Favorite music

For those unfamiliar, here are a couple of links. Seeing and hearing them is a treat, at least for me.

Hope it brings joy to other Audiogon members.

"I Believe In You," Live Off The Floor

"Surely," Live Off The Floor

My preferred collaboration is Lanois with Dylan on "Oh Mercy" - the result is sublime - "The Man in the Long Black Coat" is a masterpiece. Daniel worked again with U2 Vertigo but I felt that this revisited old ground rather than breaking new ground.

Lanois is Canadian, Eh!

It's Lanois's "The Beauty Of Wynona" that has left the greatest impression...I listen to it several times a year.

I went to high school with Chris Whitley in Vermont - what a great guitar player. Looks like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Thanks for the links, Albert

I'll second Lanois's own, "The Beauty of Wynona", and, "Acadie"

Shadorne,

I have both "Oh Mercy" and "Time Out Of Mind," hard for me to pick between the two, they are so different.

Yes, Lanois is Canadian, seems a good many of my favorite artists are from there.

Siddh,

It's Lanois's "The Beauty Of Wynona" that has left the greatest impression...I listen to it several times a year.

I agree, the LP is stunning. If you followed the link to "I Believe In You," about 38 seconds into the video the uncensored LP cover (non USA version) of "For The Beauty of Wynona" is framed and cleary visible on the wall behind Trixie.

That image is the work of Jan Saudek, the Czeck artist published by Aperture. I always wondered how Daniel choose that art for the cover. It's beautiful and disturbing at the same time.

My favorite track on that LP could easily be "The Collection of Marie Claire."

Jax2

I went to high school with Chris Whitley in Vermont - what a great guitar player. Looks like the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Thanks for the links, Albert

I'll second Lanois's own, "The Beauty of Wynona", and, "Acadie"

Amazing you went to school with Chris Whitley, that made me look him up:

Whitley was born in Houston, Texas. His father was an art director and his mother was a sculptor. He spent years in Dallas, Texas and then Oklahoma, Connecticut, Mexico and Vermont during his youth.

His parents "grew up on race radio in the South" and their musical tastes, which included Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, leading to Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix, influenced their son. Chris learned to play guitar when he was fifteen.

I know Chris spent four years in Belgium from '83 on. Trixie (22 years old now) was born there.

I've very much enjoyed Black Dub. I hope they do another project together.

Wow. I'm impressed at the talent that's out there.
"Black Dub" is my next venture in music for my collection.
Thanks Albert. John

Great thread Albert. These are artists dear to my musical taste and history.

Chris Whitley was truly special and I felt it the minute I heard the first notes of Living With the Law. I believe he was a roadie or guitar tech for Daniel Lanois around that time and Malcom Burn, Lanois protege, produced that record. It had southern blues swag and Hendrix licks...and magic. I was anxiously awaiting Din of Ecstasy and surprised at the ripping electric purple haze blaze. Those 2 were his finest moments and are up there in albums that most influenced me during that time. Around Terra Incognita he came to this little bar around the corner from me. It was a rainy night and I could not get anyone to go along so I went alone. There was maybe 100 people there and he proceeded to blast out a set that is up there with the best I have seen. It was tight,, intense and loud as hell. In fact it was the loudest show I have ever seen with exception of Twilight Singers at Webster hall a few months back. I swear he was channeling the ghost of Hendrix and had no idea he was that much of a guitar virtuoso. What a moment in life that was!

Brian Blade is easily one of my favorite drummers, right their with Danny Carey. So fluid and creative. Check out the Joni Mitchel video Shadows and Light for some great BB moments. Also some very cool footage of his Daniel Lanois sessions in the Here Is What Is video. Highly recommended for all Daniel Lanois fans!

I could go on and on about Daniel Lanois. I share Albert's love for The Collection of Marie Claire as one of my favorite Lanois moments. Im one to listen to more recent music these days but funny when I find myself reaching back to the past it's often Time Out of Mind or Wrecking Ball or Teatro or So or Acadie or Sling Blade OST....his name is on so many great records and I honestly cannot think of anyone who comes even close to those credits. Wow.

I was not hooked by Black Dub on the first few listens but lately have revisited it and the light came on for me. It's now worked it's way into pretty regular rotation and I think they have some real chemistry.

What amazing talent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1vZ3NIuJ3s&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7YtO08WMCI&feature=related

Daniel Lanois opened my eyes to the creative process of production when I first encountered his work with Brian Eno when they transformed U2 on Unforgettable Fire. Then I kind of forgot about him until Wrecking Ball came along and for the first time I became a big fan of a producer as a great artist. After that I searched out other stuff he collaborated on and followed that path and discovered a bunch of other music and artists like those mentioned above as well as his solo works. I never appreciated the impact a producer had on the finished product until Daniel taught me all about it. He is responsible for the sound and feel and aura of some of my favorite music and may be a true audiophile but on the creative front so we get to enjoy the result of recreating it later.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY0bhs4O6_w

Last one, thanks for letting me steer this off on Chris Whitley for a few....

Amazing you went to school with Chris Whitley, that made me look him up:

Yeah, Chris was a great guy. He hung with a rough crowd, but got along with everyone, and was well liked. He was one of those folks who was wise beyond his years. Smoked like a chimney, even back then, which I believe is what cut his life so short. He was pretty passionate about dirt bikes too - big Bultaco fan, which is what he was riding back then (late 70's). Being a rider, I loved the line from his debut album, from, Look What Love Has Done:

Used to be when things got tight
I could bid you a well bye bye
Riding some two-wheeled sex machine
Like I don't have to try

Of all his albums, that first one, Living with the Law, remains my favorite. Love the tune, Phone Call from Leavenworth. We actually had a second celebrity in our graduating class - along with Chris there was Melissa Leo who's gone on to become a truly great actress. Also mature beyond her years, and also well-liked. This was a "progressive" public school in Bellows Falls, Vermont. I say progressive because back then they had moved into a custom made building (that still houses the school) where the classrooms have no walls (just a big open warehouse like space that is divided with movable dividers). Other than that, it was just another public high school.

PS You can find more about Chris Whitley on his website. From there:

Chris Whitley has a special connection to Rockingham and Bellows Falls; he spent his teenage years with his mother, brother Daniel and sister Bridget in a cabin on a dirt road in the back hills of Rockingham. It's where he first picked up a guitar. And it is where he returned in the late nineties to record one of his most enduring cds, the gorgeously stark and somber DIRT FLOOR.

Check out Chris Whitley's album Dislocation Blues.
It is a collaboration with Jeff Lang, who is another another guitarist from Austrailia.
It is a great album.
Glen
On the subject of Daniel Lanois, Black Dub is awesome and I think Acadie is one of the great records of all time.
It has a mood.
You can really here is production style and see how he influenced so many artists.
Glen

I swear he was channeling the ghost of Hendrix and had no idea he was that much of a guitar virtuoso.

Another guitar great, Kelly Joe Phelps, dedicated a tune on his last album, Tunesmith Retrofit, to Whitley.

Richard - good call on, Shadows and Light - one of the great live performance albums Joni did. But I thought Don Alias was on drums for that performance? I'm sure I've listened to that album fifty times or more and could swear she introduces Don Alias on drums and congos. Was it different on the vids?

Marco you are correct. It's Painting With Words and Music that I have. I always get the titles mixed up. It's an intimate performance in the round thing. Great version of Amelia and Hejira which are 2 personal favorites. Thanks for keeping me straight!

Others have mentioned following Daniel Lanois work and discovering other artists. When I heard the album "Real Book Stories," I was immediately attracted and then discovered Brian Blade was part of this too.

Searching for LP of this work lead me to AAA in Germany who sells legal issues of half track, 15 IPS master dubs of this album.

After hearing it I gave AAA product of the year award at Positive Feedback. That same year Myles Astor gave The Tape Project the same honor.

Real Book Stories is Jazz, a natural for Brian Blade who has recorded with Joshua Redman, Wayne Shorter and Joni MItchell as already mentioned.

This work was released on LP in Europe on Quinton label. Here's a link to Quinton Austria that offer a few sound samples.

The master tape dub of "Real Book Stories" is one of my quality standards for listening. Real music and superb quality.

http://www.quintonrecords.com/index.php?id=16&tx_quintonrecordlist[release]=1

Thanks for keeping me straight!

Gotch'er back, bro'. Love, Amelia, as well. I'm also partial to her more, er, saccharine early work...one, your namesake; The Last Time I Saw Richard, last cut on, Blue (classic/flawless album - probably ties with Court and Spark as my favorite). All her early stuff gets to me, right through the mid-career jazz stuff. I think once she got to, Dog Eat Dog, she lost me. Nothing at all after that has quite the same power for me. I've never seen the vid you are talking about though. Send it on along with some of those stuffed peppers your wife makes! Word to Elvis and Omar.

Albert, every time I read your posts I find myself pining for a good turntable rig again. Kind of like a Pavlovian response, or a jones'n junkie. Digital is my methadone, but you know it ain't the same. Keeps me out of trouble though...

Great recommendation, Albert. Thanks so much.

Happy listening!

What a fantastic album !
Thanks Albert

I bought a second copy of Black Dub at Amazon for $13.95. That's two 180 gram LPs plus MP3 download with free shipping.

I paid double at Acoustic Sounds after shipping for my current copy.

Also bought Allison Krauss "Paper Airplane," good album and a bit more tame on high frequencies than her Mo Fi release.

Robbie Robertson never sounded better than with Daniel Lanois producing on "Robbie Robertson". 'Somewhere Down The Crazy River' is a favorite track for system evaluation.

I also like his "Belladonna" LP.

Great thread!

Jazdoc,

That album was my first experience with Daniel Lanois, I missed him on "The Band," not being a fan of their sound.

Richard Vandersteen gets credit for introducing Robbie Robertson and "Somewhere Down The Crazy River" to me. It was one of his favorite demo tracks. I bought two copies and still pull it out and listen after all these years.

It's approaching the 25 year anniversary of the collaboration of Daniel and Robbie on this LP and for me, it still holds up both musically and sonically.

My input doesn't get the recognition of the OP, and I know in posting this, I'll come across as a/an A--h---. I recommended this LP months ago. I'm glad that others are enjoying it now.

I purchased the Dislocation Blues album from the suggestion above and love it, thanks so much. As I mentioned, I have been a fan of CW for many years and have most of his recordings but did not have that one. I am deeply moved by it. You can hear the damage in his voice and the passion in his playing. The pairing with Jeff Lang is perfect. Also a stellar recording. Fantastic version of Changing of the Guard. I believe it was the last record Chris Whitley made.

Thanks Albert, thanks to you, that is a new favorite of mine as well. Please forward similar recommendations.

Be well!

Thanks Bjesien,

I don't think mentioned here but Daniel Lanois is also part of Peter Gabriel "So" and Harold Budd and Brian Eno ambient music such as "Pearl" from back in 1984.

http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-pearl-r799612

Daniel also produced and played on Bob Dylan "Oh Mercy," "Blood on the Track", and "Blonde on Blonde."

Dylan's comeback album, and a couple AMG refer to as "two of the most influential rock records ever released."

I loved Daniel Lanois art long before I realized his influence was all over the music I had chosen as my own.

The Daniel Lanois collaboration with Neil Young on last year's "Le Noise" was very interesting

Jazdoc,

I considered "Le Noise", I'm a fan of both Neil Young and Daniel Lanois. Granted I did not hear it properly but sample tracks at AMG and Amazon did not inspire me to buy.

A search for the LP turned up amazingly steep prices and I forgot about it after that.

Did you buy it? Like it?

A quick correction, he produced/played on Dylan's Time Out Of Mind and Oh Mercy, not Blonde on Blonde or Blood On The Tracks. All great albums!

Not that anyone asked but I do not care too much for Le Noise. Both artists have done much much better work and I had hoped for more from the collaboration. I actually find it quite boring and monotonous.