It is my absolute pleasure to inform you that this music review is being composed because of one man’s love for his horse. As a matter of fact, the very first song on I’m Dreaming — a 15-track album put out by Chris St. John, otherwise known as Christopher McGuire — was inspired by the special animal that he met and purchased on a cattle roundup on Bighorn Mountain. And its name is Reagan.
If you were to check out John’s website, you’d immediately be met with images of Reagan, as well as a link to a story about the beautiful horse. “This is him arriving in New York!” shares John on the site. “I wrote my song, ‘I Need a Horse’ about him, and after I produced it, I was inspired to create my soon to be released album. He started it all.” If you are getting the sense that I’m Dreaming is an autobiographical album, then you are right.
“In a vulnerable way, it lays bare my journey, including joys and sorrows,” elaborates John. “The songs which recount troubled times always come back to perseverance, hope and optimism.” Out of the 15 tracks on the album, 13 are original compositions. Out of the remaining two, one can be described as a musical interlude while the other is a lovely cover of “Peggy O’” by the Grateful Dead. But the rest of the songs are about the life and dreams of Chris St. John.
As the songs have been written over a period of 30 years, some of the topics include: losing love at a young age; the birth of his son; life with his wife of 27 years; a serious illness that put John in a medically induced coma; the loss of his parents as well as a young relative; alcohol addiction and recovery; and, among other things, about a gift from his grandmother that he intends to return.
Simply put, Chris St. John put out a thoroughly beautiful album; everything about I’m Dreaming is very, very well done. From his message of hope to his impressive skills as a musician, there is a lot to appreciate on the record. Check out more from the artist on SoundCloud, catch up with him on Facebook, and check out his work on YouTube.
Note* Album provided for objective review by our partners.