Guardian Review of Dream Dogs

Dream Dogs was reviewed by Doug Gallant of the Guardian.

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For many members of the Charlottetown Festival company, the music does not stop when the curtain comes down.

Several have musical careers outside of the theatre as composers, arrangers, producers and session musicians.

A smaller but still impressive number have pursued their passion to create new music all the way into the recording studio to put their stamp on a CD.

The first time I heard Hatty sing I was in high school and Hatty, who had already carved out something of a regional reputation, had come to P.E.I. to front the premiere local band of the day.

That band, which began its musical journey as Storm before evolving into A Moment’s Sunlight, was already a powerhouse but needed more muscle in the vocal department.

That Hatty had what they needed became apparent the first night they played together.

Barely three bars into the first song the hair on the back of my neck stood up . . . I got goose bumps . . . there was a rush of blood to my head.

More than 30 years later Hatty can still have that impact on people, something he's clearly demonstrated as a featured artist in Canada Rocks: The Hits Musical Review, The British Invasion and America Strikes Back: British Invasion II.

Hatty, whose storied career has included a period as lead singer of The Guess Who, has been blessed with an extraordinary voice.

Power, range, versatility, he’s got it all.

What he hasn’t had for some time, however, is an album to showcase it.

He now has that, too.

Dream Dogs, Hatty’s long promised CD, has just been released.

Some three years in the making, Dream Dogs features 10 original songs Hatty either wrote or co-wrote, seven in collaboration with bass player Russ Boswell. Charlottetown’s Chas Guay also shared writing credits on one track, Trash Mahal. The other two, I Want To Follow and Starstruck, are solo pennings.

The material, written over the space of several years, is an artful blend of rock, pop and jazz and is consistently strong throughout.

Dream Dogs is an album of many moods.

Away From the Things of Man is contemplative, with a sweetness and lightness that is calming. Clouds #3 has an ethereal feel. Starstruck is serious and intense. The title track is quirky and fun. So, too, is The Ballad of The Bat Boy and The Water Boy.

Hatty co-produced the album with Boswell, who also laid down all the bass tracks.

Several other stellar players played on the album: guitarists Tony Zorzi and Rusty McCarthy, drummer Bruce Moffet and keyboard player Rob Gussevs.

Choice cuts on this set include Away From the Things of Man, Blue Blue Child, Dream Dogs, Starstruck and Trash Mahal.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.