Daniel Lanois Albums (7)
What The Critics Say
Here Is What Is is the soundtrack to a documentary film of the same name that basically follows artist Daniel Lanois around the world for a year. The album was originally released in late 2007 from Lanois Red Floor records website in DRM-free download versions -- the same price was charged for both the MP3 and FLAC lossless versions. The street date for the CD was March 17, 2008, along with the DVD and a few select screenings of the actual film. The CD comes alone, or in a deluxe, numbered, 3,000-copy "Goldtop Edition" which contains both the CD and an extended cut of the film -- more than an hour of extra footage, a Moleskine Cahier notebook embossed with the title, and three of 12 collectible 5x7 photographs (one signed by Lanois) for $59.99. Ultimately, while packages are nice for the sake of the collector and super fan, and the download concept is great -- offering two different resolutions for the same price (DRM-free of course, take that iTunes) -- it's the music that matters. There are 18 cuts here, some new tracks, and some different versions of old ones. There are a slew of familiar names in the "band" here including Brian and Brady Blade, Garth Hudson, and Daryl Johnson, among others. After a brief and strange opening narration by Brian Eno ("Chest of Drawers") -- who is perhaps the aural cousin of filmmaker Wim Wenders when it comes to ponderous nonsense -- Lanois offers an alternate version of "Where Will I Be." The song was first recorded by Emmylou Harris on Wrecking Ball, which he produced as well as wrote. It's a beautiful song, but this version pales in comparison to Harris', and one wonders why he even bothered. There are more dialogues between Lanois and Eno, and the songs feel more like afterthoughts. While the title cut and "Not Fighting Anymore" are interesting, they are far from compelling. Supposedly this is a film about beauty, but the music here, while pleasant, certainly doesn't come across as the intimate creation that the demos that made up Acadie is, or the harsher yet melodic, blasted rock and rhythm soundscapes appearing on For the Beauty of Wynona are. This is drift-along-in-the-background music. Lanois feels less and less like a songwriter, and more like someone who has sketches of ideas for them but which no longer come off as such. "Harry" has moments where it might become a real song, but then it jumbles itself up in its rambling bridge. "Lovechild" is a mess that can't make up its mind what it wants to be -- an ambient piece, a country ballad, a soft rock song, a psychedelic sound world -- and it goes on for over eight-and-a-half minutes. "Duo Glide" is the limpest attempt ever at offering a portrait (albeit a willfully impressionist one) of a Harley Davidson motorcycle in song, and "Bladesteel" resembles anything but its title as it shimmers along a set of less than colorful pedal steel country clichés, albeit with some admittedly compelling drum work by Brian Blade. The bottom line in all of this is that Here Is What Is can only be for the truly hardcore Lanois fan. These 18 tracks are merely that; not an album that stands on its own. They don't hold together as a listening experience, and what's worse is the set feels like it goes on for eternity. This is a disappointment; it doesn't feel like art so much as simply over-indulgence. If you like having that pillowy cluster of warm sounds that don't really go anywhere on and have no particular purpose in your ear, then this might be for you. If you still hold Lanois' earlier recordings to a high ideal, this may indeed frustrate you because it offers considerably more evidence that Lanois has lost his way as a musician. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Rockets is a collection of unreleased demos, live and rehearsal tracks, and leftovers. It was created as a "renegade CD" to be sold only at gigs and on Daniel Lanois' website. Lanois is a meticulous producer, so the rough and ready -- even raw -- nature of much of this is startling. That said, his leftovers are often more desirable than the choice material of other songwriters. The consistency of the material is the only guiding thread to what's here. And there are no credits; one has to go to the artist's website to get track-by-track information. The spectral, spare pedal steel instrumental "JJ Leaves LA" -- recorded live in Dublin with drummer Brian Blade -- is haunting and bittersweet. On the ragged, distorted whomp of "Sweet Soul Honey," tempos shift and slip, as Lanois is accompanied by Blade (and the sound from his guitar amp bleeds copiously into the drum mikes) and a big bass Indian drum walks the entire proceeding on a razor wire. This could have been an outtake from For the Beauty of Wynona. The title track is an edited live guitar-and-drum wanker jam, but that's OK since Lanois never really does them. The live "Devil's Bed" doesn't replace the studio version; with pedal steel this track takes a countrified approach. The live version of "The Maker" has a subtle three-part harmony, and was recorded at Joshua Tree. It's supposed to evoke or pay tribute to Gram Parsons, but it doesn't really feel that way. The coolest thing here is a read of his "Stormy Sky," which was originally cut for the Lanois-produced Willie Nelson record Teatro and features Nelson, Emmylou Harris, and Lanois in a skittering arrangement that doesn't quite work but is fascinating nonetheless. "Space Kay" is another experiment in guitar/drum studio trickery, but this one works. With a weird, elegiac, hunted sound, it has teeth. Since not that much work went into the packaging or production of Rockets, and it consists of leftovers, it would have been nice if the price reflected that, but for Lanois fans, this is most likely all essential. At the very least it's like a curious, mysterious page read out of context from a diary, and for that reason alone it's worth hearing. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Right from the onset of "Two Worlds" it's a refreshing splash in the face to hear Daniel Lanois' pedal steel playing dance around a bed of guitar feedback; it serves as a reference point to some of his work on U2's The Joshua Tree. Like 2003's Shine, Belladonna reveals a side of Lanois that is a treat to see. The vulnerable, contemplative side that was such a critical element to his work with Brian Eno is more than evident, and his slide guitar playing also highlights just how important his contributions were to the notable releases of Eno's solo catalog. The interplay between musicians on the full ensemble tracks is focused and meticulous, with each member knowing exactly when to play and more importantly, when not to. But above all this, it's Lanois' guitar that tells the story and is the anchor of the 13-song cycle; a homage to a lost love with Latin and desert country influences embedded within the center of the record. It's every bit as focused and accomplished as anything in Lanois' catalog, and die-hard fans will be wanting more long after the disc winds down. ~ Rob Theakston, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Thirty seconds into "I Love You," the first track off of Shine, Daniel Lanois' warm, watery guitar signature is already unmistakable, even before his voice entwines ecstatically with Emmylou Harris'. Shine is the third Lanois album to appear under his own name, and his first in a decade. What is immediately startling about Shine is how spare it is. There is a plethora of sounds and textures to be sure, but they are suspended in space, looking not outside to communicate but toward the heart as a mirror, as if to make certain that the music played is not necessarily accurate but is true. Folk, country, blues, psychedelia, and atmosphere are wound together into an inseparable knot. Lanois played almost all of the instruments here, with the exception of drums, handled by Brian Blade and occasionally his brother, Brady. Other musicians, such as longtime musical collaborator Malcolm Burn and bassist Darryl Johnson, make appearances. Beginning with "I Love You," with its acceptance and pleading need (lent great credence by Harris' singing) and on into "Falling at Your Feet," a duet co-written with U2's Bono during the All That You Can't Leave Behind sessions, to the third track, "As Tears Go By," with a sampled guitar line by blues guitar legend Charley Patton, it is clear that Lanois is writing from a place more vulnerable, more spiritually conscious, and yet more strident than ever before. Where Acadie was full of warmth and intimacy, it felt like a collection of songs that had been assembled from many sessions. For the Beauty of Wynona, with all of its experimentation and poetic songwriting, was a far more unified project, but it was reliant on its wide-ranging sonic attack to support those adventurous words and melodies. Here, everything is balanced; the scope is small, close, and textured by pedal steel guitars, very organic percussion, and Lanois' voice way up front. On the instrumentals, such as "Transmitter," "Matador," "Space Kay," and the closer, "JJ Leaves La," the same whispering feel is evident. The songs on Shine feel like confessions, prayers even, not only to a superior being, but to lovers, full of brokenness and the willingness to learn and heal; they are wrapped in the soil of North America, from Montreal to Mexico; they feel rooted in not only the earth, but in spirituality and a willingness to open to the forces of the heart itself. The instrumentals create a sense of movement through time and space to anchor the intent of the vocal tracks. His instincts are nearly perfect: When the weight of a particular series of songs begins to move the listener too far in one direction, an instrumental or two appears, allowing one to drift in its ambience for a short time. After a pair of instrumentals ("Matador" and "Space Kay"), "Slow Giving" and "Fire" are hymns to unseen angels who may indeed represent living characters or those who've passed after imparting some gift. Clearly Lanois' protagonist relies on them heavily in the dark times with a lyricism that is sophisticated, literate, poetic, and soulful. That's a rare combination. The album closes with the pedal steel tune "JJ Leaves LA." The steel guitar was Lanois' first instrument, and its gentility and sweetness are tempered only by its pervasive melancholy, leaving the listener with a sense of bittersweet longing and a sense that some kind of story has been told, a series of snapshots have been shown that reveal something, postcards have been sent and arrived unexpectedly, and the only way to unravel the mystery is play the record again. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
If you ever needed a convenient definition of the term "mood music," the soundtrack to Billy Bob Thornton's 1996 film Sling Blade fits the bill nicely. Much like the movie itself, the music has a spare, haunting quality that will either appeal to you or leave you in a stupor depending on your state of mind. The opening track, "Asylum," sets the tone for the entire album: As synthesizers buzz in the background, a lone guitar wails away like a voice crying out in the wilderness. The overall feeling is one of isolation, of being lost in a strange place, surrounded by an invisible wall of unfamiliar sounds. In other words, this is not the disc to put on while entertaining guests. But if you're home alone and looking for some unintrusive music to listen to while you read/do your taxes/contemplate life, this album certainly comes in handy. Daniel Lanois composed much of the movie's music, "Asylum" included, and his tunes are definitely the pick of the soundtrack. With their deliberate rhythms and slow (some might say endless) pace, tracks like "Asylum," "Jimmy Was," and "Secret Place" actually seem to transport you into the movie's setting, the woods and back roads of the Deep South. Another standout is Lanois' version of the old Appalachian song "Shenandoah," featuring Emmylou Harris on vocals. Be forewarned, though: if you're in the least bit tired, this song is a potent lullaby. And therein lies the dilemma of the entire album: It can easily entrance you, but it can just as easily put you too sleep. Despite Lanois' considerable talents, his songs tend to run together. Every two or three tracks another artist is tossed in for variety; Tim Gibbons growls a decent song called "Lonely One" and Bambi Lee Savage contributes the sweet, but piffling tune "Darlin'," but these diversions can contribute to the tedium, rather than relieve it. It would be perfectly understandable for the typical listener to get fed up and turn the stereo off after the first few songs. But those who choose to stick with the album will be rewarded by two great closing tracks. The first is "Smothered in Hugs" by Local H, a fast-paced rock song that chase away whatever sleepiness might have been caused by previous tracks. Even better is the final song, "The Maker" by Lanois again, which combines the dreamy rhythms of his earlier tracks with a faster beat (don't pay too much attention to the silly lyrics, however). Having "Asylum" and "The Maker" as bookends makes it a little easier to overlook the weaker aspects of Sling Blade. ~ Ethan Alter, All Music Guide
'For the Beauty of Wynona'
Release Date 1/1/1993
Tracks 13
Label Warner Bros.
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Superproducer Daniel Lanois took a rare turn on center stage as a performer on his second solo release, For the Beauty of Wynona. Released in 1993, the album follows his earlier release, Acadie. Unlike that album, which had some superstar appearances, For the Beauty of Wynona is a more low-key affair and has a more subtle impact. Lanois has a limited range as a vocalist, but he possesses a warmth that draws in the listener. Producing himself, Lanois also is an accomplished guitarist, although his protégé, Malcolm Burn, also adds some guitar as well as keyboards. The music is often moody and watercolored, but there are some more upbeat moments like the jaunty melody of "Sleeping in the Devil's Bed," which has a country feel, and the single "Lotta Love to Give," which is wispy but anchored by twang guitar and has a catchy chorus and serrated guitar solo. For the Beauty of Wynona is not an immediately striking album but rather one that slowly grows on the listener. It also proves that Lanois has something to say on his own. ~ Tom Demalon, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
This stunning debut album by an artist that had hitherto been known only as a producer is priceless, and stands up well to repeated listening. It is a blend of New Orleans rhythm, rock, new age mysticism, and folk. It is not mushy but it is as caressing to the ear as to the mind. It has the very distinctive ethereal sound of the albums he produced for among others the Neville Brothers and Robbie Robertson. All the songs were written or co-written by Lanois, with the exception of the traditional "Amazing Grace" (done in an untraditional manner and sung by Aaron Neville). The songs affect a rural and uncomplicated yet very complete and full sound that brings the listener into their mood, swing into the full lilting joy of "Under a Stormy Sky," to the haunting and ominous "Where the Hawkwind Kills." His sound is a distinctive signature, that holds well with each different song and with each artist for whom he has fashioned albums. ~ Bob Gottlieb, All Music Guide
