In Your Dreams

Definitely Stevie Nicks’ best work in the last two decades

The band Fleetwood Mac was only gaining momentum in the 1970s when the then unknown vocalist and songwriter Stevie Nicks joined it. It is her that wrote the band’s most successful hit Dreams from the 1977’s no less successful album Rumours. Inspired by that success the singer could remain in the band with whose musicians she is still maintaining friendship but an incredible solo career was there waiting for her. Starting from her 1981’s debut album 1981 and until today Stevie Nicks remains an idol and example to follow for millions of fans and artists all over the world. Her hoarse voice, a unique stage image including flying clothes and unusual accessories, as well as her ability to write beautiful romantic compositions have turned Nicks into a world level star. Neither her own doubts concerning her strength, nor drug addiction which she had bravely defeated, nor personal life failures could prevent that from happening. The year 2001 saw Stevie Nicks record the album Trouble in Shangri-La, and though little had doubts that that was not the last of her original material collections, some fans still had been worrying a bit. They should not have – this spring Stevie Nicks’ seventh studio album In Your Dreams is released, and it is definitely her best work in the last two decades.

Everything is perfect on In Your Dreams

Whenever an artist of Stevie Nicks’ caliber releases an album after a ten year long hiatus, everything must be just perfect on it, and In Your Dreams never disappoints you in this respect. You have flawless production by Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart and Glenn Ballard, the singer’s still strong velvet voice, and most importantly, the amazing songs which will immediately become soft rock’s classics. The album opens with the composition Secret Love that Stevie wrote in times of Rumours, it tells about some unknown rock-musician intriguing the fans and setting the entire album’s romantic tone. The smooth peaceful ballad For What It's Worth contrasts with the eclectic title track that unites features of country and rock’n’roll and full of young boldness which Ms Nicks will probably never lose. The song Wide Sargasso Sea is named after the eponymous novel the singer had read; it is a prequel to ‘Jane Eyre’, and the song shortly tells the life story of Rochester’s first wife. The other track based on a literature piece is Annabel Lee – that is the title of Edgar Allan Poe’s last poem, the story that could not help inspiring the romantic-natured Nicks who put his beautiful lyrics on beautiful music. Popular vampire stories of the present days are embodied on the splendid composition Moonlight (A Vampire's Dream), starting with wonderful keyboards and then turning into a soulful mid-tempo ballad. One of the most serious and deeply thought numbers is Soldier's Angel, built on an extremely simple and thus impressive guitar part, and while Italian Summer is the most romantic one, telling about the summer of 2009 that Stevie spent in Italy. The album closes with the only duet Cheaper Than Free with Dave Stewart, a very atmospheric song with beautiful vocal harmonies and a memorable major-keyed tune.

The eternal youth secret

Undoubtedly, there is some secret behind the fact that at her sixty-two Stevie Nicks is singing just like thirty years ago. Some people are absolutely sure that the singer is a witch despite that she has denied the ungrounded gossip quite categorically more than once. Most probably, it would be much more appropriate to say that the point is her solid friendship with her colleagues. Stevie Nicks’ image does not change with the years becoming only more perfect for she has been working with one clothes designer for more than forty years now. Each of her albums is built on one and the same formula which gets better with time just like good wine: the singer has been recording songs with the amazing guitarist Waddy Wachtel throughout her entire solo career. Besides, one can hear Mick Fleetwood’s drums on In Your Dreams, to say nothing of old pal Dave Stewart’s contribution. Yet, obviously, the artist could have been no success if it had not been for her own effort and love of music and creative work on the whole. No doubt Stevie Nicks has always been an unsurpassed story-teller, and each track on In Your Dreams serves a great confirmation to that, and musically the singer’s seventh album will surely get her new nominations and awards and give a great deal of good mood to all its listeners.