The Rascals "Once Upon A Dream" 1968

If you bring up the Rascals in conversation with me, you are pretty darn cool.  However, very few people do.  I still remember the first time I heard this album.  My old buddy PJ let me borrow this on vinyl back in 2004 or 2005.  I think he said his dad gave it to him.  Albums by bands that had really big hits in the mid 60’s and then progressed have always fascinated me.  I guess you could say that about a million bands but it’s the albums like this that are really neat.  What I like about it is that it keeps that classic “Rascals” sound but expands on it in not only a profound way, but a cool way.  It’s not like they just put a bunch of stings and horns and harps on their existing sound and then called it “forward thinking” music.  This is heartfelt and rockin', dark and reassuring. 

                The first thing that hit me about this record was how murky it sounded.  Where did they record this, under somebody’s house?  It’s like a cloud garden and each song is like a puff of smoke rising out of a long forgotten fire.    

There is also an easy going quality to this album.  Sometimes it reminds me of a relaxing day.  Of course there are two kinds of relaxing days: the ones you have to try to make relaxing, and the ones that are relaxing all by themselves.  This album is the latter.  “Easy Rollin” feels like you are driving 50 mph on a smooth highway. That classic “Rascals’ organ” smooths everything out nicely and makes it feel like the wind is gently blowing your hair.  Nothing feels forced on this record; everything is a logical progression from their earlier sound.  I also love the ending of this song where the tape slows down and the organ falls. 

“Rainy Day” is a gorgeous slice of orchestral grandiosity mixed with unpolished vocals, and…wait for it…syrup.  It’s just enough though.  “Syrup” or “Syrupy” usually has a connotation of something overly sweet on an album.  Not here.  If you were eating pancakes, you could compare the syrup factor to about ¼ of the way into your meal.  That is the point where you are still really digging the sweetness, but aren’t sick of it yet.  I also really dig the bridge where everything speeds up for a few bars.  It feels like some 50’s action adventure safari soundtrack.  Just lovely. 

What strike me about “Please Love Me” (my wife’s favorite) and “It’s Wonderful” are the background vocals.  They are wonderfully high and piercing.  I think what I like about them is that they feel like regular guys singing with their regular voices.  These aren't the angelic tones of the Beach Boys or the silky smoothness of The Association that I usually get caught up in.  These are very functional background vocals.  It’s like they were in the studio and said, “Can you sing the lyric ‘please’ really high and shrilly? You can? Great!  Go do it, and then do the same thing on “It’s Wonderful.”  And just like that, the background vocals were done.  As I have stated in other reviews, it is that lack of pretension that makes it feel so raw and compelling. 

                When I think of this album, I find that songs from the first side tend to pop into my head first.  The songs are a little punchier and to the point.  However, the second side has some very pretty songs that are very much of their time.  “Sattva” with its sitar and chants of “this is love” is pure 1968.  But it’s the second part of the song that blends the more straight forward Rascals’ sound with the hook.  I think the real accomplishment here is that they didn’t just try to just do an “Indian” song.  They blended it successfully with their own sound, making it something much more special. 

Tones:  There are several songs that feature some very jazzy saxophone playing by King Curtis.  Most bands that incorporated sax into their sound did so in more of a honking R&B way.  The Rascals were able to explore jazz elements, which was rare in the late 60’s.  The jazz accents are one reason I find this record so compelling and original.  When you listen to bands like The Beatles and the Beach Boys, you hear them pushing boundaries, but not in the way the Rascals do.  The Rascals would move in this direction even more as they moved into the 70’s.

Cover Note:  The inside says that the drummer, Dino Danelli, was responsible for the cover.  I feel like this is an interesting cover, but I wouldn’t want to see these artifacts in person.  It’s very grey/blue, and if my mind did not attach the artifacts to the music, I would be uncomfortable.  I also have to say that the gatefold on this record (and all my late period Rascals’ records) is extremely high quality, and has/have held up nicely. 

Price Paid:  $3.00 and I have gotten so much joy out of this one.  It isn’t a terribly hard one to find either. 

Bottom Line:  This was one of the first records I found that was not an obvious classic.  It took me a few listens before I really fell in love with it and I think the same was true for my wife.  She never made any comments about the record until I had been playing it for a few days.  After that, she had all kinds of things to say.  For example, she can’t decide if she likes or dislikes the sped up vocals at the end of “It’s Wonderful.”  I find that fascinating and it gives us something to talk about each time we listen together with our son.  My wife and I have also had a great time singing, “I’m Gonna Love You Any Way I Can” to our boy.  You can totally get away with playing this one around your family.  They’ll love it.  It’s wonderful.