This Week's Forgotten Gem of the '80s - Paul Brady's "Crazy Dreams"

Irish singer-songwriter Paul Brady has never quite become a household name across the Atlantic, but his influence on contemporary pop/rock has been substantial. In fact, I first heard Brady's sparkling composition "Crazy Dreams" through a cover version by folk/Americana singer-songwriter Lucy Kaplansky. Aside from the fact that she typically demonstrates impeccable taste in covers, this song fully earns the title of pop/rock masterpiece.

Joyous, conflicted and wonderfully human in its examination of the ongoing fight against loneliness, this track - which first appeared in 1981 on Brady's second solo album, Hard Station - accurately communicates Brady's smooth, accessible and completely dignified transition from a purveyor of Irish traditional music to a full-fledged pop/rock chameleon. Many of us probably didn't know it then, but Irish rock harbored more than just U2 among its well-kept early-'80s secrets. Unfortunately, Brady has remained an underrated musical genius while his fellow countrymen have become worldwide superstars. Still, don't let unjust obscurity keep you from experiencing Brady's insightful, eclectic pop.

• Sample or download Brady's 1981 recording of "Crazy Dreams" here.
• Sample or download Lucy Kaplansky's cover version of "Crazy Dreams" here.
• Compare prices on Paul Brady CDs here.

Album Cover Image Courtesy of Compass Records