The debut solo album by the
Lindisfarne frontman, cut shortly after that band's initial breakup,
Pipedream is very much the son of its father, a faintly folky collection of songs that, one presumes, were originally intended for the next
Lindisfarne album before events finally overtook them.
As usual with
Alan Hull's post-
Dingly Dell output, nothing here truly leaps out to grab your attention; rather,
Pipedream is a meditative, reflective collection characterized as much by
Hull's often-plaintive vocal than by any particular melody. But "Country Gentleman's Wife," "Song for a Windmill" and the gorgeous "Justanothersadsong" are latter-day
Hull jewels, while the biting "The Money Game" reflects on the end of the band with grandiose venom. [Originally released in 1973, the LP was reissued on CD in 2005 and includes six bonus tracks.] ~ Dave Thompson