TRACK FRAGMENTS:
1.) “Cartesian Dream” – This track opens with one set of cello arrangements underneath a violin arrangement.  As the violin arrangement progresses it gets a very dramatic sound to it.  All of this in combination with one another gives the whole opening a very dramatic over the top feel.  There was a small musical rest that connects the pre-orchestrated intro with the main musical intro.  There is a small musical rest that leads into a huge drum fill.  Over the top of the drum fill and drum line there is the sweetest musical guitar hook of any song I believe I have ever heard!  As the intro progresses everything comes together and builds one musical masterpiece!  The guys used the same rhythm for the musical verse as the rhythm guitar of the intro.  The way verse was arranged was lyric line/them music line/lyric line music line/…etc…James writing the verse this way really draws you in as the listener.  There is a small bass drum change for the musical pre-chorus.  The guys also change the rhythm guitar riff however it is the bass drum you will notice.  The way the backing harmonies of the chorus where recorded gives them an off in the distance sound.  Maybe it is because they were echoed.  There is a small drum fill after the second chorus this drum fill leads into the solo.  Right in the middle of the solo there is a drum fill solo.  There is a minor lead guitar solo underneath the last chorus of the outro section.  The outro ended with an orchestrated violin section.
2.) “Born To Be Your Baby” – The intro to this track opens with a simple hand slide before going into a very straightforward eighties influenced guitar riff.  Underneath the eighties riff B.J. plays several huge drum fills.  The way some of the tom-tom fills where recorded has them flying out through only the left speaker.  Though this is nothing production wise spectacular, or nothing that has never been done before.  It does however give the intro a great sound.  Over the top of the eighties influenced guitar riff a second guitar kicks-in.  This guitar kicks-in with a pick-slide that leads into a couple minor lead guitar licks.  There is a small drum fill connecting the musical intro with the musical verse.  There is a drastic musical change for the musical verse.  The hi-hat rhythm of the drum line was done with a sixteenth-note hi-hat rhythm.  This timing change gave the musical verse a syncopated feel.  The musical switch for the pre-chorus switched the song back to a 4/4 sound.  As the pre-chorus progresses the vocals build-up to the vocal hook of the chorus.  I expected a very big intense lead guitar solo which never came.  There is a small breakdown section after the chorus after the solo.  This breakdown section connects that chorus with the outro. 
3.) “Desert Rain” – This track opens with I believe an Indian chat.  This leads into a former President George W. Bush speech.  The short speech is about, what else Iraq.  There is a small Indian like chant underneath all of this.  Out of left field the musical intro kicks-in.  The musical intro opens kicks-in with a blistering rhythm guitar riff over the top of a tom-tom pattern.  There are three lead licks that build with intensity after each one that lead into a minor lead guitar solo.  The band switches the rhythm guitar riff to exactly what a rhythm guitar riff is.  Over the top of the rhythm guitar and underneath the lead vocal lines the band added a small keyboard arrangement.  This arrangement is used to give the musical verse a more full sound.  There is a small rhythm change for the musical chorus.  I noticed the first lyric of the chorus was echoed.  James wrote a huge hook for the lyrical chorus.  There is a small drum fill connecting the first chorus with the second verse.  The lead guitar solo kicks-in underneath the last lyric line of the second chorus.  The solo was perfect for this type of song!!  The drum fill that connects the first chorus with the second verse was also used to connect the lead guitar solo with the third chorus.   There is a minor lead guitar solo over the top of the outro section.        
4.) “Sweet September” – This semi-ballad opens with a small keyboard chord.  There is a small insect effect connecting the keyboard chord with an acoustic guitar arrangement.  There are small musical rests within the acoustic arrangement that consisted of a drum lick.  The acoustic riff of the intro was also used for the musical verse.  The only difference was the band added a piano arrangement to fill-in the gaps of the acoustic.  The drum & bass line kicks-in at the first lyric line of the verse.  Chorus had a Bad English – “When I See You Smile” feel to it.  Much like the chorus the lead guitar solo had a very laid back melodic feel to it. 
5.) “Bangin’” – This intro consisted of a lead guitar effect over the top of a tom-tom/snare drum pattern.  The main musical intro consisted of a minor lead guitar solo over the top of an eighties hard rock intro section.  There is a small rhythm guitar change for the musical verse.  Musically the intro a musical verse was very reminiscent of the stuff the guys wrote on their last release.  There is a small rhythm change along with a backing harmony section for the musical pre-chorus.  The chorus musically and lyrically was classical eighties hard rock!!  There is a minor lead guitar solo connecting the first chorus with the second verse.  The major solo is after the second chorus.  The breakdown section is a broken down chorus arrangement. 
6.) “A Simple Plan” – This track opens with a clean electric guitar arrangement underneath a backing harmony section.  At first the intro takes on a Brain Wilson influence.  Which I was very glad to hear!  This leads into a sixteenth-note cymbal crash and bass line.  There is a small drum fill that leads into the electric guitar riff overdub.  Though the musical verse has a good mixture of clean & distorted guitar sounds it however sounds nothing like Brian Wilson.  The way James arranged the backing harmonies of the pre-chorus & chorus is what made the song for me!  After the first the musical arrangement reverts back to the intro section.  The lead guitar solo is after the third chorus the way the guys arranged the song has the solo running under several lyric lines of the outro chorus.      
7.) “Never Look Back” – Outside of the chorus which I thought sounded like a lot of House of Lords earlier stuff the rest of this track was abstract as hell.  As a early House Of Lords fan this song just confused me.  Here is what I will say with the songs that are on this one James could have left it off.
8.) “The Bigger They Come” – From the intro up through the outro this track was nothing but balls to the walls House Of Lords!
9.) “Repo Man” – This track opens with a single rhythm guitar riff.  About two measures into the intro James sings a vocal accent which kicks-in the rest band.  There is a minor lead guitar solo over the top of this half of the intro.  This minor solo had a much laid back melodic feel.  The last note of the minor solo signifies the opening verse.  There is a small rhythm change for the musical verse.  I don’t know if they really change the actually arrangement as opposed to slowing it down.  I loved the way the rhythm guitar and the lyric lines worked together.  There is a small rhythm change for the musical chorus.  It sounded as if there was a female vocalist singing lead over the backing vocals for the choruses.  The lead guitar solo was short but suited the song perfectly.  There is a musical breakdown section after the lead guitar solo.  There is a small spoken vocal that ends the song. 
10.) “Saved By Rock” – You can just tell by the name of this song it is going to be a classic!  This intro opens with a simple rhythm riff over the top tom-tom pattern.  Maybe two measures into the intro there is a small lead vocal accent.  After the vocal accent the intro continues for one more measure before there is a musical that consisted of a small minor lead guitar solo.  There is a small musical change connecting the intro with the musical verse.  This musical change consisted of two snare drum fills.  There was a musical change for the musical verse.  The pre-chorus was butt right up against the verse.  The musical chorus had a mid-eighties Y&T feel to it.  The lead guitar solo is after the second chorus.  The chorus had that huge eighties hard rock sound to it.  
11.) “Joanna”-  This is eighties hard rock 101 only without a guitar solo!!!
12.) “The Train”(bonus track) –There is the a small synthesized keyboard effect that opens this track (the best explanation the way this sounds is the opening of Whitesnakes –“Is This Love"). The actual song kicks off with a hi-hat pattern that goes into an acoustic guitar riff.  I am listening to this through headphones so I’m not %100 sure but it sounded as is the acoustic guitar was double tracked.  There is a minor electric lead guitar solo over the top of the main musical into.  It is also at this time when the band kicks-in.  Though the band kicks-in they keep the acoustic guitar for the musical verse.  For the musical pre-chorus the band keeps the electric however they use it just as a fill-in instrument.  There is a minor lead guitar solo that follows along with the lyric lines of the chorus.  In a lot of way this track reminded me of Paul Shortino.  Once you hear this song you will fall in love with it!!!!
    
     ‘Cartesian Dream’ marks House Of Lords seventh studio release in twenty-one years. One could say that seven albums in twenty-one years just does not compute. Well, it doesn’t if you are not going by the original music business blueprint of (year 1. Record an album/do a tour/ year 2. Record an album do a tour/etc…That is unless you’re a top seller then that blueprint is record an album in 6 months/tour for 18th to 24 month).
     Call it line-up changes, changes within the songwriting combinations or just changes within James Christian himself however the songwriting from their first two releases in comparison to their last five has been like daylight & dark. Much like, ‘World Upside Down’ (released Aug.28, 2007) & ‘Come To My Kingdom’ (released Oct. 7, 2008) the writing style of ‘Cartesian Dream’ are equally as good. If you are a fan of House Of Lords especially the stuff they’ve released the last couple of years then you will also like this one. So buy it you will not be let down!