happy with this album. This is certainly one of those cases where East meets West successfully. Once you adjust to its context there is a lot of to capture the listener's interest."