Description
Big Dream is the major label debut album by the American singer and songwriter Rich Lang, released on Wonderland in 1992, manufactured and distributed by Word. (Wonderland was a short-lived sub-label of Word run by Caesar Kalinowski, the mastermind behind labels such as Graceland and Intense). The album was produced by Charlie Peacock and Rich Lang. Featuring session musicians such as Jimmy A of Vector fame as well as Michael Roe and Aaron Smith of The 77s fame.
‘Big Dream’ is, for the most part, based on a critically-acclaimed independent cassette Lang released in 1990. It’s to Lang’s credit the tape was so fresh then that it’s right in step with what’s on contemporary hit radio now. Lang has taken the nine best tunes from that project and added two brand-new cuts to create an invigorating major label debut. Lang’s lyrics are more inquisitive and observational than accusatorial, tracking his struggle toward faith with surprisingly candid revelations of his shortcomings. The musical setting for Rich’s musings melds Brit synth-rock with R&B-driven pop; the result often suggests the approach of Euro-popsters like Chris Rea and Midge Ure, or the stylings of co-producer Charlie Peacock. Peacock and Lang call upon a number of high-profile musicians, such as Jimmy A, Mike Roe and Aaron Smith, to infuse the tracks with a jazzy vitality which elevates Lang’s tunes above the “paint-by-numbers” sound of much pop radio. [Bruce A. Brown, CCM, November 1992]
Mitch Bohet – In Color (Auto Wreckords, 1990) cassette
This tape has quite the impressive list of players on it – Charlie Peacock, Michael Roe, Jimmy A, Aaron Smith, Bruce Spencer, etc. So obviously this is an alternative rock release. But it is really closer to the adult alternative rock of Charlie Peacock or later day Vector. Nothing rocks out that heavy, but none of the songs count as pop or middle of the road. It’s kind of a more organic, mature form of music if you aren’t familiar with it. However, I’m not sure where Mitch came from to have amassed such a high level of talent for a demo tape. I also don’t know what happened to him after this tape. The first track was included on the Big Rage! Volume 1 compilation.
Update: Just found out that Bohet adopted the stage name of Rich Lang and signed to Wonderland Records, where he released Big Dream in 1992. All of the songs from this demo were re-recorded for Big Dream except for «Paperdoll», and two more new songs («Shadow of Doubt» and «A Life Time») were added. [Christian Tape Underground, November 19, 2019]
CD tracklist:
01. Shadow Of Doubt – 4:02
02. In Color – 4:32
03. Bottom Of It – 3:22
04. Living Dangerously – 3:40
05. Big Dream – 4:07
06. A Life Time – 4:54
07. Wandering Feeling – 4:02
08. What’s Wrong – 3:35
09. Ragtop – 4:13
10. New Frontier – 4:37
11. I Owe You – 3:14
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and CD by Wonderland.
An advertisement for various albums released by Wonderland, a sub-label of Word, was featured in the November 1992 issue of CCM Magazine.
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