Classic Album Review-Jack Greene “Until My Dreams Come True”
When it comes to singing with emotion, who can compare to George Jones and Vern Gosdin? Jack Greene compares with them very well, as his 1969 release Until My Dreams Come True, will attest.
The album does not begin with a bang, but rather a nice easing into an enjoyable listening experience of contemporary country music, 1969-style. That first track, “That’s What I Tell Myself”, seems to be the perfect way to start off this album, with it’s easy, laid back arrangement, the song speaks of a man who is trying to convince himself that he no longer needs or loves the one who has left him.
Jack is at his best on songs that call for a ton of emotion. “Take My Hand For Awhile” is one of those songs. The song itself, is an average song, but Jack takes it and with his singing style, turns it into a really good song.
Since the first time I heard “Statue Of A Fool”, I’ve been a big fan of Jack Greene. Plus, one of my favorite songs is “Wichita Lineman”. Unfortunately, they don’t go together, that well. I think it’s mainly a case of the song just doesn’t quite fit his style. Plus, the arrangement, for me, at least, is a little lacking (too much synthesizer), as this is one song where the more lush arrangement, as heard on the Glen Campbell version, works better than a stripped down one.
Jack recovers, though, on the next track. “I Turn My Mind On You” is a great sounding, medium tempo, country song, that when I hear it, I wonder how it was never released as a single. Outside of the title track, this is the best song on the album.
As I have mentioned before, I’m not usually a fan of remakes or cover versions. However, I must say his version of “When The Grass Grows Over Me”, is good, comparable to George Jones’ hit version. On “Don’t Wake Me I’m Dreaming”, we get another example of a song that is okay, but nothing fantastic, yet, once again, Jack takes it and with his performance, takes an average song and makes it great.
1960′s-era albums will often contain several cover versions of songs that were popular around that same time, and this one is no different. In addition to the two already mentioned, the next four songs are also covers, as well. Merle Haggard’s “I Take A Lot Of Pride In What I Am”, Roy Orbison’s “Only The Lonely”, Jimmy C. Newman’s “Born To Love You”, and The Casino’s/Eddy Arnold hit, “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye”. With “I Take A Lot Of Pride In What I Am” and “Born To Love You”, you get recordings that are listenable; nothing really great or terrible, but not memorable, either. However, “Only The Lonely” is a different story. Jack’s version is as good as the Sonny James version that was a hit at that time, and frankly, had it not been a single for Sonny, it could have made a great hit for Jack. “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye” has a bit of a folk feel to it, completely different than the Casinos’ pop hit, or Eddy Arnold’s version, but it works pretty well.
The album finishes with the title cut, “Until My Dreams Come True”, an outstanding record that was a big hit in 1969.
Overall, I rate this album a 3 ½ out of 5. It’s an enjoyable album to listen to. It’s pretty consistent, as Jack gives his usual stellar performance, taking average songs and making them sound very good, and making great songs even better. Some songs are better than others, but no really bad ones on the album. If you like Jack Greene, you will definitely like this album. It will be worth your while to go searching for a copy.
