Laura Allan - Hold on to Your Dreams (14 tracks) +Album Reviews

The more you listen , the better it gets. A class act !!

Dreamtime | Oakland, CA United States | 01/20/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Someone please tell me why this beautiful woman and her extrordinary songs are not being featured up front where they belong. Take a closer look at this exceptional artist and I guarantee that you too will feel as I and many of my cohorts do...Laura Allan, her songs and her music are something the world needs now even more than ever. Possessing a multitude of creative talents extending beyond the music, i.e. the album cover art, the hand made instruments, her drawings, not to mention her work with children, ... here is a secret that should no longer be kept hiding in the used bins and the back order catalogs of our failed music distribution system. Thank God for ... and it's affiliates for offering at least one of her titles. The music is for EVERYONE. The songs are first class and her latest album, "Telegraph" ... is a tour de force. With a few players from her Asylum debut like Lee Sklar, this CD is oozing with CLASS!The more you listen, the better it gets.
It's that simple.Thanks Laura Allan for making my world a better place to be.Dreamtime"

A Terrific Collection of Catchy Songs

Dreamtime | 01/05/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hold On To Your Dreams is a wonderful collection of tightly produced and performed songs by Laura Allan. The music is soft rock, with inviting folk textures. Along with plenty of strong guitar licks and keyboard tracks, the band uses dulcimers and other uncommon instruments to create wonderful textures. We play this CD repeatedly in my house, and the melodies are so catchy that we find that we can't help but sing along. I'm a big fan of Sheryl Crow and Ricky Lee Jones, but this album gets even more play on my CD player. A must for any collection."

In the world of women singer-songwriters, Laura Allan shines

Dreamtime | 01/05/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My friends and I were so excited to see the '96 release of Hold on to Your Dreams ! We've been following Laura Allan's music since her debut album on Elektra/Asylum. I just heard recently that she has a brand new CD coming out in February 1999 which is way cool. I can't wait for it. Her songs are strong, sensitive and smart, and they always touch a place inside us, making things a bit better. It's in the way she shares her joy as well as her pain and she's never trying to give advice. A couple of her songs haved really helped me through some tough times . Laura's an inspiring writer and her voice is so great to listen to. It's wise and yet it's got a sort of sexy innocense too. It's kind of like satin & sandpaper. I also heard that she plays a bunch of different instruments like the Bass, Guitar, Piano and Flute. You name it, I bet she can play it. I've bought so many CDs after hearing a certain song on the radio, only to find the rest of the record just doesn't rock at all. But, "Hold on to Your Dreams" is different. Every song on this CD is awesome ! My friends and I love this record. You should really check it out ! Plus she has the kind of sound that people of all ages and tastes will go for. My best friend's Mom even bought a copy for herself after she borrowed mine for over a week ! If you haven't heard of Laura Allan, it's time to take a closer look at what this very special artist is up to! And me, I'm counting the days 'til the new Laura Allan CD comes out !"

Queen of Soft Rock

Lee Armstrong | Winterville, NC United States | 08/30/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Laura Allan is an amazing talent. As amazing is the fact that she's escaped center stage because she is that wonderful. From that early picture of her on David Crosby's "If Only I Could Remember My Name" to her 1978 LP on Elektra to her new age LP "Reflections" with Paul Horn, she has hung in circles with top muscians; and it shows! This CD is a find. I'd advise you to snap up ... used copies available ...! "Say It Again" opens as a breezy pop tune with full production. "Stage Name" could have been written for any one of a number of top stars with whom she's played. "What are you hiding behind?" she sings, "It's only a stage name." "Our Love" is a peppy tune that shimmers, "Is our love just a pleasure?" "Let It Go" is a pretty ballad about needing love, "You're not the only one who's had to reach out to someone." "Sweet Surrender" is a quintessential song of feminine desire, "It makes me shiver the way you touch my hand." The breezy jazz-pop arrangement makes this one a classic for me. "Enchante" follows with French lyrics interspersed. This is a lovely little tune that Paul McCartney in his "Silly Love Songs" mode would have wished he'd written, "In your arms the night so gently slips away; we'll be making love together, darlin', enchante'." The title track is a soft rock anthem. "Storm Song" is my favorite on the CD. It opens with thunder and a long acoustic Spanish guitar intro. The song sounds like it could have been based on an Eastern European tune and wouldn't be out of place with Loreena McKennit. The music embodies a storm; and the message is that our spirit self is our true self, "Let the spirit heal you; it will reveal you." "Be Strong" is great pop road song that starts "a few miles out of Bakersfield" and has a strong chorus, "Be strong, carry on, hold on, we got to hold it together." Laura sings, "We can't move on till we leave the past behind." Were wiser words ever spoken? "Every Beat of My Heart" is a bouncy love song that more pops than rocks. "Back Door" is the only track that doesn't glue my ear to the CD player with what strikes me as a generic melody. "Hours of Darkness" has strong electric guitar and rings resolve in its lyric, "I'm searching for the strength to carry on." "Your Christmas Day" is a very sweet Christmas song that ought to be on numerous indie Christmas compilations, "Angels are going to help you find your Christmas Day." This CD closes with that same closer of her Elektra LP, the little cosmic burst of enlightenment, "Stairway." In this precious bit of inspiration, Laura sings, "Sometimes I get the feeling life on this Earth is really only a stairway leading us to some deeper meaning." It is a gorgeous melody, not to be missed. If she were better known, Laura would probably be regarded as I think of her, the Queen of Soft Rock! Please Laura, can I have some more?"

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	Laura Allan Hold on to Your Dreams Genres: Folk, New Age, Pop, Rock Track Listings (14) - Disc #1 Say It Again Stage Name Our Love Let It Go Sweet Surrender Enchant? Hold on to Your Dreams Storm Song [Live] Be Strong Every Beat of My Heart Back Door Hour of Darkness Your Christmas Day Stairway
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