Released:
1998, Free Lunch, FL02 (UK)
March 2002, Free Lunch, FL02
(South Africa)

SA Rock Digest charts:
highest position: no entry yet
weeks on Top 20: na

Website:
Robin Auld

SA Rock Digest 11th March 2002:

Originally released in 1998 in the UK only, this CD is now available as a limited edition South African release.

'Dream Of Birds' was recorded and mixed between Novasonics in Hertfordshire, Mantrix Music in London and Lloyd Ross' Valley Studios in Joburg. While continuing the work with loops, it features the acoustic Celtic and country influences from Robin's solo work on the UK folk circuit. The song 'Queen of the river' became well known and has been covered by UK folk artists.

Review:
SA Rock Digest, 8th April 2002

Whenever I dream of birds, my wife usually wakes me up and asks me why I'm smiling, but I don't think Robin Auld had those kind of birds in mind when he gave his new album this title. However, listening to this album I also end up smiling, mainly due to the fact that Robin plays feel good folk blues and does so in that wonderful laid back style that is his trade mark.

'Dream of Birds' is the next installment in the quality albums career of Auld and will not disappoint established fans and should attract some new ones. It is a well-produced collection of mellow rock tunes, that could well be subtitled 'Music to Watch Sunsets to' as it has that tranquil feel to it. Even the back cover seems to acknowledge this as it has a picture of a sunset on it.

The album seems to have more of a blues feel to it than his previous offerings, and this is particularly so on 'Day I Said Goodbye' which features some fine guitar plucking and understated jaws harp. It conjures up images of the small band of musicians playing around a campfire on the banks of the Mississippi. Other stand out tracks are the opener 'Queen of the River' which is a flowing folky number and the bouncier 'Long Lost'.

Well it's getting late and I must head off to bed, hopefully to dream of birds, but now I will do so to a cool soundtrack of catchy folk blues rock which, when my wife wakes me up, she won't know for sure why I'm smiling.
-- John Samson, UK