Oh Anna, what does money mean anyway?
I've got more than all that
I can smile when it's a rainy day
I can see what's behind the big money game they all must play.
I've got more than all that
I can smile when it's a rainy day
I can see what's behind the big money game they all must play.
Turns out Pipedream by Alan Hull is a terrific album. And I probably never would have listened to it were it not for the rather odd cover art. As I was thumbing through many boxes of vinyl records (purchased as an entire lot with the intent to resell some potential hidden gems), the surreal image on the sleeve of a man smoking his own nose through a pipe like a dragon eating its own tail demanded that I spin the record contained therein.
I was not disappointed. Not that I had any expectations. I had never heard of Alan Hull before. After looking the album up on Wikipedia, I read that Pipedream was Hull's first solo album after the band Lindisfarne broke up. I don't know who they were, either. But as I dropped the needle, it became obvious that I had stumbled upon a darn good record -- and an original UK pressing on the Famous Charisma Label to boot!
There's some sturdy folk-rock songwriting on display here. Specifically, "Justanothersadsong", "Money Game", and "Country Gentleman's Wife" are standout tracks. The harmonica on "STD 0632" is reminiscent of Neil Young. By the time the album closes with "I Hate To See You Cry", Hull eschews tighter vocal arrangements and begins to throw his voice around all over the place with reckless abandon. It's a fitting closer, and the solo piano is a nice touch.
It's a solid record that I find myself spinning intermittently with some eagerness. What a cool find. Thanks, vinyl!
