Dave Rave - Anthology 1 (CD)

All Music Guide

The first of two compilations of Dave Rave music put together by producer Lisa Miller of Canada's Bullseye Records is a fascinating look into the creative mind of Dave Rave (aka Dave DesRoches). Anthology, Vol. 1 The Hot Tunes is a complex overview of Rave's equally complex career. The 21 tracks on the first volume have a lot of great melody and performance to absorb in one sitting. "Madeline Says" is very Britrock and highly enjoyable, while "So Invisible" generates the same feelings with a totally different groove. Rave's exgirlfriend Trixie A. Balm writer for Creem magazine who later turned back into her true self, Lauren Agnelli of the band Nervus Rex is mesmerizing with him on the uptempo pop song. A critic could spend hundreds of words dropping the names involved and gushing over the material, but there's so much written information in the two 16page booklets it's sufficient to give these packages the thumbs up and let the listener make discoveries on his/her own. The disc open...s and closes with two new recordings, "Rock the Party" and "Nicki," respectively, solid slices of rock by Rave's Charmers, fitting in perfectly with the marvelous history chronicled here. "When Patti Rocks" still sounds great years after it found its way on various releases while "The Weight of the World" certainly could've been a hit for the Hollies or the Dave Clark Five. The label treats this music as if it were made by the Beatles, and that's a good thing, the commentary on each track, from Rave, Coyote Shivers, Gary Pig Gold, and other participants gives the listener plenty to read while exploring this dizzying array of sounds. One can understand the frustration of being a serious musician in a world of major labels that were clueless when all this began unfolding. These 30th Anniversary anthology releases of Dave Rave's career in the music biz are treasures in the truest sense of the word and hold many revelations; Mitch Easter's exquisite production on 1995's "Dreamin' After the Movies" track just one of them. - Joe Viglione, All Music Guide Read more Less