U2 producer Daniel Lanois hits Boston with his own tunes

By Jed Gottlieb | Saturday, November 15, 2008 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Music News Photo

Daniel Lanois was the Phil Spector of the ’80s (minus the murder charge).

A rare producer with a distinctive, recognizable style, Lanois stamped Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel and Neville Brothers records with his dreamy atmospherics and wall of white noise. With mentor Brian Eno, he’s helmed six U2 albums, including “The Unforgettable Fire” and “The Joshua Tree.” The latest Lanois/U2 collaboration will be released early next year.

Between making other people’s masterpieces, he’s recorded solo records and toured the world - he plays the Berklee Performance Center tomorrow to kick off his stint as a Berklee artist-in-residence.

Herald: As a producer, your longest association has been with U2. What’s kept that relationship going for so long?

Lanois: I like those people for their appetite for innovation. They want things to be new and fresh, and they never get stuck on how the band should sound. They’re very smart people. And Eno and I just have a lot of fun with them, especially for the first 20 or 30 percent of the record. During those first sessions, it’s no-holds-barred, we take on anything that comes our way. I also think Bono’s lyrics get better with every record.

What’s U2’s new stuff like?
The president of the company is singing better than ever and the tracks are wildly innovative. I would never have thought things would have gone this way. I believe, well, rock ’n’ roll has been reinvented one more time. (Laughs)

You, Eno and U2 have worked together for 25 years. How do you avoid falling into old habits or old patterns?

Nobody wants repetition within this group of folks. We want to grow as artists and innovators and people. Life is not dull to us (Laughs). So I can’t imagine that we’d ever get stuck in our ways.

Have you ever encountered any kind of resistance with the people you’ve worked with? You’ve had to corral some legendary personalities from Bono to Dylan.

I’ve never encountered any resistance in the production arena because I use a very simple technique. I let ideas be brought to fruit. Once you’ve given a person an opportunity to do that there will never be any resentment. After a few days go by, egos fall by the wayside.

Where did this dreamy aesthetic come from?

I had a liking for melancholy pretty early on. I like it on David Bowie’s “Heroes” and I like it when David Byrne sings “Take a look at these hands” (on the Eno-produced “Born Under Punches”). No matter how celebratory a song is I like a hint of melancholy in it.

You didn’t begin a solo career until your 30s.

I didn’t want to jump into anything without my own voice. That’s what I noticed from the people I worked with. They had their own voice, and that’s what allowed them to stand out. Even embracing their own limitations put them on a road to discover what was unique in their music. All my favorite artists that I’ve worked with can’t do everything. Instead they do certain things very well and that’s what we love them for. I decided to follow through with philosophy. I embraced my bilingualness and mixed my French-Canadian side into my songs and didn’t try to copy anyone.

You also have a unique spin on New Orleans that touches your sound. Did that come from working with the Neville Brothers on “Yellow Moon”?

Growing up in French-speaking Canada, I was very much aware of the Acadia movement to Louisiana. The music that exists in rural Louisiana, the Cajun music, the zydeco music, a lot of that comes from up north when the Brits drove the French-speakers out of Canada. I wanted to trace that exodus and went to Louisiana looking for a reliable source of roots to draw upon. Then of course working with the Neville Brothers introduced me to a lot of rhythms that I had not been hip to. To be in an environment where music lives in the neighborhoods was really great for me because that’s how I remember it in Quebec as a kid. I don’t look to schools to get my music, I look to neighborhoods.

At first your pairing with the Neville Brothers seemed odd, but “Yellow Moon” may be their greatest achievement as a group. How did you approach working with them?

What got me through the Neville Brothers’ door was wanting to build a masterpiece. One thing we Canadians are good at is observing. I spent a lot of time going through the Neville Brothers’ archives try to understand where they came from and what they were about. I wasn’t looking to presuppose anything on the Brothers, I was looking to enhance something they already had.

What do you consider your best work?

I’ve always liked (Dylan’s) “Time Out of Mind.” I always thought that record to have an emotional depth and a depth of field in terms of sonics. I think it’s a tour de force. Especially for ’90s records when technology had pushed things to a place where sounds were so similar. I believe “Time Out of Mind” was the opposite of that. The characters and the placements of the ingredients create a picture you can keep looking at for a long time and still find interesting.

You don’t work with a lot of people and you take your time between producing albums. Is that because you work slow or because you’ve spent a lot of time on your solo career?

I’ve made some fast records. I made a record with Willie Nelson in four days called “Teatro” and it’s a beautiful record. I made a jazz record with Brian Blade in five days.

Your solo career must limit you from producing more often.

I am busy. I’ve got a Web site, Red Floor Records, that I just created for people to download my music. And I’m doing regular episodes on the site that pair music and images. I did a film last year called “Here’s What Is,” essentially a music documentary, a secret window into the recording studio, and there are some great exchanges with Brian Eno. And it’s not always easy to write. Sometimes I’m jealous of people like Bob Dylan or Ron Sexsmith. They’re not connected to technology and don’t necessarily know how to make records, but they pour all their creative energy into their songwriting and as a consequence are very prolific. There are times when I think it would be fascinating to see what I’d come up with if I didn’t burn all those hours in the studio and instead burned them in the songwriter’s chair.

How did you and Brian Eno become such good friends and working partners?
It started out in an innocent way. He booked some time in my studio and we hit it off. First we made some ambient records together in the early ’80s and thought we were a great team. Brian is a great innovator and a great catalyst. He can have a full track pouring out of the studio speakers in 30 minutes. But there are some disciplines that I grew up with that help Brian demystify some of his arrangements. We found that we got quick results together.

Daniel Lanois affirme que le nouvel album de "U2" est incroyablement innovateur

La presse Canadienne, 6 nov. 2008

TORONTO — Si vous demandez au producteur d'origine québécoise Daniel Lanois ce qu'il pense de l'album sur lequel U2 travaille présentement, il vous répondra qu'il est "incroyablement innovateur" et qu'il compte parmi ce que le groupe a fait de mieux.

Mais avant de rafistoler les chansons du groupe - l'album est l'un des plus attendus en 2009 -, Lanois se concentre sur son vrai "projet de rêve", celui de partir en tournée pour interpréter sa propre musique.

Celui qui vient tout juste de terminer deux semaines de travail d'enregistrement à New York avec le groupe irlandais donnera plusieurs spectacles en Ontario et à Boston avant de s'envoler à Londres pour dix jours en studio avec U2.

"En me produisant en direct, cela m'aide vraiment à faire un meilleur travail en studio puisque l'on devient attentif à ce qui marche en présence d'un public", a affirmé M. Lanois au cours d'un entretien téléphonique.

Daniel Lanois a quelques albums et une dizaine de productions à son actif. Il a travaillé avec les plus grands noms de la musique, comme Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel et Emmylou Harris.

Dans un court vidéo récemment mis en ligne sur le site U2.com, on le voit en studio avec les membres du groupe. C'est un aperçu du procédé d'enregistrement, dit M. Lanois, qui peut représenter "un des nombreux moments exaspérants" qu'ils ont vécus ensemble, même si l'album est "très près" d'être complété.

Mais parce que U2 est un groupe connu pour apporter des changements significatifs aux compositions à l'étape finale d'enregistrement, le producteur n'a aucune idée du moment où le disque sera réellement terminé.

"Dans le dernier mille, les artistes arrivent souvent avec ce qui sera leur meilleur travail", a affirmé Lanois, même s'il croit que l'album est déjà incroyable à ce stade-ci de la production. "Il brise de nouvelles bases acoustiques et je crois que les paroles de Bono et ses performance vocales sont meilleures que jamais. Je suis content qu'il progresse et qu'il parle de ce qui le touche."

Dans son "laboratoire" de Toronto, il a mis sur pied il y a dix mois sa propre étiquette de disques, Red Floor Records. Il peut ainsi partager sa musique avec la planète sans avoir à se soucier de la bureaucratie des grosses maisons de disques.

Ceci étant réglé, M. Lanois prévoit lancer, dans les prochaines semaines et via son site Internet, trois de ses CD de musique instrumentale, et trois autres l'an prochain. Quelque chose qui n'aurait certainement pas été possible par le biais des voies conventionnelles.

"Ce sont des pièces très touchantes, très belles, mais je n'aurais pas aimé qu'elles soient lancées par des compagnies de disque", a-t-il dit.

Il songe également à la manière dont il pourrait utiliser sont site Internet afin qu'il devienne une fenêtre permettant de voir son travail derrière la scène. Mais M. Lanois ne veut pas complètement passer au numérique et continuera à performer en direct et vendre des copies physiques de ses CD.

"Même si tout devient électronique, je crois que fondamentalement, les êtres humains aiment les choses tangibles comme tenir quelque chose dans nos mains et sentir que l'on reçoit quelque chose. Nous ne devrions jamais se fatiguer de donner ou de recevoir un cadeau", a-t-il dit.

Lanois on Halifax, deadwood and old guitars

Posted By LUKE HENDRY

There's only one problem with interviewing a guy like Daniel Lanois: you get more information than you can use. But we'll give it a shot. This column is the first of two featuring material that didn't fit into Wednesday's main story on Daniel Lanois, winner of 10 Grammys and five Junos.

Lanois was jazzed about playing live, saying he has a new appreciation for Halifax, an "old-fashioned town with contemporary thinking ... a lot of Bohemian energy, a lot of appreciation for quality, a lot of intelligence in the air."

Lanois said he'd rather "bump into people" from that sort of background than some of the more superficial folks he's been meeting in Toronto. "(They say), 'I'm an events promoter.' What the f---is that? 'I throw parties. You need me to have a nice party.' F---off!"

Then he laughed at his little rant, promising to stop using 'f---off' -- which, I might add, loses all of its impact when it's spelled with hyphens. "Maybe the state of the new economy will flush out some of the deadwood," he laughed. "If all the stockbrokers move out of Manhattan then all the musicians can move back in. That suits me fine."

Lanois is also a fan of old guitars, and said he's glad for the return of his old friend, a Fender Telecaster which has been in the employ of another star. "I got my Tele back from Peter Gabriel. I left it at his house for about 10 years." I don't know about you, but I hate it when Peter Gabriel borrows my stuff.

Genius of Lanois shines

Lynn Saxberg, The Ottawa Citizen, Saturday, October 25, 2008

CREDIT: Christopher Pike, The Ottawa Citizen

Daniel Lanois performs at the Centrepointe Theatre in Ottawa on Friday October 24, 2008.

At one point during an exquisite concert at Centrepointe Theatre last night, legendary producer Daniel Lanois warned the audience that he and the band would be venturing into unknown territory. "This is the improvised part of the set," said the soft-spoken 57-year-old.

Normally, an artist risks alienating his audience with that sort of advisory. But in the case of Lanois, a guy who's worked with Bob Dylan, U2, Emmylou Harris, Peter Gabriel and Robbie Robertson, to name a few, ears perked up so as not to miss a note of what might happen, an opportunity to gain insight into the workings of a musical genius, who's also known to be a demanding perfectionist.

Dressed in a black-leather motorcycle jacket and sporting a hat and bushy beard, Lanois appeared at ease, exuding a cool and quiet confidence. The stage was bare, except for the band's gear, but the tasteful lighting and live video contributed to the evening's sense of adventure. A videographer, working on stage, captured the entire show, the footage screened in gritty black-and-white behind them. It felt like we were watching an old newsreel of an historic battle.

Leaning over to check in with his compadres, guitarist Jim Wilson and bassist Marcus Blake, Lanois was clearly the commander-in-chief. But one glance at Steven Nistor and the fuzzy-haired drummer took off into a crisp and jazzy beat. Lanois dug in, and the others were quick to join, their musical telepathy evident as they wove a masterpiece of bluesy atmospherics.

Afterward, Lanois spoke of the "duality" of his career, referring to the dichotomy between his singer-songwriter fare and studio innovation.

Last night's improv was a demonstration of the experimental end of his musical spectrum, an approach that relies on the spirit of the moment and the interaction between the people at hand. In a soft-seat theatre with perfect sound, talented players and a near-capacity audience listening attentively, the results were magical.

There were several instances of anything-goes noodling during last night's concert, but also plenty of familiar material.

He opened with a soulful The Maker, bending the notes of his electric guitar to create the languid mood, displaying even more dexterity in the next song, the fluid The Messenger.

The melodic arc soared through an instrumental composition, coming to rest on Sometimes, from Lanois' album Shine. "This one comes from a place of solitude," Lanois said.

Then he performed solo, on electric guitar, for a string of story-songs from Acadie, his 1989 debut disc, inspired by his French-Canadian roots. Lanois, of course, was born in Hull, and still has relatives in the area. With a dedication to "les cousines" in the audience, Lanois sang heartfelt versions of Jolie Louise, Marie Claire and Under a Stormy Sky, his bittersweet voice making everyone feel they were part of la famille.

The musical adventures continued for almost two hours, and Lanois told funny, engaging stories between songs. Without a doubt, it was one of the best concerts of the year.

Daniel Lanois brings his eclectic style to the stage

Lynn Saxberg, canada.com, Thursday, October 24, 2008

Daniel Lanois plays a number of Ontario dates in the weeks ahead, but the Quebec-born musician has recently been busy working on U2's upcoming album. It's "very sophisticated, rhythmically," Lanois hints. "I think we've just done something that's never been done before. The president of the company is singing like a bird." (Getty Images)

Daniel Lanois is at a creative peak these days -- his brain not only brimming with the latest U2 licks, but also casting back 20 years to reflect on the shaping of his first solo album, Acadie.

A repackaged version of his 1989 debut is in stores this month. Lanois made himself available for a phone interview from New York City, where he was working with Bono and the lads on the next U2 disc.

Will it be another Achtung Baby, or more like How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb? We were supposed to be talking about Acadie, but couldn't resist pressing for hints about Lanois' most famous clients. U2 is due to release the new disc next year.

"It's very sophisticated, rhythmically," said a coy Lanois. "I'm talking high-grade and wicked. We've gotten to a place, a combination of myself and (Brian) Eno, I think we've just done something that's never been done before. The president of the company is singing like a bird."

While Lanois is renowned for the lush sonic landscapes he creates for other artists, his solo debut, Acadie, was a collection of simple story-songs in French and in English, some of the melodic snippets recalled from family gatherings in Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec.

"I like that about my Canadian self," says the 57-year-old musician, "that Canadian ability to tell a story in song. I always sort of had a tug of war, because my studio laboratory is where my sonics are born and I get very excited about my experiments. But then I'm quite a traditionalist; I like it when a song tells a story. That's the duality I'm working with."

One of four children born across the river from Ottawa in Hull, Que., to Gilberte (Jill) and Guy, a carpenter, Lanois spent the first part of his childhood exploring the area around his parents' home. Many of the memories Lanois has of his French-Canadian roots involve music and family.

"There was a lot of hooting and hollering in the French-Canadian neighbourhoods," he recalls. "My father had relatives in Cornwall, (Ont.) so there were big gatherings in Cornwall -- there was shouting and the violins would come out. It was a self-entertaining operation, and I liked that about it. It didn't look to the outside world too much to have a good time."

The good times changed when Lanois' parents split up, and his mother packed up the children and drove to Hamilton, where her brother owned a bar and a rooming house. Not long after the move, Lanois decided he wanted to play clarinet, an urge he says probably occurred to him because he'd seen one on TV. One Saturday, while headed to the movies with a dollar in his pocket, he spotted a penny whistle in a store. The youngster thought it looked like a clarinet, so he handed over his movie money.

"I just played that little whistle until I made everyone crazy, and then I thought I'd like to play guitar like Elvis Presley," he says.

In another twist of fate, a salesman later came to the door offering a music program that taught slide guitar to children. To Lanois' delight, his mom signed him up. He had to walk a mile into the centre of town every week, but he loved it. "I kept going from there. I'm still a slide guitar player."

Lanois went on to open a studio with his brother, Bob, in Hamilton. Daniel's production work caught the ears of former Roxy Music synth man Brian Eno, who tracked him down, then moved into their studio to record a series of ambient albums. Eno also introduced the young Canadian to such people as Bono and Peter Gabriel. In Lanois' recent autobiographical film, Here Is What Is, he portrays the enigmatic Brit as a mentor.

Surprisingly, piano didn't enter Lanois' life until a couple of years ago. He learned to play after restoring an old, seven-foot Steinway grand piano he found in New York City and moved to his home in L.A.

"Just the beauty of that instrument and the commitment that went into the building of it, and the restoration of it, due to my efforts. Everything about it exudes commitment and beauty and respect for the past and an eye for the future," he says. "Everything I stand for lives in that instrument."

Although the illustrious ivories are inspiring Lanois to compose his own modern classics, he has no plans to record an entire piano disc. "It will make its way into my work as a flavour," he says.

However, Lanois is working on a new, as yet untitled solo project that he refers to as The Unknown. He describes the music as "very abstract and based on technology," adding that it "embraces my studio bravado."

As with the new U2 material, he says the music has a "rhythmic sophistication," a fascination sparked for him by American neo-soul artist D'Angelo, whose 2000 album, Voodoo, earned two Grammy Awards.

"D'Angelo did some beautiful rhythmic work that always made an impression on me, and I feel that I've entered the world of D'Angelo with the U2 work, but also with this rhythmic work of mine."

Back to Acadie, which marked the first time Lanois sat down to express himself as an artist. Then 38, he was already a highly regarded producer who had not only worked with bestselling Canadian acts such as Martha and the Muffins and Parachute Club, but also international acts such as U2, Robbie Robertson, Eno and Gabriel. His first Bob Dylan disc, Oh Mercy, came out the same year as Acadie.

"I had pretty much been a journeyman, and I had reached a place where I was very highly skilled in my studio, plus a few lucky breaks had come my way," he says.

"It was a nice vote of confidence for finding something that you believe in and sticking with it and hoping that it rises to the surface somehow. And that's exactly what happened with me.

"And then when I got to travel, I started seeing my roots as a song opportunity, a storytelling opportunity. That's when I wrote my novel, if you like. Everyone in their due time, I suppose. Some people are 18 years old and going to tell their rock 'n' roll story. I waited a little bit."

Twenty years later, he's still at it.

Daniel Lanois' Canadian Tour Dates:

October 24, Ottawa

October 25, Belleville, Ont.

November 6, London, Ont.

November 7, Mount Forest, Ont.

November 8, Parry Sound, Ont.

November 14, Toronto

Daniel Lanois in New York with U2

By DENIS ARMSTRONG - Sun Media, October 10, 2008

It's hard to pin down Daniel Lanois.

I assume the legendary producer and recording artist is playing a gig in New York when he lets it slip that he's in the Big Apple to produce the new U2 record, due in 2009.

As if that isn't news enough, he's simultaneously promoting his latest CD and documentary film Here Is What Is, which is available at redfloorrecords.com, and getting ready to launch an eastern Canada tour next week that includes a stop at Centrepointe Theatre on Oct. 24. The tour marks the 20th anniversary of his first solo record Acadie.

It's a scary, breakneck schedule, which the apparently laid-back 57-year-old takes in stride.

"I enjoy the duality of my laboratory work and studio experiments I'm doing with U2 with my own musical career. It's great to work with people like Bono and Bob Dylan, but there's no better feeling than the chill of bravado I get from playing in front of a live audience. I've always thought of myself as a musician first," he says, reminiscing about the early days in Gatineau and Hamilton when he and his older brother Bob began playing with a tape recorder.

"I was fascinated with sounds. I remember when I was 12, I was recording my friends or the poems I'd make up while delivering papers. Bob and I played together long before we opened Grant Avenue Studios."

Hamilton might have initially seemed an unlikely place for pop royalty to make hit records, but then Brian Eno, a sonic engineer, musician and Lanois' mentor, recorded six "ambient" records there.

"That was a pivotal point in my career," Lanois recalls.

The pair went on to produce some of the most important recordings of the past 20 years, beginning with U2's The Unforgettable Fire. Lanois went on to work with artists like Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, Robbie Robertson and The Neville Brothers.

"Creativity and knowledge comes from passion, and I am passionate about music. Every time an artist walks into my studio, I want to get my hands dirty, I want to pull each song apart and find out how it works."

On the new tour, Lanois hopes to play tunes he's remastered from Acadie for the 20th anniversary edition, as well as instrumentals on slide guitar, and show video from Here Is What Is.

"We'll be playing my brand of Canadian folk songs. We'll raise the roof."

Daniel Lanois ready to rock Metro

BY NICK MOORE TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF Published Saturday October 4th, 2008

Canadian musician has a cross of cultures in his musical offerings

The musical diversity and range that is Daniel Lanois demands a two-in-one kind of performance and that's what he plans to do when he performs at the Moncton Capitol Theatre Oct. 17: one part solo performance from the man himself, the next part a musical euphoria of instrumental sound and vocals.

"I'm going to do some of my Canadian story songs and I'll probably do those by myself," he said. "Hidden behind the curtain will be the full band." I was thinking of doing it half and half, doing some story songs and we go right to the band." Lanois has been performing with his band for several years and said their accompanying vocals would add another dimension to the performance. "They're rockers so we will try to raise the roof off that venue in Moncton."

Upon saying that, Lanois asked what kind a venue the Capitol Theatre was. After hearing it's an intimate, rustic yet modern entertainment location, Lanois said it sounded like his ideal place. "The place itself often defines the tone of the night." Going back to his part solo/part band show, Lanois said the mix will give a variety of musical stylings to suit all tastes.

"It's all a matter of a balanced diet," he said. "As long as the night allows for it there's something wonderful about hearing a lyric in clarity. I like doing songs that way, they go by quickly and you get a feeling out of it." Lanois doesn't want to underscore the importance of the musical instruments either. He for one can't get enough of his steel guitar. "I've gotten to a place with it where I feel like I've become one with this instrument and I feel like it's a proper extension of my soul."

The native of Hull, Quebec (now Gatineau, right across from the river from Ottawa) has a cross of cultures which is reflective in his folk offerings. "I have some bilingual songs which are quite representative of how I grew up with the two cultures," he said referencing the English and French upbringing. As of now, Lanois splits his time between three residences in Toronto, Los Angeles and Jamaica. "My little triangle, he said with a laugh. "And I work in Europe. I haven't been out east in a while so it's going to be a treat," he said on the phone from Los Angeles.

In addition to being a legendary performer, Lanois is a legendary producer -- partly why his stage show will only showcase part of Lanois' talent. He's worked with an eclectic gathering of artists and his work can be heard by simply popping some of this generation's most loved and influential albums into a record player.

He's won five Grammy Awards and a Juno for his work with U2 alone and is currently back in the studio with the band. "We've been working on a record that is almost done and that will be out next year," he said, giving a few vague hints on what the new album will be like. "It's going to be very imaginative and a sonic delight. Bono is singing like a bird."
Aside from U2, Lanois has produced works by Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, Emmylou Harris and Ron Sexsmith, just to name a few. While his business partners may be different musically, his way of working remains pretty much the same which is to say there's no one way.

"I don't really have a fixed formula," he said. "I do have pretty good arrangement skills so I usually let that part of myself judge a journey of a song," he said, adding how he sometimes plays the role as a musical editor. "Often, artists will not be entirely objective about that sort of thing because they invented the song."

His musical talent both in front and behind the microphone ensures an eclectic presentation next month in Moncton. Which leaves the question of whether a cover song cover could be order? Maybe, said Lanois, but likely not a song you'd expect. "An old teenage doo-wop hit from the 60s . . . maybe we'll pull out the 'Da Doo Ron Ron' for Moncton." If the cover is reflective of Lanois' previous work, you can be sure it will be a 'Da Doo Ron Ron' performed like you've never heard before.

Daniel Lanois interview

By Bill Adams, Pulse Niagara, September 18 - 24, 2008

Several years ago when a Canadian music magazine polled a succession of guitarists to find out what they thought about while they were playing live on stage, they were not only shocked at the variety of answers they received. Ian D’Sa of Billy Talent, for example, replied only that while he was playing guitar onstage, he thought only about not screwing up while Alabama 3 guitarist Rock Freebase saw girls dancing in his mind’s eye.

Jon Spencer confided that he was usually thinking about money, and Pixies guitarist Joey Santiago was most direct when he told the magazine that, depending upon when he’s playing during the day, he’s either thinking about the meal that he ate most recently or the one he was going to eat next. Some would say the answers were pedantic or silly (some might say that the question was too for that matter), but when you really think about it, some of those answers are remarkably representative of the sounds fans can hear as their records spin.

Even so, Singer/multi–instrumentalist/producer Daniel Lanois’ response to a similar question makes the most sense. “When I think about it, my music really does have a sort of cinematic tone,” says Daniel Lanois pensively from Los Angeles. “Certainly that’s the case with the instrumental songs I’ve written, but a lot of what I do in general seems to. I don’t know where that comes from, maybe that’s how I build music; I have pictures in my head and I have my melodies try to be the soundtrack to what’s going on in my head.”

Hull, PQ–born and Hamilton, ON–raised Daniel Lanois’ name first appeared on a record sleeve in 1976. It was Jackie Washington’s Blues And Sentimental album and so began Lanois’ meteoric rise. Since then, he has appeared on releases that span the depth and breadth of the pop, country, folk and rock idioms from U2 to Brian Eno to Peter Gabriel to Raffi to Bob Dylan to Willie Nelson and Emmylou Harris as producer and all the while has kept up a regular release schedule of his own material in his parallel career.

As a rough estimate, in 32 years, he has gotten credit for one kind or another on no less than 57 albums [58 if one includes the work that Lanois has done on U2‘s forthcoming record, to be released in 2009 –Ed]; the man is a machine. In that time and with so many releases that one constant holds true; whether it be Oh Mercy, The Joshua Tree, Acadie, Us or Here Is What Is, each record bears the similar thread that is has the capacity to conjure vivid images and landscapes obviously unique to Lanois as, without him managing the production booth, while each of the aforementioned bands has been capable of releasing good records, (with the exception of Bob Dylan) none have been able to release an album as good in the same way.

That is the power that a good producer holds but, according to Lanois, things do carry over and the detritus from one project does occasionally wash up onto the shores of the next. “Without a doubt, there’s definitely an exchange that happens when I work with people,” explains Lanois of the growth that has occurred in the records of both the people that he has produced as well as his own output. “There will be some approaches that we’re excited about some sonics that we’re dedicated to and that tends to bleed from one project into another but I think that’s just human nature; we try to cater to the needs of the songs at hand, but my choice of tools and my approach and what I’m excited about melodically will definitely carry over and one project will effect the other. So that’s why it’s good to hang out with fun people [laughing].”

The parallel notions of image conjuring and ideas carrying over from project to project perfectly explains the existence of Here Is What Is, in fact. The idea for the project, according to Lanois, originally took life as a film. “The way the whole thing came about and what Here Is What Is presents is travelling through a year’s worth of work in the studio,” explains the singer/producer of his newest releases.

“It started in Toronto and went all the way to Fez, Morocco. It includes the recordings from my own record, but also a visit to Los Angeles with Billy Bob Thorton so he’s playing a role in the film, and then Sinead O’Connor’s in there I went to Dublin to her house and did some work with her. Brian Eno is in there too; we share some philosophical exchanges in Morocco and that’s pretty fascinating, and then U2 is in there as well as we were working in Fez, Morocco together. The album functions as the soundtrack to the film as the songs are on both as well as some of the dialogue with Eno.

“So far, It has been received pretty well,” continues Lanois, unable to hide his appreciation for the stellar reviews that both the album and the film have received to date. “We had a major premier at the Toronto Film Festival last year and we had a great turn–out for that, we had a similar one in Los Angeles. We’ve sort of been peppering them all over the globe and we tried that as an angle this time just to promote the film and then have the record be the soundtrack for the film. It’s been going pretty well; I met up with Elliott Roberts the other night Elliott manages Neil Young and is kind of a hero in the management world for we Canadians and he said that he thought it was my best album so I took it as a compliment [chuckling].”

While the counterparts of Here Is What Is both the film and the CD are new releases, the fact of the matter is that the album is a little older than the film. Here Is What Is, the album, was originally released on Lanois’ web site, Red Floor records in two DRM–free download versions — the same price was charged for both the MP3 and FLAC lossless versions and, in point of fact, it is because of Red Floor that Lanois was in Los Angeles when he spoke with Pulse; the idea of online, downloadable music has gotten the producer/performer’s mind percolating.

“I started Red Floor Records about ten months ago and I sell some of my wares on the web site,” explains Lanois. “It’s growing pretty fast too [chuckling] and I make some of my instrumental records available from my back catalogue so people can download my music directly from my site as a full fidelity wave file. We’re pretty excited about it and there’s a fellow down here that takes of all of it down here in L.A. so I’m huddling up with him here just to make sure that everything’s going well for Red Floor. Here Is What Is is available on the web site, as will be the re–issue of my first record, Acadie, which I now own the rights to.
“We’re also going to be releasing three instrumental records on Red Floor there will be downloads and hard copy discs available and they’re part of what we’re calling the Omni Series,” continues Lanois with a little glint in his eye so bright that it manages to pass through the phone line.

“It’s going to be three this fall and then three the following fall; a total of six discs. The first one will be steel guitar, the second one is sort of a south of the border peyote–like record, and the third will be more acoustic and quite beautiful. These are kind of like side projects and because there is no singing on them, I’ve chosen to release them on my web site in a quieter way but I think they’re going to be very beautiful. There’s one called “Space K” and it’s one of my personal favourites and I’ve invented a new dimension for that which goes into a more up–tempo, high energy, almost like a trance piece of music. I’m going to christen that at the Grape Festival.”

Daniel Lanois
(Los Angeles, CA & Toronto, ON)
w/Danny Michel, Neverending White Lights, Joe Lapinski, Oliver Black.
@ the Niagara Wine Festival, Montebello Park, St. Catharines.
Thursday, September 25, 6–10pm.
redfloorrecords.com

Daniel Lanois 'Here Is What Is'

Written by:CLUAS Writers 9/14/2008

A review of the album Here Is What Is by Daniel Lanois

Review Snapshot:Here Is What Is is a weak record by acclaimed producer Daniel Lanois. Failed attempts at being 'artsy' and an overly long running time make this a wearisome listen.

The Cluas Verdict 5 out of 10

Full Review:

Daniel Lanois made his name producing for big name artists over the last few decades. He has worked with Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, Emmylou Harris and U2 to name but a few. ‘Here Is What Is’ is the fifth studio album from the Canadian.

The record opens with just the voice of Brian Eno describing a chest of drawers he once bought. It is one of a few tracks that are simply conversation. The only interesting one of these tracks is ‘Beauty’ where the origin of beauty and the marvel of how it originates from nothingness is discussed. This beauty he speaks of however, he fails to create himself.

That said, the album does open well, with the first few tracks catching my interest. Forgetting about the spoken word opener, the first song is a cover of Emmylou Harris’ ‘Where Will I Be’. It would be an understatement to say that he does the song justice. His soft voice helps creates a pleasurable and more subtle sound for the song he produced for Harris on ‘Wrecking Ball’.

Interests wanes early on though. It is overly repetitive, centring on the Lanois’ favourite instrument: the steel pedal guitar, and at an arduous 64 minutes long with unadventurous instrumentals taking up far too much of that time.

He may be described as the man with the Midas touch when it comes to producing albums, but as a solo artist he does not hold a candle to the names he has worked with.

Garret Cleland

Daniel Lanois headlines Wine Festival entertainment

Posted By The Tribune, Welland Tribune, Canada - 18 Aug 2008

Oliver Black to appear on Canadian night

St. Catharines

World renowned producer and singer-songwriter Daniel Lanois will headline this year's Niagara Wine Festival.

Lanois - a native of Hamilton Ontario - has worked with countless artists including Peter Gabriel, Emmylou Harris and Willie Nelson. Lanois produced Grammy award-winning albums for U2 and Bob Dylan. Lanois is also an accomplished singer-songwriter producing six of his own albums and touring worldwide annually.

“It is very exciting to have an internationally recognized artist headlining the festival this year”, said Ken Weir President of the Niagara Wine Festival. “Mr. Lanois is an accomplished singer-songwriter and a Canada Walk of Fame inductee. I think festival goers will really respond enthusiastically to his music,” added Weir.

On Sept. 25, Lanois will headline the first-ever ‘Canadian Singer & Songwriter’s Night’ which will feature performances by Oliver Black, Joe Lapinski, Martha Wainwright and Neverending White Lights.

“It’s really rare to have five big-name acts from Canada perform on the same stage on one night - especially at the low ticket price we are offering. We were pleased to be the recipient of Celebrate Ontario funding from the Ontario Government that has allowed us to put on an evening of entertainment of this caliber. We encourage everyone to come out and enjoy a night of diverse musical Canadian talent,” added Weir.

Lanois doc explores creative process

by Shawn Conner, Vancouver Courier, Wednesday, August 06, 2008

The documentary Here Is What Is, co-directed by cinematographer Adam Vollick (left), takes an arty, ramshackle approach in examining the creative process and the making of Daniel Lanois' album of the same name.

At one point during Here Is What Is, a new documentary featuring Daniel Lanois, there is a montage of album covers. Images of releases by the likes U2, Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel and Robbie Robertson, all produced by Lanois, flash by. However, one record is conspicuous by its absence, at least in the eyes of this writer. Where, I have to ask, is the cover of This is the Ice Age--a 1981 disc from Martha and the Muffins, produced by Lanois, and featuring his sister Jocelyne on bass?

"Not a whole ton of thought went into what was included," says Adam Vollick, the Here Is What Is co-director/cinematographer, reached in his hometown of Toronto. "I don't even think that one ever got tabled. We just quickly did a Google search and stole a bunch of images off the Internet. It was real fly-by-night addition."

Despite this sin of omission, the doc is a fascinating, if somewhat arty and ramshackle, document about the creative process in general and the making of Lanois' album of the same name in particular.

"The structure is meant to be a bit of a visual poem," says Vollick. The 30-year-old has known Lanois, 57, for five years, and began his career as a photographer. Under Lanois' mentorship, he's been moving into filmmaking and audio engineering.

"We didn't want to spell out, by having someone narrate, what the public is supposed to get out of it. If someone feels inspired enough to go out and do something they love after they've watched it, that makes me a real happy person. But basically, there was a massive amount of work that was done, and the criteria for something getting in was that it was touching, it had a vibe that was indisputable. Only those choicest moments got past the finish line."

A collage of studio and rehearsal performances, conversations and even dance sequences, Here Is What Is captures a number of memorable moments. Lanois jams with Irish super-group U2 in what looks like a hotel lobby but might well be Bono's bathroom. Actor/musician Billy Bob Thornton drops by chez Lanois to compare hats and drink the one Pabst Light he allows himself per day. However, by far the most interesting person in any room he's in is Brian Eno. The veteran British musician and producer, who has worked with Lanois on a number of projects, seems incapable of voicing a banal thought.

"There's absurdity in his kind of genius sometimes," says Vollick. "I wouldn't say any of it is normal."

The film mirrors Lanois' approach to musical textures by playing with the visuals. Negative images, flashes of neon colour, and mostly black and white film are used. "We tried to keep all the visualizations analogous to what was happening sonically," says the co-director. "We tried to find a visual to match the sort of lo-fi textures Dan uses in his music."

Among the film's more bizarre touches are the brief sequences featuring Carolina Cerisola. Lanois came across the burlesque performer at the Los Angeles club Forty Deuce. Every so often, the film cuts to Cerisola, shimmying and shaking suggestively across the screen.

"An artist always needs his muse," explains Vollick. "She's a symbol, just like all the other characters in the film, of somebody who fell in love with what they do at a very young age, and had no choice but to get good at it. There's nothing that brings her greater joy, or that she's better at, than dancing." The scenes were done "way before" the shots of record-making sessions, says Vollick. "It was one of those things that we found, in select places, acted as punctuation. There's also a little shock value--people don't expect to see a sexy girl dancing in a music documentary."

Well, it's better than constantly seeing the musicians' ugly mugs on screen. "I don't like my ugly mug to be seen," says Vollick. "I'd rather let my image be the thing that I make, rather than whatever I end up wearing when I get up in the morning."

Here Is What Is screens at Vancity Theatre Aug. 9-14.

All Hands On Deck: Daniel Lanois

by petermurphy, Hot Press

It’s a beautiful loop. Musician and producer Daniel Lanois originally envisioned his film Here Is What Is as a documentary about the making of his latest solo album, but the record in question eventually became the soundtrack to the film.

“I wanted to make a record, and a friend of mine said, ‘Why don’t you bring a camera into the studio and look at the situation through a lens?’” Lanois explained over tea in the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin last April. “So I said okay, and that opening shot with Garth Hudson playing the piano intro came to us very early on. On the strength of that I decided it seemed like a reasonable idea, and we kept moving from city to city for the purposes of my work. Every town we went to, we caught a little something, and it just started adding up to a nice film. Quite late in the project there was that sit-down with Eno, where we just had a little bit of an exchange, and by slotting in those philosophical moments it just kind of tied everything together.”

As Lanois attests, making a film is an exponentially more challenging enterprise than recording an album, even if your client list includes Bob Dylan, U2, Peter Gabriel, Brian Eno, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson and the Neville Brothers.

“It was very expensive to make, to feed people and put them in hotels, travelling and everything, but I’m proud of it,” he says. “Is it a perfect film? I’m not sure about that, but it can at least hold its head up in terms of having brought quality to the table.”

That quality is evident in the pace of the film. Patient, unhurried, at times it evokes Wim Wenders’ aversion to fast and ostentatious edits.

“Some of the young idealistic record listeners that I know, they don’t want to see fast edits anymore,” asserts Lanois. “They’re curious about the authenticity of something, and to slow the pace down a little bit. It doesn’t mean slow the rhythm down, but just slow the pace of the servings. I wish I had a nice uninterrupted film of the movement of Michael Jackson’s feet. We never see him dance, we see the editing room dance.”

Featuring cameos from the aforementioned Band organ grinder Hudson and Brian Eno, plus Billy Bob Thornton, Sinead O’Connor and drummer Brian Blade, Here Is What Is ventures deep into the music, depicting the recording process in graphic detail. There are a lot of close-ups of hands: on piano keys, on the pedal steel, on the mixing desk.

“Yeah, a bit of a hands theme,” Lanois chuckles. “It started with Garth. And Adam, the guy working the camera, also shot close-ups of my hands on the steel guitar, which is a very complex instrument, and to see how it’s done is fascinating enough to show for a while in itself, so why not?”

At this point, Lanois leans in and examines the interviewer’s fingers. “Can I see that ring?” he says. “What is that?”

It’s an antique ring inset with a blue stone, given to me by a writer friend who maintains a side business selling vintage jewellery. She trawls the net for interesting pieces, winnows through them, evaluates their worth and sells them online.

“In a way that’s what I do with music,” Lanois says. “I select the best riffs, the best lyric ideas, the best titles, the best grooves, pull them out of a day’s work and say, ‘Let’s sweep everything else under the rug and present our best wares.’ It’s incredible what happens through a day, and often times the most signiificant moments will not be noticed because people might think they’ve got bigger fish to fry. But sometimes that one little sliver of delight will be enough to build a whole record on top of.”

One of the more interesting sequences in Here Is What Is illustrates how Lanois approaches mixing as performance, playing the desk like an instrument. Watching him manipulate the various elements of a track like ‘Bladesteel’ is akin to observing a painter at work.

“It’s something that I develop, just trying to tap into my musical gift,” he says. “Not every person at the console has an ability to understand the positioning of ingredients and is able to move the faders in a musical fashion. It’s usually thought of as a technical job, but I like a set-up that forces me to respond to what’s coming up in the arrangement and make it sound more dangerous, or give it a stadium sound, so I see every little bend in the road as an opportunity to present the ingredients in a slightly different fashion.”

In other words, the mixing becomes a much more intuitive and ‘live’ process.

“Absolutely. I think the bedrock of it is it exists as an emotional performance. I usually don’t use computers for mixing, but even if I do, I make my foundation a performance, and then I might add a little something to it, change the vocal performance or the harmonies if I didn’t get that quite right. A lot of mixers start with one sound at a time and build it up, and consequently you might end up with a lovely edifice, but it might not be a place you want to go into.”

One of Lanois’ other specialities is generating ambient sounds of no discernible origin and using them to suggest drama or danger in the mix. These are usually distortions or manipulations of fragments sourced from the artists’ performances.

“I like the idea of, as I said in the film, grabbing a little sample from the available ingredients,” he considers, “almost like taking a photograph of the cloth that you’ve chosen to make a suit out of, and then you just blow up a certain portion of it, and maybe that becomes a pocket. It’s not just a sewn-on pocket from another batch of fabric of a different colour or a different weave, you actually use what’s already there and put it on the item.”

So it’s like a DNA swab or a skin graft lifted from the host body instead of imported from a foreign agency. An organic approach to a synthetic process.

“Yes. And I believe listeners feel that connection, sort of a way of maximising what you have rather than superimposing a bunch of other options, which is the tendency that people have, because there are so many wonderful tools available in making records and mixing. You can try 50 different boxes until you find the one you like, but we have to remember that some of our favourite Jamaican records, the great reggae records, they might only have had one black box, and they put everything through it. There’s some kind of wisdom to that, because nothing lives in isolation, everything is related, it comes from one effect. So I still like to do that, put everything through one echo box.”

Lanois believes that artists can become paralysed by options, and often get the best results through consciously imposing limitations upon themselves, thus encouraging innovation within those confines.

“It can happen even with people,” he says. “There’s something nice about deciding on a group of folks you want to work with. It’s like a group of friends around one table having a great night, and the stories keep getting better and better, and you walk out of the situation and think, ‘Wow, that was amazing!’ You didn’t have to fly in additional comics – the people at the table were funny in their own lives. They were already ridiculous enough!”

Is he a tough taskmaster in the studio?

“I’m tough on myself, and that becomes contagious. When people feel that level of commitment from me they expect it of themselves. It only works if you’re willing to put in the time and the hours, if you’ve high expectations of yourself and are pushing yourself – not in a bad way or anything, but in a committed way – then the rest of the room will naturally respond to that level of commitment, so it raises the standard of work done.”

Is it easier to work with musicians he’s known for a long time?

“What’s nice about working with people you’ve worked with before is you’ve gotten the small talk out of the way and you can pretty much get to the melodies and the lyric and the grooves. I mean, I like a fresh face, I made a record with Willie Nelson and I hadn’t met him before, and I like that record, Teatro. Four days it took, in my old shop in California. That was my best shop, an old theatre, fantastic. There’s something about not having any windows. There was a little popcorn area where you could get a soft drink and sundries, but when you walk into the theatre, it’s a very dark old cinema, and there’s something to not being aware of the day or the disappearance of it, just a timelessness.

“Maybe it has to do with Bob Dylan’s title Time Out Of Mind,” he continues. “I like the idea of working in a dark space, more of a closet. The house that I use in Los Angeles is a beautiful villa, built in the 1920s, fantastic rooms throughout the whole house, and downstairs it has this little servant’s kitchenette, a counter and a sink and shelves all the way around the room, a little octagon shape, and there’s something very sweet about that room, it’s almost my favourite room. I’ve been fantasising about setting up a little tabletop studio and making it so that I don’t have too many rooms to flirt with.”

Location, Lanois says, is a crucial element in the character of any record. One can’t imagine the Neville Brothers’ Yellow Moon or Dylan’s Oh Mercy having been recorded in anywhere but New Orleans.

“Geography plays a big part in record-making,” he says. “My visit to New Orleans initially was just about education really, I wanted to hear those parade bands and go to some of those clubs to hear some of the Saturday night dance bands. At that time I used to enjoy listening to (Zydeco master) Rockin’ Dopsie, who played this tiny place called The Make Believe, it had been a store at one time and was turned into a little club, and the drummer’s throne sat right in the storefront window, he had his back to the street, and you could look in the window and check out the drummer.”

Lanois is just as effusive about the U2 sessions he and Eno attended in Fez, Morocco, last year.

“I had never been there,” he says. “The Medina was strikingly ancient. I was humbled by how people ran their little shops, these tiny, tiny hovels in the wall, there was a shoemaker in the Medina in Fez, and he just sat while he worked, his little shop was not tall enough to stand in, so he was crouched in this little hole in the wall. If you wanted your shoes fixed you just peeked into the hole and handed him your shoes and he’d mend them. He’d probably crawl out of there a couple of times a day to get himself a cup of tea, but while he was working, that was his little cobbler’s bench, a hole in the wall. It’s very funny, because you enter the Medina and two minutes in, you’re lost. And it immediately becomes like Spinal Tap: ‘Wait a minute – is this the right way?’ And the walls are really tall, and you can see the locals sitting up there laughing.

“But more important to the geography is the setting up of the studio specific to a record. So if you bring in equipment and unload the cases and set up in a room, the people involved in that record are going to feel it’s something special to them. I think that in itself is a good mood-setter, you’re not walking into a generic place. We made the bulk of The Joshua Tree in Adam Clayton’s house, and that was a fantastic room with a plank floor, had a fantastic sound, my favourite kind of room really.”

Does he ever get cabin fever while making an album?

“I’ve talked about it – it’s like being in a submarine.”

Das Boot is often cited as the film most analogous to being on tour.

“Yeah right, on tour especially, oh my god. A solo tour, maybe that’s my next journey. I’ve been designing a travel system, a complete touring system, that is carry-on. Here’s how you carry your personal belongings: you modify a long trenchcoat, all the way to the ankle, with a lot of pockets. And you carry all your clothing and toiletries and personal items in the coat because they can’t tell you to not take a coat on an airplane. Six t-shirts, six underwear, six socks, I wear the pair of pants I got on, one pair of shoes and one hat.

“And with regards to the guitar and the amp, I carry a viola case – the airlines are used to seeing classical musicians so they turn a little bit of a blind eye to it – and I modify a Fender Duo-Sonic guitar, Fender’s tiny short-scale guitar, and I cut the body off of it with a jig-saw, so you’re only left with the neck and the mounting area of the neck, and that fits into the viola case. And then I put a little battery powered amplifier and speaker into the viola case. That is my entire touring equipment. That way you never lose your luggage and you’re always looking good.”

www.redfloorrecords.com

Martha and the Muffins - Danseparc - 25th Anniversary Edition

CD Review, By Martin Hutchinson, The Bolton News

For the first time in the UK, the fourth album in Martha and the Muffins' catalogue, gets a release on CD in a remastered and extended format.

Produced by Daniel Lanois (U2, Peter Gabriel), it could be described as "Stockhausen colliding with punk funk". It actually serves as a taster for a brand new album from the band in November.

Written and performed by the bands' founding members, Martha Johnson and Mark Gane; along with Jocelyne Lanois, Nick Kent and John Oswald - the band really hit their creative peak with this recording.

Danseparc' is regarded by the band as something of a "concept album" as Gane explained. "When we recorded it we had an obsession with parks and the concept of the park is an attempt by urban man to get to a point of naturalness again."

The nine original tracks (with three bonus tracks) seem to be a mixture of traditional pop with an element of experimentation that raises them above the norm. There's also some social commentary. For instance, the opening track Obedience' and Sins of Children' deliniate the social restrictions and Several Styles of Blonde Girls Dancing' tells about seeking pleasure through dreams. Contemporary topics are addressed in What People Do For Fun' and the title track is about people in their urban city centres.

Whilst the lyrical content may seem profound, the music is generally uplifting and kinds deflects from the seriousness of it all. This album was hailed as the band's most quintessential collection of songs and has been overdue for release. It's been worth waiting for.

LOKERSE FEESTEN (Belgium)

(...) Le dimanche 3 août sera plus cool avec la star irlandaise Sinead O'Connor ainsi que le Canadien Daniel Lanois bien connu aussi en tant que producteur, notamment auprès de Peter Gabriel et de Bob Dylan. (...)

Festival de jazz : il y a aussi des ateliers…

Le Festival de Jazz n’est pas seulement l’occasion d’entendre de bons spectacles. C’est aussi le temps de venir voir et écouter les conférences de grands musiciens. À preuve, après Joseph Arthur qui a peint une guitare devant public hier, voilà qu’il sera possible de parler musique avec Daniel Lanois.

le tout se déroule au Salon Régency de l’hôtel Hyatt de Montréal, dans le cadre du Salon des Instruments de Musique de Montréal (SIMM). Cet événement, qui en est à sa quatrième édition, fait la promotion de la pratique musicale. Gratuit et accessible à tous, permet aux gens d’essayer des instruments de musique, de découvrir des exposants, des fabricants, d’assister à des ateliers et des rencontres avec les plus grands musiciens.

Hier après-midi, le guitariste et peintre new-yorkais Joseph Arthur partageait sa passion de la musique et de la peinture avec le public. Les amateurs ont pu lui poser des questions concernant sa musique et sa peinture. D’ailleurs, M. Arthur a peint une guitare qui sera mise aux enchères à la fin du festival et du SIMM.

Aujourd’hui, c’est autour de Daniel Lanois de rencontrer les amateurs de musique. Producteur, ingénieur, chanteur, auteur, compositeur, réalisateur et guitariste, le prodige québécois a réalisé de grands disques avec de grands nom de la musique rock. Pensons à U2, Peter Gabriel, Les Neville Brothers et Bob Dylan. Une rencontre à ne pas manquer!

Samedi, il sera possible de parler avec Olivier Jones et Jim West, et dimanche, avec Gino Vannelli. Encore là, voilà des rendez-vous à encercler à votre calendrier!
Concerts à surveiller
Voici quelques concerts à surveiller ce vendredi 4 juillet
- VIC VOGEL 1 + 1 = 2, au théâtre Jean-Duceppe de la PdA, 18 h

- TRIO MICHEL DONATO avec MARIN NASTURICA et JON GEAREY, au Gesù — Centre de créativité, 18 h

- JOSEPH ARTHUR SOLO, Club Soda, 19 h

- ARETHA FRANKLIN , salle Wilfrid-Pelletier de la PdA, 19 h 30

- DANIEL LANOIS, au Métropolis, 20 h 30

Daniel Lanois, producteur de U2 et de Bob Dylan, évoque sa passion pour la musique

Lorsque Daniel Lanois parle de processus musical, c’est avec la révérence et la crainte d’un mystique religieux. Sa passion pour la musique le consume et en retour ses conseils et sa production ont aidé Bob Dylan à créer Time Out of Mind et U2 à réaliser Achtung Baby.

Daniel Lanois sera au Town Hall Theatre le samedi 1er juin à 22 heures pour y donner un récital de 45 minutes accompagné par le batteur Brian Blade. Ce concert sera suivi par la projection en avant-première à Galway du film/documentaire d’une durée de 90 minutes de Daniel, Here Is What Is.

"J’ai séjourné à Galway, il y a longtemps, dans les années 1990", me dit Lanois au téléphone depuis Dublin, où il travaille en ce moment avec U2 à leur prochain album. "Ca fait si longtemps que ce concert sera comme une première fois."

Ce soir là, Lanois jouera des titres de ses divers albums en solo sur une guitare que lui a donné récemment l’un des membres de U2. "Je vais jouer sur une toute nouvelle Les Paul qu’Edge m’a donné", précise Lanois. "Ca vient de sa Music Rising Foundation. Elle est magnifique mais j’aurais aussi pour m’accompagner ma vieille Telecasters ainsi qu’une Pedal Steel Guitar."

Lanois possède tout une série de Fender Telecasters des années 1950 et 1960 ainsi que de nombreuses guitares acoustiques de collection, mais sa préférée reste sa Gold Top Les Paul de 1956. "C’est celle dont j’extrais le son le plus profond et elle est une amie sur laquelle je peux compter", souligne-t-il. "J’en joue avec de grosses cordes de sorte qu’elle semble être acoustique entre mes mains."

Lanois est né en 1951 à Québec et est fier d’être un Canadien français. "Mon identitié franco-candienne joue un rôle dans mon songwriting." "J’ai écrit des chansons en français, grandi en parlant français et anglais. J’apprécie la mélodie tout comme mes père et grand-père qui étaient violonistes et jouaient des standards du pays et j’ai les mélodies dans la peau."

Bien que Lanois soit un songwriter et un musicien du plus gros calibre, il est mieux connu et reconnu pour son œuvre en tant que producteur sur les albums de U2, Bob Dylan, Emmoylou Harris, Peter Gabriel, etc. Son statut actuel, l’un des plus grands producteurs de disques, a débuté au milieu des années 1970 au côté de son frère, dans la cave de la maison de leur mère.

"Ca a commencé comme une industrie artisanale et c’est né de la passion et de l’amour de la musique." "Nous opérions en dehors de l’entrainement classique et ce qui aurait pu être un désavantage est devenu un avantage alors que nous étions forcé de créer notre propre son bien distinct. La rumeur s’est bientôt répandue que les frères Lanois avaient développé leur propre son et depuis je me lève chaque matin et essaie de faire quelque chose de novateur."

Et pourtant l’homme qui a produit Wrecking Ball pour Emmoylou Harris et Time Out of Mind pour Bob Dylan ne raffole pas du titre de "producteur". "C’est une étiquette que m’a collé l’industrie", dit-il. "J’aime aider les gens et je comprends l’harmonie aussi je suis en mesure d’aider quelqu’un."

En un sens, l’Irlande a fait du nom de Lanois celui d’un producteur et il est heureux de reconnaître que sa production — au côté de Brian Eno — sur The Unforgettable Fire pour U2 en 1984, l’a catapulté dans la major league (ligue nationale).

"Je bossais avec Brian Eno au Canada et j’ai reçu cette K7 d’Irlande", se souvient Lanois. "Brian l’a écoutée, l’a trouvée bonne et qu’il était possible d’en faire quelque chose, mais il m’a dit ne plus produire. Je lui ai dit que j’aimerais la produire et lui ai demandé de me recommander. Je me suis envolé pour l’Irlande, j’ai rencontré les gars et nous l’avons fait."

The Unforgettable Fire a été un succès artistique et commercial. C’est à partir de là que U2 a déployé ses ailes créatrices et qu’a débuté une longue collaboration avec Lanois qui allait également produire The Joshua Tree et Achtung Baby. Chacun de ces albums produits par Lanois était marqué du sceau de l’ambition artistique et de l’audace qui sont devenus les éléments clefs de l’évolution de U2.

"Le studio était plein de cœurs innovants", dit Lanois au sujet de la conception de ces albums. "J’aime faire des disques que j’aimerais écouter aussi je n’opère pas selon les critères du marché. Je tente d’accéder aux rêves des personnes qui se trouvent dans le studio d’enregistrement et fait ainsi des disques qui sont spéciaux pour chacun d’entre nous. Lorsque je bossais avec Bob Dylan sur Oh Mercy, je me suis élevée à un certain niveau de qualité. Ce qui revient à dire : je joue mieux au billard lorsque j’affronte Alex Higgins !"

Duquel de ces trois albums qu’il a produit est-il le plus fier ? "Je dois dire Achtung Baby", réplique-t-il. "C’était un tour de force et ca a franchi de nouvelles barrières sonores dans son expression de l’innovation et de l’engagement."

Pour l’heure, Lanois est retourné en studio avec U2, il travaille au 12e album studio du groupe.

"Nous avons presque fini", dit-il. "Ca marche plutôt bien et Bono chante comme un oiseau. Une fois encore le contenu est guidé par les aspirations et les rêves qu’ont les gens. Dans son noyau, c’est toujours le même U2 mais les tons et les textures prennent parfois certaines directions différentes pour donner une tournure à la chanson et une complexité vers laquelle les auditeurs reviennent. C’est ce que nous en tant qu’êtres humains apprécions dans l’art, les recoins cachés qui se révèlent au cours du temps."

Lors de son concert au Town Hall, Lanois projettera son long documentaire Here Is What Is qui donne une vision de l’intérieur fascinante de ses méthodes de travail et de son approche musicale.

"L’idée de ce film m’est venue d’une invitation d’un ami qui consistait à mettre une caméra dans un studio d’enregistrement et je n’avais jamais filmé aucune session auparavant", précise-t-il. "Nous avons essayé durant une session et ça a marché. je veux montrer comment ça s’est fait et je veux présenter la réalisation filmée de chansons de grandes personnalités. Ca commence par Garth Hudson, l’un de nos grands pianistes canadiens. Brian Blade est présent et nous nous rendons dans l’église baptiste de son père. Nous avons essayé de rester fidèles aux plans longs et pas aux coupes rapides. Aussi avons-nous laissé la caméra fixe sur une personne qui chante au piano comme le ferait l’œil humain en face de cette même personne."

Par Kernan Andrews

Traduit pour U2 France par "Corinne/Dead"

Daniel Lanois on his passion for music

U2 and Bob Dylan producer Daniel Lanois on his passion for music

When Daniel Lanois speaks about making music, it is with the reverence and awe of a religious mystic. His passion for music consumes him and in turn his guidance and production helped Bob Dylan create Time Out Of Mind and U2 make Achtung Baby.

Daniel Lanois will be in the Town Hall Theatre (Galway) on Sunday June 1 at 10pm where he will give a 45 minute performance, accompanied by drummer Brian Blade. The concert will be followed by the Galway premiere of Daniel’s 90 minute movie/documentary Here Is What Is.

“I was in Galway a long time ago, about 1990,” Lanois tells me over the phone from Dublin, where he is currently working with U2 on their new album. “It’s so long back that this show will feel like the first time.”

On the night Lanois will perform songs from his various solo albums on a guitar recently given to him by a member of U2. “I’ll be playing a brand new Les Paul The Edge gave me,” says Lanois. “It’s from his Music Rising Foundation. It’s beautiful but I will also have my old Telecasters with me and a Pedal Steel Guitar as well.”

Lanois owns a range of Fender Telecasters from the 1950s and 1960s as well as numerous vintage acoustic guitars, but his prize axe is his 1956 Gold Top Les Paul. “It’s the one I get the deepest sound from and it seems a reliable friend,” he says. “I play it with fat strings so it has an acoustic feel to the hands.”

Lanois was born in 1951 in Québec, and is a proud French Canadian. “Being French Canadian plays a part in my songwriting,” he says. “I have written songs in French, grew up speaking French and English. I appreciate melody as my dad and grandfather were violinists and they used to play country classics and the melodies got under my skin.”

While Lanois is a songwriter and musician of the highest calibre, he is best known and most acclaimed for his work as the producer of albums by U2, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Peter Gabriel, etc. His present status as one of the greatest of all record producers began in the mid-1970s with his brother, in the basement of their mother’s house.

“It started out as a cottage industry and was born out of passion and love for music,” he says. “We operated outside the formal training and what might have been a disadvantage was an advantage as we were pushed to create our own distinct sound. Word of mouth got around that the Lanois brothers had developed a sound of their own and from then I get up each morning and try to work out how to do something innovative today.”

Yet the man who has produced Emmylou Harris’ Wrecking Ball and Bob Dylan’s Time Out Of Mind is not keen on being called a ‘producer’. “It’s a banner placed on me by the business,” he says. “I like helping people and I understand harmony so I can give someone a hand.”
In a sense, Ireland made Lanois’ name as a producer and he is happy to acknowledge that his production - along with Brian Eno - of U2’s The Unforgettable Fire in 1984, catapulted him into the major league.

“I was working with Brian Eno in Canada and I got this tape from Ireland,” recalls Lanois. “Brian listened to it, thought it was good and something could be done with it, but he said he wasn’t producing anymore. I said I’d like to produce it and would he make an introduction? I flew over to Ireland and met the guys and we hit it off.”

The Unforgettable Fire was an artistic and commercial success. It was the start of U2 truly spreading their wings creatively and began a long association with Lanois who would also produce The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby. Each of those Lanois produced albums was marked by a surge of artistic ambition and daring and became major turning points in U2’s evolution.

“The room was always filled with innovative hearts,” Lanois says of the making of the albums. “I like to make records I would like to listen to so I don’t operate by the guidelines of the market place. I try to access the dreams of the people in the recording room and so make records that are special for all of us. When I was working with someone like Bob Dylan on Oh Mercy, I was elevated to a place of quality. Put it like this, I play better snooker when I play against Alex Higgins!”

Of which of the three U2 albums he has produced is he proudest? “I’d have to say Achtung Baby,” he replies. “It was a tour de force and broke new ground sonically with its expression of innovation and commitment.”

Lanois is currently back in the recording studio with U2 working on the band’s 12th studio album.

“We’re just about done,” he says. “It’s going pretty good, Bono is singing like a bird. Again the content is very much driven by the aspirations and dreams people have. At the core it is the same U2 but the tones and textures sometimes take a slight different turn sonically to provide a slant on the song and a complexity that listeners will keep coming back to. That’s what we as human beings appreciate in art, the hidden corners that reveal themselves over time.”

At his Town Hall show, Lanois will screen the feature length documentary Here Is What Is which should provide a fascinating insight into his working methods and approach to music.
“The idea for the film came from the invitation of a friend to bring a camera into the recording studio as I’d never filmed any sessions before,” he says. “We tried it on one session and it worked. I want to show how it was done and present the filming of songs by the greats. It opens with Garth Hudson, one of our great Canadian piano players. Brian Blade is there and we take a trip to his father’s Baptist church. We’ve tried to remain loyal to long shots and no fast editing. So we leave the camera on a person singing at the piano looking at them just as a human eye would if you were there in front of them.”

By Kernan Andrews