Music Review | William Paul: Horse Dreams
Written by: Kage Alan

Album Rating: A

Instrumentals have always fascinated me, especially in New Age music, because I always wondered how the songs came by their titles.  Weren’t lyrics what inspired the names of each track?  If so, then how did one name an instrumental?  I found a clue with the New Age group Tangerine Dream (back when I was 15 years old) when I picked up their soundtrack to “Legend.” It was some time before I ever saw the film, but I new the music and it captivated me the same way artists like Vangelis and David Arkenstone have over the years.  Yes, I finally realized that these artists had themes that became soundtracks of sorts to what they saw in their mind when writing their compositions.  There’s a purity in that, I believe.

So, what does any of this have to do with William Paul’s “Horse Dreams”?  Whereas Tangerine Dream’s “Legend” evoked the mythology and imagery of Unicorns, “Horse Dreams” shares some of that same mythology in each of its thirteen compositions.  This isn’t to say that William Paul copied the Dream’s work at all so much as it feels to me that they both tapped into something very powerful that also has some universality to it.  And if there is anybody capable of writing and recording a present-day soundtrack journey inspired by the horse, it’s Paul.

With decades of composing, singing, playing and touring experience to draw on for his first solo album, William Paul begins our journey with “Dance of the Unicorn.” It’s a lush composition that is both layered and instantly memorable without becoming bogged down by over-complexity.  Rather than do a track-by-track replay for all of the other tracks, allow me to point out some of my favorites, though this by no means should indicate that I skip over any tracks when listening to the CD.  I don’t.  Two compositions that come immediately to mind are “Arabians in the Desert” and “Asian Moon Mare.” I wondered how Paul would tackle two vastly different cultures within the music.  Fortunately, he does so with ease and celebrates not only the animals themselves, but also the musical motifs from their respective homelands.

“Magic Ponies” offers a spirited waltz that evokes the carefree spirit of a horse the majority of us have grown up enjoying.  After “spicing” things up with riffs in the uplifting “Violet Spirit,” Paul lends a very delicate touch to “Angel Foal,” who he dedicates to his daughter.  While there are elements that tie each of the songs together to create the whole of “Horse Dreams,” each melody is given a life unto itself.  This is a tremendous strength for the album, especially considering the diverse number of horses both mythical and real that are being written about.

William Paul has great affection for the animal that inspired the album and approaches the material with sincerity and respect.  “Horse Dreams” is a labor of love and while the final composition, “Fallen Horse Tribute,” is essentially one of sadness, it does mirror history and in doing so promises beauty in the birth of what is yet to come.  This is a wonderful album and one can only hope that “Horse Dreams” is just the beginning of a successful solo career for this gifted musician.