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"Dreamer or Believer"

HARVEY REID- A 20-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE

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Reviews of Dreamer or Believer

In the Fall of 2002 Harvey Reid released Dreamer or Believer, his 16th recording on Woodpecker Records, a 2-disc retrospective celebrating the 20th anniversary of his first LP in 1982. The instrumental disc and the songs disc each contain one cut from each of the last 20 years, and the collection's 40 tracks contain 20 unreleased or out-of-print cuts. (Marked with an * below)

The 156 minutes of music chronicle the career of one of today's most productive and versatile acoustic musicians. Reid's showcases his songwriting and peerless instrumental skills on acoustic guitar, 12-string and slide guitars, 6-string banjo, autoharp, bouzouki, mandocello and lap steel. Reid's arrangements of traditional songs are legendary, and this CD has 14 of them, plus 23 originals, and 3 covers. There are also 9 live tracks from concerts and club gigs that show his humor and an up-tempo side of him that does not always come through on his studio albums.

Probably the most striking thing about this CD is how little Reid has changed his sound, and how consistent the CD sounds over this wide span of time. Even though the popular music world was going through disco, glam rock, indie rock, alternative and new country, this Modern Minstrel was refining his own brand of music, and staying remarkably focused.The complexity of his instrumental compositions, his rhythms and his voice have deepened over time, but his personal artistic vision has been quite steady. With one foot firmly planted in traditional music, Reid has combined his love and vast knowledge of folk, blues, bluegrass and American roots music with a creative virtuosity, and built a repertoire of old and new music that is distinctively his own. Whether playing slashing slide guitar blues, a Bach minuet or a Celtic fiddle tune, singing a ballad with the autoharp or frailing a lilting banjo tune, there has never been a musician quite like Harvey Reid, and the Dreamer or Believer collection paints a perfect picture of him.

You can Order it Now on the web site...


DISC ONE- INSTRUMENTALS 1- Wildwood Flower* 2- The Mockingbird* 3- Lorena* 4- Fiddle Tune Medley* 5- The Streets of Fyvio 6- Resorting to Mystery* 7- Off to Adventure 8- The Albatross 9- Prelude to the Minstrel's Dream 10- Arkansas Traveler 11- Unknown Soldier 12- Crossing the Badlands 13- Wayfaring Stranger 14- Pieces of Eight 15- Five Cent Cigar 16- Fishers Hornpipe Medley* 17- The Lucky Penny 18- Gospel Medley* 19- Pegasus 20- Minuet in G*

DISC TWO- SONGS 1- I've Been Everywhere* 2- Matchbox Blues* 3- The Flower of Loudoun County* 4- Slipped Through My Hand* 5- Barbara Allen* 6- Feeling Lowdown* 7- Candlelight 8- Lonesome As Can Be* 9- Dreamer or Believer 10- Otto Wood 11- Missing A Train 12- Circles 13- Lights Of Love* 14- Sunny Banks of Sweet Deliverance* 15- Call Me the Breeze* 16- It's A Banjo Playing 17- This Old Heart of Mine 18- Sing Me A Lullaby* 19- To the Western Wind* 20- Will You Go to the Sea

Available Sept 22 2002 in CD only (retail $26.95) by mail, phone, fax, e-mail () and from specialty stores.


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