I Can Dream About You

One of Dan Hartman's most essential solo albums came in 1984, when the late singer/composer signed with MCA and produced I Can Dream About You with Jimmy Iovine. This is primarily a pop/rock album, but it's a pop/rock album with a fair amount of urban contemporary/dance-pop appeal. Though Hartman was a member of a major '70s rock act, the Edgar Winter Group, he also had strong R&B and disco credentials -- 1979's "Instant Replay" and 1980's "Relight My Fire" both received a lot of airplay on R&B stations. And this excellent album finds Hartman showing his enthusiasm for R&B on pop/rock gems that range from the hit title song and the anthemic "We Are the Young" to the Motown-tinged "Name of the Game" and the new wave-ish "Electricity," which he co-wrote with Labelle graduate Nona Hendryx. Most of the songs, however, were written by Hartman and partner Charlie Midnight, who proves to be as valuable to Hartman as Iovine -- a studio heavyweight who is known for his work with everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Stevie Nicks. Hartman, Midnight, and Iovine all do their part to make I Can Dream About You the focused, consistently rewarding album that it is. ~ Alex Henderson