I Often Dream of Trains In New York (Deluxe Version)

Robyn Hitchcock’s 1984 solo album I Often Dream of Trains is considered among his best. Its stripped-down acoustics would be emulated by an entire wave of “unplugged” recordings by other artists later in the decade and into the '90s. For this performance at New York City’s Symphony Space, Hitchcock follows in the tradition of artists performing their classic albums in their entirety. He recruited the fantastic multi-instrumentalists Tim Keegan and Terry Edwards to follow him through the quirks of this solid, iconoclastic work. The new live versions bring forth a sonic depth missing from the original modest recordings. The piano pins the melody of “Nocturne.” “Cathedral” and “Sounds Great When You’re Dead” use a spare weave. “Uncorrected Personality Traits” is still fascinating and weird, here performed as an a capella vocal trio piece. “I Used To Say I Love You” (with a humorous misstep), “Winter Love” (with guest vocalist Gaida Hinnawi), and “Autumn Is Your Last Chance” are genuinely pretty, resilient ballads. “Heart Full of Leaves” excels as a poignant instrumental.