APRIL 2008

Jamie Craig The Lost Dream

4 Excellent…. A-

Summary: A cool, accessible, and easily-digestible fusion record comprised solely of synthesized instruments, keyboards, and computers, 'The Lost Dream' effectively complements the artist's rock-and-roll roots.

The segue from spring to summer is one of my favorite transitions when I'm in ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Michigan because it can only mean one thing: Detroit sports are alive and well. The Red Wings and Pistons are back in the playoffs for the umpteenth straight year, the Tigers are officially underway, and the Lions are mercifully going unnoticed because, unlike their colleagues, they seem to avoid winning like preschoolers avoid Michael Jackson. The Tigers are taking on the Texas Rangers tonight, but I have some time to kill with Detroit multi-instrumentalist Jamie Craig before the first pitch, so we start walking the mezzanine. Around the concourse at Comerica Park - the Detroit Tigers' home stadium - local rock radio stations are giving away free swag: magnets, bumper stickers, and the like. There's the classic rock station and the modern rock station, and even the Canadian "new rock alternative" station has crossed the border and set up shop. It comes to no surprise, then, that there's no jazz station amongst the promotion tables. This doesn't seem to miff my comrade, whose fusion record The Lost Dream encapsulates a rock-and-roll vibe that characterized his early musical career.

Initially a rock-and-roll electric bassist for years, Craig later expanded his repertoire to include electric guitar, piano, keyboards, and most notably synthesizers. The synthesizers are what dominate The Lost Dream, as the record is composed and arranged strictly with synths, keyboards, and computers. On his record, Craig uses eight - count 'em - eight synthesized basses. "Sure, I could just plug in my bass and record," begins Craig, "but there's no reason to do it that way when I can play those exact sounds - and countless more - using electronic keyboards." Craig then paints a metaphor to describe his vision: "The sounds you can get out of synthesizers are either ultra-real or fantasy-like. It's similar to seeing a great animated film where the sky is bluer than a real sky and the characters' body movements go beyond what's possible in real life, but we enter their world and enjoy the entertainment they provide. That is what I am striving for using synthesizers: a virtual world of music that mostly incorporates traditional sounds, but sometimes takes the notes of an instrument beyond its actual capabilities."

In this regard, Craig may catch a lot of flak from his contemporaries: some people argue that jazz, blues, and funk speak directly to human emotion from human, that mechanizing and synthesizing the instruments removes that genuine human element from it. However, Craig's aim - to stir his listeners' imaginations by running the gamut of emotions in his sound - succeeds throughout The Lost Dream. The The Lost Dream series, one a radio mix, the other the full version - begins mellifluously with soft key arrangements, which precede the opening slap bass notes. Moody, almost saturnine saxophone enters soon after, invoking a sense of being in a Chicago club that's laden with thick smoke and sunglass-clad patrons. The Lost Dream duo is stunningly beautiful, as are Contemplate All and One Thirty, which perfectly substantiate Craig's belief on his record: "I wanted to make an instrumental record for anyone who grew up on rock music; I tried creating a modern-rock instrumental sound that has its roots in the classic keyboard-oriented sounds of Yes, King Crimson, and Emerson, Lake and Palmer." The ambiance of Stereo Five ("Grandiose prog rock should be felt as well as heard, and it sounds best coming out of big speakers on a five-channel system, not through some tiny clip-on headphones") is illustrious and magnificent, with mesmerizing keyboard progressions supported by a steady beat on the drumkit, and the track's closing minute is positively sublime.

Craig's record also captures the spirit of human resolve in album closer Take the High Road, a track that emanates a much happier, upbeat demeanor. "One of life's realities is that some of the dreams we have are lost," Craig says to me, explaining the premise of The Lost Dream. "At some point, everyone has to face this; but, the important lesson to be learned is that we can rise up, start over, and head in a new direction. After all you have been through, it is important to keep your head up and go forward, to climb to the top of the hill, look off toward the horizon, and realize there are more roads to travel. For every dream that is lost, a new one should take its place. The world offers limitless potential." Similarly, Did You Have to Ask?'s effervescent tempo brings to mind a Tears for Fears and Genesis mash-up, a track Craig says is "... a cerebral conversation you have with yourself when you ask a rhetorical question you already know the answer to." With statements such as this, as well as arranging and performing music that authenticates them, The Lost Dream does a splendid job in capturing the essence of human emotion.

The Lost Dream is an atmospheric gem, with certain instruments standing out and shining more than others. For instance, the aforementioned Contemplate All is driven initially by angry, yet breathtaking piano, akin to what Sybil's deranged mother plays while torturing her with the water enema as a young girl in the film adaptation of the controversial novel. When the cymbal crashes in and the full kit enters, the hostile piano turns more sanguine, yet still remains technically sound and pleasant to listen to with the string accompaniment. In tracks such as One Thirty and Movement Z, Craig's synthesized basses and flutes take centerstage, respectively, before the latter track evolves into a steady bass featurette. Running over six minutes in length, Movement Z and Our Lost Dreams have multiple movements and passages to highlight the various instruments Craig employs on his record. These two tracks are fantastic listens, and Craig attributes bands such as Tangerine Dream, Depeche Mode, and Pink Floyd, as well as the previously-mentioned Yes, King Crimson, and Genesis for his inspiration in writing these more progressive tracks. Movement Z, in particular, is especially Pink Floydian.

Ultimately, The Lost Dream is a record where one track bleeds into the other seamlessly from start-to-finish, essentially feeling like time stops while listening. Craig is an amazing musician and composer, and his synthesized basses, moving keyboards, and sterling saxophones masterfully complement the steady drum beat, congas, and French horn. The album's underlying theme - the sadness of losing a dream being juxtaposed with the creation of new dreams with a sense of hope for the future - percolates throughout the album with each note from each instrument, making it easily accessible, easily digestible, and overall makes for a splendiferous listen. Craig feels his record is interdisciplinary and will reach manifold listeners across multiple genres - "I realized there is an audience who enjoys instrumental music and listens to some jazz and melodic new age, but grew up on rock music and would prefer more edge, more energy, more backbeat. That's my background, so I decided to make the kind of music that I love to hear" - and The Lost Dream is a triumph in every respect. Highly recommended as a straight-through listen, as the intoxicating ambiance and atmosphere Craig creates is truly magnificent.

Jom recommends:

The Lost Dream (full and radio mix)
Contemplate All
One Thirty
Take the High Road
Our Lost Dreams

Tracklist:
1. The Lost Dream (Radio Mix)
2. The Steel Wheel
3. Stereo Five
4. The Power & Glory
5. Movement Z
6. Contemplate All
7. One Thirty
8. The Lost Dream
9. Did You Have to Ask?
10. Our Lost Dreams
11. Take the High Road

Release Date: 11/26/2007