Although “he’s grown up, and he’s mature,” Reed Dickinson can’t seem to abandon the 80s on his new album Ruby. An exceptional singer/songwriter with a heavy storytelling element surfacing in most of his lyrics, Dickinson launches full throttle into modern rock, but loves reversing into power ballad guitar and the synthesizer sound of older Duran Duran. The same gentle excited vocals from Dickinson’s last album Playing Games With the Sun emerge on his new one, only now stronger and accompanied by the singing delight Kerri Powers. Playing the safer side of rock, nothing too heavy or abrupt, Dickinson nonetheless shows himself to be relatively experimental. While a significant portion of the tracks are straight rock with poignant blues-style guitar, he playfully incorporates the sounds of reggae in “Limboland” and country in “No Longer a Chore.” Also quite impressive is the orchestral intro to “Springtime Will Come Again,” nearly evoking the excitement at the inception of a Pink Floyd great. Not that Dickinson accomplished all this on his own; he certainly has no shortage of musical supporters. To jump into the extensive list: Paul Caruso on drums and keyboards, Dana West on guitars, Janet Hood doing keyboards and string arrangements as well, Danny Mo on bass, Cameron Sawzin on cello, Jane Hemenway on violin, Matt Leavenworth on mandolin and fiddle, Jeff Stout on trumpet and PJ Adamson on steel drums. Once again, I’ll plug “Springtime Will Come Again,” as it is a simply gorgeous consolation for and about one who has experienced a great deal of tragedy/pain. I also have to drop props to “Ice on a River” for its 80s sound, great backup vocals by Kerri Powers and socially pointed lyrics against corporate bastards. Finally, “Devil Doll” remains a favorite with its drum ’n bass intro and hilarious male-anti-female lyrics.
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For all you folks hooked on VH-1s "I Love the 80s" series, complaining that they don't write songs like they used to, Dickinson's sophomore effort may just be the answer to your prayers. From the catchy "Ruby Red Eyes," with its perfectly executed mini guitar solo from Dana West, to the cheesy, feminine backing vocals of Kerrie Powers on the toe-tapping "Dangerous Curves," and the jumpy, dancefloor magnetism of "Devil Doll, Ruby will bring a smile to fans of such 80s' singer/songwriters as Roy Sundholm and Tommy Keene. Even Wallflowers and Jayhawks' fans will be pleased with the alt.country vibe of the twangy, violin-led (courtesy Matt Leavenworth) "No Longer A Chore." Howard Jones and Paul Young fans may shed a few tears over the heartbreaking tearjerker, "Springtime Will Come Again," and even an old codger like me couldn't refrain from welling up over the father-daughter lovesong, "Rebecca." But these are only minor pitstops along the way, and are quickly overshadowed by the likes of "Limboland," which wears its reggae influences on its sleeve and will have Parrotheads dancing in the aisles, and "I Am A Kite," which sounds like a long-lost Cars' B-side. Ruby is highly recommended for power pop fans of everyone from The Knack and Shoes to 20/20 and The Pop, and is infinitely better than last year's disappointing Rubinoos' comeback.
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Reed Dickinson picks up where he left off with "Playing Games With the Sun." Somehow and I don’t know how, he’s able to actually write BETTER songs! Utilizing drum loops as well as a hodge-podge of instruments like the fiddle, mandolin, steel drums, trumpet, violin, cello, along with your standard three-piece. The title-track is a standout on an album of standouts—I mean that hook is so good it’s sick. He improved his singing ten-fold, which on his last album might have been his only, and I mean only, downfall. So now that he’s armed to conquer the airwaves, are you ready to surrender?
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Reed Dickinson's Ruby contains great music with flowing, meaningful lyrics. Any music lover could find their personal theme song on this CD. The world needs more upbeat, encouraging musicians to help us through this sarcastic but loving world. If ever there was a CD to lift your spirits and make sure you will get through the hard times in your life, this is it. With lyrics like, "why must life have constant change/ everything is set than its rearranged/someday you feel just like a king/ but you never know what tomorrow will bring" (track 5, Limoland) It's very hard not to love this optimist.
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