Pat Benatar's voice keeps getting stronger, and guitarist-producer Neil Geraldo's ideas and riffs keep getting sharper, but only to a point. Wide Awake in Dreamland, Benatar's first album after a long layoff, is full of wry energy, yet it seems stunted; the production is far better than the songwriting. The title suggests a hardheaded ride, but most of Wide Awake in Dreamland coasts easily, its optimism unearned and unwarranted. And in almost every song, ridiculous images appear, pulling the plug on whatever energy the band has stirred up. (RS 535)

JIMMY GUTERMAN