Search - Black Box :: Dreamland

Essential early 90's Dance reference

J. Collins | 07/22/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Black Box was formed of three session musicians/DJs from Italy, who wrote and performed the great grooves on this disc. Most of the vocal chores went to Martha Wash, though she had to go to court to be credited for her work. To make a sad story a bit shorter, the guys behind Black Box hired a model (some say a transvestite model) to lip-synch to Martha's vocals for the group's videos. This person also appeared at "live" shows, mouthing to a pre-recorded track. Plump powerhouse diva Martha had a similar problem with C&C Music Factory that was amicably resolved when she appeared in their videos.There are people who don't think a vocalist can "make" a band, but such people don't go dancing much. Though BB's music is flawless club/house/disco, without Martha Wash this album would have sunk fast. The Dance to Pop success of "Everybody Everybody" took a little while, but by the time "I Don't Know Anybody Else" was released (in the U.S.), they were getting good radio airplay for a dance act and heavy rotation on MTV. During this time, import singles for at least three other album tracks ("Ride On Time," "Fantasy" and "Open Your Eyes") were popping up in American clubs, and the group's popularity was cemented."Strike It Up" was the group's third (and essentially last) big single in the U.S., and is arguably the finest dance cut on the album. Just about every track here is danceable, though there are "ambient" moments: the instrumental pastiche of "Dreamland," and "Ghost Box" with it's moody saxophone solo.The version of "Everybody..." that appears here is the edited Club mix, or the "OW!" mix as some call it. I honestly prefer the original mix, with the great string section and galloping percussion. Though later pressings of "Ride On Time" used a substitute singer, this release (along with most copies of "Dreamland") features the version with Loleatta Holloway.Though a couple of the tracks here are just simple club jams ("Hold On" and "I Don't Know Anybody Else"), the music of this CD is well-performed and expertly crafted. It isn't brimming with social significance, but it IS the kind of music that will have you singing and shaking your ass.Black Box never released a followup album of new material in the U.S., but there are an assortment of remix compilations that feature various long versions and dubs of the songs that appear here. Any DJ with a comprehensive dance music collection should own a copy of this disc.-Mic"

The best dance album of the 1990s.

JoJo | Los Angeles, CA United States | 06/01/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This definately was the best dance album of the 1990s. Nothing else came close to it in its sleekness and soulfullness. The songs were actual songs, as opposed to beats, the vocals were amazing, and even the videos, although they featured model Katrine Quinol, were stylish and exceptional. The U.S. has always been anti-dance music, but the fact that this album scored two top ten hits (Everybody, Everybody and Strike It Up) and a third top 40 hit in I Don't Know Anybody Else made it a unique success in the U.S. The late 1980s and early 1990s were an interesting period in the U.S.--it was sort of a bridge between the awful hair band days of the 1980s and the depressed and anger filled grunge and gangsta rap days of the 1990s...these years provided a breath of euphoria, when exhilirating music such as this was allowed to breathe. This album was a milestone in its time, and still sounds great today. Other tracks, such as the immortal European smash "Ride On Time," their cover of Earth Wind & Fire's "Fantasy," "Hold On" and "Open Your Eyes" are just as good. Black Box also released a remix album called "Mixed Up" which is almost as good as this one. Perhaps they could re-release both someday, in one package, and also including the original version of "Everybody Everybody." Now that would be a cause for celebration!"

Best Damn CD of the 1990's

billy clinton | head on the curb | 07/29/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Everybody Everybody is the definitive track of nineties house music, if you missed this you must have been really spaced out on crack. Actually even if you heard it you may have been hopped on crack. No matter the grooves were phat. The beat was tight, and we loved it!! Open Your Eyes, Ghost Box, Fantasy, oh the list goes on... And...RIDE ON TIME oh my if this JAM doesn't say YEAH BABY! what does??? Buy it. Buy it NOW before you waste another day of your miserable life! Buy it and live. It will be like...one night, in heaven..."