' s ▁more ▁pol ished ▁work , ▁lack ing ▁his ▁usual ▁lyr ical ▁word play ▁and ▁musical ▁s oph istic ation , ▁but ▁the ▁intensity ▁of ▁the ▁em otion ▁keeps ▁it ▁interesting ." ▁Ken ▁Cap ob ian co ▁of ▁The ▁Boston ▁Glo be ▁felt ▁that ▁The - D ream ▁shares ▁" to o ▁much " ▁with ▁the ▁more ▁" conf essional " ▁album ▁and ▁said ▁that ▁" his ▁usual ▁sens ual ▁production ▁and ▁del icious ▁hook s ▁are ▁missing , ▁but ▁the ▁ra wer ▁musical ▁approach ▁serves ▁the ▁lyr ics ' ▁edges ." ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁critic ▁Jon ▁Car aman ica ▁wrote , ▁" Th ese ▁songs ▁aren ’ t ▁much ▁more ▁than ▁mel od ic ▁r ants , ▁but ▁that ’ s ▁enough ▁for ▁Mr . ▁Nash , ▁who ’ s ▁never ▁been ▁a ▁force ful ▁singer , ▁but ▁whose ▁talent ▁for ▁cr am ming ▁odd ball ▁tw ists ▁into ▁R & B ▁remains ▁un par alle led ." ▁Robert ▁Christ g au ▁gave ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁a ▁three - star ▁honor able ▁mention ▁in ▁his ▁consumer ▁guide ▁for ▁MS N ▁Music , ▁indicating ▁" an ▁enjoy able ▁effort ▁consum ers ▁att un ed ▁to ▁its ▁overrid ing ▁a est h etic ▁or ▁individual ▁vision ▁may ▁well ▁tre asure ." ▁He ▁c ited ▁" W ed ding ▁Cr ash er " ▁and ▁" U sed ▁to ▁Be " ▁as ▁highlight s , ▁although ▁he ▁also ▁sum med ▁the ▁album ▁up ▁with ▁the ▁jud g ement ▁that ▁" l iving