Mother Nature

First off, "Dream Come True" is maybe the most beautiful ballad ever. Why Lanni's lesser "Lost in You," which he recorded with Sheriff, came back from the dead instead of this pearl seems just plain unfair. Otherwise, this collection plays even more polished than Frozen Ghost's still-quirky debut, whereupon the Canadian duo established a superior level of professionalism and skill that works against the tunes this time around. Except for the Fixx-like first single, "Round and Round," there exists nothing simple about any of these songs. Nice Place to Visit almost echoes a new age atmosphere – i.e., dealing with outer (the memorable "Mother Nature") and inner ("Perfect World") solace. It's hard to recommend this CD to scratch any particular musical itch, but "Dream Come True" on a mixed tape could make anybody fall in love with you.

The third and last album by Rupert Hine under the disguise of the ghost group Thinkman, Hard Hat Zone walks away from the subjects of media manipulation and information games. Most of the pieces, still written by Hine with lyrics by Jeannette Obstoj, deal with environmental themes, with titles like "Mother Nature's Angry" and "November Whale" being quite explicit. The tone becomes vehement but also preachy in the solemn "Take Them to the Traitors' Gate," dedicated to Prince Charles (his involvement with environmental causes was avant-gardist at a time when it was not yet fashionable). The songs don't have the impact and hook-laden melodies of those on The Formula, but the singer/producer still did a good job…