Regrooving the Dream

by Patty Larkin

Overview

In 1999, New England based songwriter Patty Larkin took a retrospective look at her recent work, offering live versions of her favorites on A Go Go . This time, she's looking forward, contemplating the uncertainties of love and the hopeful possibilities of the future in "Only One." Larkin, an ace guitarist as well as a sublimely insightful writer, remains as interested as ever in creating sonic landscapes, a talent she demonstrates on the opening track, "Random Play." She also explores her longstanding fascination with the possibilities of percussion on the haunting "Hotel Monte Vista." On that tune as well as on the title track, Larkin continues to create multi-hued songs, vivid collages of sound and stories that turn the listener in a new direction with each new listening. With Regrooving the Dream, this talented musical adventurer continues her personal redefinition of the songwriting balladeer.

Product Details

Release Date:	07/25/2000
Label:	Vanguard Records
UPC:	0015707955225
catalogNumber:	79552
Rank:	140357

Tracks

1. Random Play
2. River
3. Only One
4. Beg to Differ
5. Sorry
6. Anyway the Main Thing Is
7. Burnin' Down
8. Hotel Monte Vista
9. Hand Full of Water
10. Mink Coats
11. Poetry of Lies
12. When
13. Just a Few Words
14. Lost and Found
15. [Untitled Track]

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Patty Larkin   Primary Artist,Vocals

Technical Credits

Patty Larkin   Producer
John Leventhal   Producer
Bette Warner   Producer
Alan Williams   Engineer
Carla Leighton   Art Direction

Editorial Reviews

Patty Larkin digs deep into her bag of influences for a barrier-bending collection of songs that are nonetheless rooted in acoustic traditions. Her rich, everywoman voice suits her evocative guitar style effortlessly as she matches mood to sound. The effect of mixing it up makes "Only One" convincingly spooky as it merges folk blues with whispery, Astrid Gilberto vocalizing; "Anyway the Main Thing Is" goes East with its winding vocal riff. But "Mink Coats" is the centerpiece: With its old-as-time rock chords and its image sharp lyrics, Larkin may have crafted her finest hour. Guitarists John Leventhal (Shawn Colvin) and Marc Shulman (Suzanne Vega, Jewel) color the basic multi-instrumental tracks that Larkin laid down with co-producer Bette Warner. Within folk boundaries, the instrumental bridges linking songs and adventurous guitar sounds might be tippling on the edge of experimentation, but that would be overstating the case of stylistic departure. The "new direction" won't upset anyone accustomed to Larkin's already mature and fluid song style.

All Music Guide - Denise Sullivan