Daniel Lanois
For The Beauty of Wynona
WB 45030
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also available on amazon
This is the second Daniel Lanois disc, it lives up to the promise of the first and it has his signature ambient sound, but with a very hard edge, as if balancing the mind in a fit of anger as to strike or to get back to the shelter. That mix of softly (but none the less forceful) played New Orleans rhythm, mixed with folk, and new age, but this time played by some hard people who have seen the despair in the face of the evicted mother of 2 in the middle of winter. Don't misunderstand this is his music, and it still encircles with beauty, but both the music and lyrics have a cynicism that comes clearly through the surrounding beauty. Even the art work on the album reflects this motif of the hovering ominous. Listen To THE UNBREAKABLE CHAIN, without listening to the words it is a beautiful lilting folk song, the start `hearing' the meaning in the words... It becomes another song altogether, despair concealed in beauty. He is working with a small and very tight band on this CD, and the playing is close and tight. This is an artist growing without growing pains and expanding into new areas and directions and still holding on to the beauty of the moment.
Tracks
THE MESSENGER
BROTHER L.A.
STILL LEARNING HOW TO CRAWL
BEATRICE
WAITING
DEATH OF A TRAIN
THE UNBREAKABLE CHAIN
LOTTA LOVE TO GIVE
INDIAN RED
SLEEPING IN THE DEVIL'S BED
FOR THE BEAUTY OF WYONONA
ROCKY WORLD
Players
Daniel Lanois
Malcolm Burn
Daryl Johnson
Bill Dillon
Ronald Jones