Jeff Scott Soto - Wide Awake (In My Dreamland)

[AlphaMale]

Sounds pretty good. Cool tune.

[Stefan]

New video for 'Without You'.

 

 

[AlphaMale]

Meh

[Glen]

very nice.

[Stefan]

Making of 'Wide Awake (In My Dreamland)' Part 4.

 

 

 

[zacharyamelie]

Imagine JSS had stayed with Yngwie and Malmsteen kept making good melodic music with great production...it could sound like this. Pretty enjoyable release for me. 

[Glen]

19 hours ago, zacharyamelie said:

Imagine JSS had stayed with Yngwie and Malmsteen kept making good melodic music with great production...it could sound like this. Pretty enjoyable release for me. 

I had a quick flick through last night and found a lot to like.

However it doesn't hold a light to LITT

I played some of that too and you forget how awesome that album is.

[Stefan]

New song 'Someone To Love'.

 

 

[Geoff]

I haven't opened this thread for months, just assuming JSS would release a predictable but cool solo album. I heard the album today and when I opened this I expected a very different thread. I was wondering to myself if the punchline is scheduled for page 3? Or is this thread a piss-take and the honest thread is elsewhere on the forum? There's an elephant in the room and it hasn't been addressed, so I guess it's up to me.

This album is absolute shit. Had to be said. I was amazed from the moment it started. The production is not really "bad," but it's by far the worst produced JSS album I've heard for a long while. I assume that is more Del Vecchio's fault than JSS. Why didn't Del Vecchio just let JSS produce it if he was going to offer up this? JSS has been doing excellent production work himself in recent year. Like I said, this is adequate, but it's not great. A lot muddier than his recent efforts. 

But sadly, the production isn't the problem here. The songs are horse shit. In my opinion, of course. 

On 11/7/2020 at 12:08 AM, zacharyamelie said:

Imagine JSS had stayed with Yngwie and Malmsteen kept making good melodic music with great production...it could sound like this. Pretty enjoyable release for me. 

There is a massive amount of Rising Force influence in the album - that part I agree with. I definitely don't agree with the good music and great production part. But no doubt there is a throwback to his Rising Force days on this album, and sadly it's not for good, imo. 

Anyway, I don't want to harp on this too much. To each their own, and maybe I'm missing something really obvious and there's a reason you guys are being so kind to this, but I don't get it. Yes, JSS is a great guy and he'll make more great music... but I have to be honest about this one. It's garbage. 

The only song I thought I might ever play again is 'Between The Lines' but even that was awkward and "jolty" is parts of the chorus and I almost passed on that one too.

Elsewhere there are decent attempts at okay songs like 'Someone to love,' 'Mystified,' 'Love's Blind,' 'Lessons of love' and 'Living in a dream.' These songs are all okay, but it almost seems like a targeted effort to make them all okay... but not really that good. They sound like they should be decent, but in the end just suffer from poor song writing. 

Then there's stuff like 'Without you,' 'Paper wings,' 'Love Will Find A Way,' the title track and the horrendous 'Desperate,' which is all just terrible. Horrid songs. I haven't heard stuff this weak from JSS for a long time. 

Yep, sadly, this one really took me by surprise. 2020's been awful so it shouldn't be too out of the blue, but JSS has become very reliable with his solo work so I wasn't expecting him to be lumped in with the trash from 2020, but sadly, for me, he's well and truly in the discard pile for 2020.

But, to each their own. Happy that some of you guys accept this output, but I will not be settling for this, sadly.   

[Glen]

is 2020 really that bad? Each year I generally find 10-15 albums which are very good to great and then the quality drops off a cliff.

2020 is no different imo.

 

[Geoff]

16 minutes ago, Glen said:

is 2020 really that bad? Each year I generally find 10-15 albums which are very good to great and then the quality drops off a cliff.

2020 is no different imo.

 

Yeah, you are right. It is no different than recent weak years. I just hate how people see upcoming releases and say what a great year it'll be and then without exception it never lives up to it and then I guess in that sense it's another disappointment. 

But yeah, it's an underwhelming year, which is par for the course. I remember looking at my top 10 a few weeks ago and whilst I can admit they're nice albums, I was surprised at how uninspiring the list was. 

[AlphaMale]

24 minutes ago, Geoff said:

But yeah, it's an underwhelming year, which is par for the course. I remember looking at my top 10 a few weeks ago and whilst I can admit they're nice albums, I was surprised at how uninspiring the list was. 

I agree. Weak weak year. I thought 2019 was bad. 

[Darkstone]

6 hours ago, Glen said:

is 2020 really that bad? Each year I generally find 10-15 albums which are very good to great and then the quality drops off a cliff.

2020 is no different imo.

 

Considering that "our music" isn't very commercially popular, I think every year is pretty damn good TBH.

Edited November 10, 2020 by Darkstone

[AlphaMale]

I agree with Glen though. After the Top 10 or 15, everything drops below 70%. 

Second straight year of pretty terrible also-rans.

[melodicrock]

15 hours ago, Geoff said:

e. 2020's been awful so it shouldn't be too out of the blue, but JSS has become very reliable with his solo work so I wasn't expecting him to be lumped in with the trash from 2020, but sadly, for me, he's well and truly in the discard pile for 2020.

But, to each their own. Happy that some of you guys accept this output, but I will not be settling for this, sadly.   

This is actually the first negative comment I've heard about the album. Loving it myself.

 

[Darkstone]

1 hour ago, AlphaMale said:

I agree with Glen though. After the Top 10 or 15, everything drops below 70%. 

Second straight year of pretty terrible also-rans.

I still think we're pretty blessed to have a top "10 or 15" every year.

[The Rocker]

19 hours ago, Darkstone said:

Considering that "our music" isn't very commercially popular, I think every year is pretty damn good TBH.

Agree!

[Glen]

14 hours ago, Darkstone said:

I still think we're pretty blessed to have a top "10 or 15" every year.

exactly what I meant

if I get 10-15 albums which resonate with me in 2020 then I'm happy with that.

I can't get through tons of releases anyway 

[The Rocker]

4 hours ago, Glen said:

exactly what I meant

if I get 10-15 albums which resonate with me in 2020 then I'm happy with that.

I can't get through tons of releases anyway 

Exactly

[CureTheSane]

Cool, if Geoff hates it, there is a chance I'll like it
lol, generally I like JSS stuff, but it always takes a lot of listening to get in to.

[Stefan]

Quarantine video for 'Someone To love'.