Dream Cafe represents a turning point in the career of the man considered by many to be the greatest folk singer of his generation as he for the first time enlists the help of guitarist-cum-producer
Bo Ramsey. Before
Dream Cafe,
Brown had long been known on the folk troubadour circuit, but he still had not felt comfortable in the confines of the studio, as many of his previous albums sound like watered-down attempts to capture his onstage spirit. This time around, however, backed by the guitarist Ramsey, as well as tabla, various percussion instruments, steel guitar, and the haunting vocals of Kate MacKenize,
Brown produces an album as light and refreshing as a summer breeze. Although it is plagued by the inconsistency which characterizes most of his studio work, some of his most heartfelt and enduring songs can be found on this album, most notably "Laughing River," "Spring Wind," and the crowd favorite "Just By Myself," all of which are found on the superior The Live One, but receive preferential treatment here. The album covers familiar territory: In "You Drive Me Crazy" and "Just by Myself" he sings of the nuances of love and loss, the latter track devoted to the perverse pleasures of loneliness. "Laughing River" is a hymn to one of the singer's favorite pleasures --- the art of angling -- and in "Spring Wind" he delves into more philosophical territory, exploring aging and what it means to spend time wisely. In the latter track, he sings, "We are a cross between our parents/and hippies in a tent." Likewise,
Dream Cafe showcases a singer true to his roots but fully matured and open to the present. ~ David Freedlander