| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| enthuTIMsiast |
Posted - 09/02/2003 : 11:52:34 PM
So the album you suggested (Dirt Floor) is good. I saw Rocket House used in a local store and picked it up. Hell of an album. HELL of an album. Title track and the one after... good stuff.
Anyway, I peruse his site, notice he's got something new (album: WEED), but it's only available at shows. I know you're not on the Europe tour with them, but any chance you have a hook up with the discs? I'd love to get my hands on one.
Anyway, Rocket House is a great album! |
| 72 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| tericee |
Posted - 10/16/2009 : 6:05:26 PM
I've tweeted it, I've Facebooked it, and now I'm posting it on the forum. Hopefully this one will get counted even though I couldn't paste their exact HTML code...
#beatcancer
BTW, hi everybody! |
| Arthen |
Posted - 10/13/2008 : 03:05:36 AM
A cursory search produced these results:
http://www.play.com/Music/CD/-/34/48/-/6854868/On-Air/Product.html?searchtype=genre
Looks like its an import. Possibly live material, looks similar to the "Live in Bremen" set, which is a great solo Whitley show floating out on the internet. Do you have it Kevin? I'd be happy to try to get it to you if you don't.
And by the way, do you like Robyn Hitchcock at all, Kevin? He's coming to LA on Nov. 13th, Thursday Night, and I might be coming down for it, didn't know if you liked him or not. |
| KevinLesko |
Posted - 10/13/2008 : 01:30:16 AM
Anyone know anything about this????
http://www.amazon.com/Air-Chris-Whitley/dp/B001FZG3DW/ref=sr_1_24?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1223875599&sr=8-24
|
| rubylith |
Posted - 07/31/2008 : 2:56:40 PM
Thanks Kevin! |
| KevinLesko |
Posted - 07/31/2008 : 02:43:34 AM
http://www.mortalmusic.com/bbs/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=7264#post7264
Great new show for download. A+++++ sound quality. |
| Fluffy |
Posted - 04/16/2008 : 6:28:56 PM
This link is mostly for KevinLesko but I know we have alot of CW fans on the boards. Kevin provided me my copy of Jeff Lang/CW Dislocation Blues and I thought he and the rest of you would enjoy this podcast I discovered:
http://www.jefflang.com.au/dislocation.htm
ENJOY!!! |
| Arthen |
Posted - 07/13/2006 : 5:18:43 PM
Wish I could've been there! I hope this stays in regular reputation. |
| rubylith |
Posted - 07/13/2006 : 4:39:19 PM
Heard it last night....WOW....brought a tear to my eye...it was so amazing. We got it on video as well, Hopeful ROlling Waves is heading that. He'll let you know what happens with the video. TR played a bunch of new songs as well, one was called "The Truth" (I think anyway) it was kinda reggae all of his new songs were AMAZING, it made me feel great. DO NOT MISS TR IF HE IS NEAR YOU! We drove 4 hours last night got home so late but we had a blast. Thanks again to Rew, Fluffy and TR! |
| KevinLesko |
Posted - 07/13/2006 : 3:45:12 PM
What exciting news. I love that song/album. Can't wait to hear it. I did indeed post the link to TR's cover on the CW board. I see that tons of people read it, but no comments. I was hoping to hear what they thought of the cover. |
| Robin |
Posted - 07/11/2006 : 9:26:54 PM
I'm really exited to hear TR is working on covering HVH!I can see how the vocals would work for him, that album is more whispery than Chris's previous works. I can also understand his not being happy with his cover of "Big Sky Country". The vocals are Chris at his best IMO. Though TIM really did what I consider a beautiful performance of it in S.F.last tour.It was very moving, and I was glad to have been there for it. It makes my heart happy to have a musician such as TR, who is also a really beautiful human being, covering Chris's music.Peace,Robin |
| Arthen |
Posted - 07/11/2006 : 7:18:40 PM
quote:
Originally posted by rubylith
we WILL be video taping. 
I love Soft Dangerous Shores lately. 
SDS rules! Medicine Wheel will definitely be played on my radio show!
Glad to hear you are video taping. Combine that with what sounds like continual Sound Board recordings, and we'll be set! |
| rubylith |
Posted - 07/11/2006 : 7:14:43 PM
we WILL be video taping.
I love Soft Dangerous Shores lately. |
| Arthen |
Posted - 07/11/2006 : 3:37:43 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Fluffy
TR tells me he is now trying to work out a cover of Hotel Vast Horizon by CW. TR actually loves that CD and adores that particular song. TR came and saw Chris on that tour when we played in Santa Fe. Chris had Heiko and Mattias with him at that show and TR said he was blown away. TR was never quite happy with his cover of Big Sky Country, he felt he never quite did it justice. He feels he can do a much better job with HVH. Since so much of CW's music is about the vocals and TR's situation with HIS vocals, he thinks he will be able to do a much better tribute to Chris with HVH. Can't wait to hear it.
To answer your question Arthen, YES, that is Kev on Chris' message board as AstralPuke.
HVH is my favorite CW album. Although it goes back and forth between that and Reiter In now. I always enjoyed playing New Lost World from that album. Please people record the shows!!! |
| rubylith |
Posted - 07/11/2006 : 3:25:50 PM
Fluffy my bro and I are coming tomorrow along with Jared, we would all totally FREAK if TIM played HVH...well Im sure we will all be freaking no matter what he plays...cant wait to see you tomorrow we will be arriving around 8 or so. |
| Fluffy |
Posted - 07/11/2006 : 2:07:38 PM
TR tells me he is now trying to work out a cover of Hotel Vast Horizon by CW. TR actually loves that CD and adores that particular song. TR came and saw Chris on that tour when we played in Santa Fe. Chris had Heiko and Mattias with him at that show and TR said he was blown away. TR was never quite happy with his cover of Big Sky Country, he felt he never quite did it justice. He feels he can do a much better job with HVH. Since so much of CW's music is about the vocals and TR's situation with HIS vocals, he thinks he will be able to do a much better tribute to Chris with HVH. Can't wait to hear it.
To answer your question Arthen, YES, that is Kev on Chris' message board as AstralPuke. |
| Ranting Thespian |
Posted - 07/09/2006 : 01:53:13 AM
Wow, thanks for bringing up this thread, I didn't see it earlier, since I havn't been in this part of the boards too much until recently.
I didn't know the great Fluff worked with Chris, and ATO didn't know Fluffy worked with Tim personaly, lol! I only got Rocket House after I heard about him through ATO records (which to me at a time was VERY different to what I was listening to at the time).
Why was he dropped from their label exactly?
. . . I also didn't know he was homeless (in the sense that he had no stable home) and couldn't get any good help and died only 5 weeks after he was diagnosed. What a sad thing in this country you are treated so poorly when you are sick and you aren't rich (and I know from experience . . . currently!). |
| Arthen |
Posted - 07/08/2006 : 10:13:09 PM
quote:
Originally posted by rubylith
From the Chris Whitley Message Board:
quote:
AstralPuke Living With The Law
Registered: Aug 2004
Location:
Posts: 90
Tim Reynolds covering CW
I forget if this was ever mentioned or not, but during his last West Coast tour during April, Tim Reynolds added a cover of Big Sky Country to his rotation of covers during shows. For those who don't know, Fluffy is Tim's tour manager and also managed Chris on the road... so I'm sure that much Chris Whitley was/is listened to in the van while out touring. I spoke to Tim about covering the tune before a show in CA and Tim told me that he looks at the song lyrically, and doesn't concentrate as much on the guitar aspect. Pretty interesting considering Tim is the most amazing guitar player around. Here is a version that has just surfaced from a show in Chico CA
http://www.archive.org/download/tre...-sbd-d2t06.flac
Was that you posting Kevin? |
| rubylith |
Posted - 07/08/2006 : 1:03:35 PM
From the Chris Whitley Message Board:
quote:
AstralPuke Living With The Law
Registered: Aug 2004
Location:
Posts: 90
Tim Reynolds covering CW
I forget if this was ever mentioned or not, but during his last West Coast tour during April, Tim Reynolds added a cover of Big Sky Country to his rotation of covers during shows. For those who don't know, Fluffy is Tim's tour manager and also managed Chris on the road... so I'm sure that much Chris Whitley was/is listened to in the van while out touring. I spoke to Tim about covering the tune before a show in CA and Tim told me that he looks at the song lyrically, and doesn't concentrate as much on the guitar aspect. Pretty interesting considering Tim is the most amazing guitar player around. Here is a version that has just surfaced from a show in Chico CA
http://www.archive.org/download/tre...-sbd-d2t06.flac
|
| Robin |
Posted - 06/18/2006 : 10:11:30 PM
Fluffy, I agree,and maybe jumped in too quickly with my response, the sentence below is what prompted me. I still think it's a good article otherwise, and I am glad that you shared it Peace, Robin
"when staring death in the face at 45 years of age, he pulled together a team of his closest musical compadres and made ‘Reiter In’".
|
| Fluffy |
Posted - 06/18/2006 : 12:20:08 AM
Hey Robin, just wanted to point out 2 things:
1)As a reviewer he didn't take liberties, he actually uses the word "allegedly".... quote:
this album was allegedly recorded after Chris was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer,
2)Then toward the end he says: quote:
Christopher Becker Whitley was diagnosed as suffering from advanced lung cancer early last October, and passed on just five weeks later on November 20 2005.
So obviously he didn't record during that TIMe so I think he isn't making an untrue statement here. Just passing on what HAS been said and he does say "allegedly" and goes on to mention the date of diagnosis and his death. Yes it could be misconstrued but is indeed not the case. I don't think he was trying to mislead anyone. If anything he was trying to make it a more romantic tale. Thats all. Glad you enjoyed it otherwise. |
| Robin |
Posted - 06/17/2006 : 11:50:30 PM
Finally, a halfway decent article, Thanks for posting that Fluffy. It should be noted however, that Chris was NOT diagnosed with his illness before recording "Reiter In". By saying so it makes it seem romantic somehow, which it is not. It's just untrue. Otherwise a good article. Peace, Robin |
| Fluffy |
Posted - 06/17/2006 : 5:19:16 PM
Here is a great CW overview and review of Reiter In from an euro magazine:
Reiter In
Born in 1960, Chris Whitley was a classic musical visionary, living the peripatetic life of a largely solo, unclassifiable troubadour, all the while eluding and, in turn, being eluded by, commercial success. This was despite (or quite possibly due to) the panoramic scope of his music and restless creative vision. Born in Houston, Texas, Whitley was subsequently raised in Bellows Fall, Vermont, one of two sons to a single mother. Chris baled summer hay to earn a crust in his teens and spent his spare hours playing guitar, front-porch-blues style.
Whitley's musical path was forever diverted when at 16 or so a friend returned from travelling and, in Chris's own words "showed me my first open tuning, and gave me two guitars, beat to shit and covered in blood from (busking and) hitch-hiking." An instant convert to the endless horizon of open tunings and bottleneck technique, Whitley took this distinctive, timeless style and ran with it, earning himself a local following and enough hard cash to relocate to New York City, after quitting high school a year before graduation. Chris spent his time in NYC relentlessly working the clubs and street corners - his existence was to be dependent on music from that time onwards, resulting in a raw-boned hunter’s intensity and vitality that ran in a rich seam throughout his entire output.
After being noticed busking by a European talent spotter Whitley relocated to Belgium, recording a handful of indie label records that made him a minor success within Belgium but failed to break the European mainstream. So, in the late 1980s he returned to New York and met with legendary producer Daniel Lanois, who, impressed by Whitley's material and attitude, secured him a deal at Columbia and produced, along with Malcolm Burn, 1991's debut album ‘Living With The Law,’ a deeply atmospheric set that is now regarded as a modern roots classic. The unique pairing of Chris's sparse National steel stylings and tender, wounded howl with Lanois' soaring, cinematic production helped bring aural visualisation to the vast lyrical horizons of tracks like ‘Big Sky Country,’ ‘Phone Call From Leavenworth’ and the title track.
First single "Big Sky Country" was a substantial radio hit and Whitley looked perfectly poised to conquer the mainstream, but, providing an initial sign of the diversity and taciturn attitude to commerciality and conformity that would soon be his trademark, Chris opted to spend the next four years maintaining radio silence, prompting dark rumours of personal demons and rehab. I'm not going to cast these rumours any further or attempt to tarnish Chris's name though, so I'll leave it there.
The next that the public was to hear of Chris Whitley was with the release of 1995's ‘Din Of Ecstacy’. The polar opposite of ‘LWTL,’ ‘Din’ still stands as an imposing slab of tar-black, impenetrable blues/metal. Tracks like ‘Narcotic Prayer’, ‘O God, My Heart Is Ready’ and ‘Never’ remain, 11 years on, as deafening, terrifying and thrilling as ever, but the album, for all it's Tool-meets-Charlie Patton-in-hell charms, was never going to be the release to capitalise on ‘LWTL's commercial potential, and Whitley found himself shuffled from Columbia onto subsidiary label Work for his next release, 1997's ‘Terra Incognita’.
A personal favourite, ‘Terra’ dilutes the ‘Din’ concentrate with a stronger blues influence and a commercial accessibility entirely absent from the previous release, especially in the weary, rusted grooves of ‘Automatic,’ ‘Aerial’ and ‘Cool Wooden Crosses’. This album was followed quickly by ‘Dirt Floor’, a surprising volteface from his previous two sets, and Whitley's first release for free-thinking indie imprint Messenger Records. Dirt Floor was recorded in a week in Chris's father's barn in Bellows Falls, a studio with literally a dirt floor and one microphone hanging from a beam. Acclaimed by critics and public as his finest release since ‘LWTL’ this album is entirely acoustic and features some of Whitley's greatest ever songwriting. Around this time Chris relocated once more to Belgium, where he met Susann Buerger - who would remain his partner and companion until his death in November 2005.
Next up was the release of subversive and fascinating covers album ‘Perfect Day’ and blistering, distorted, solo live album ‘Live At Martyr's,’ which features just Chris, his National steel fed through an edgy Fender amp and the mic’ed up stomping of his boot, but manages to sound for all the world like the hottest trio you've ever heard.
Surprisingly (or not, by Whitley's standards) these two wilfully obscure releases were followed by the glorious electronica of ‘Rocket House,’ a rapprochement with the vast sonic vistas of ‘LWTL’ and an album that stands proudly as the equal of any of his releases. The subtle epicism of ‘Radar,’ ‘Vertical Desert’ and ‘From A Photograph,’ amongst many others, are feats of songwriting that are not to be underestimated. This is the real deal. This period of Chris's life was a real creative purple patch, and ‘Rocket House’ was soon followed by the sparse, naked ‘Hotel Vast Horizon,’ recorded in Belgium with the rhythm section from jazz/fusion trio Medeski, Martin & Wood - a record full of space and classic Whitley lyrical imagery. Another massive critical success, but, again, not a record that would make any commercial impact to speak of.
Two mail-order-only albums were to follow: ‘Weed’ and ‘War Crime Blues,’ the first a collection of solo re-workings of his earlier material, and the second a mix of new material and covers-the take on The Clash's ‘The Call-Up’ and the chilling, acapella rendition pop/jazz standard ‘Nature Boy’ herein are especially unexpected successes. These albums are now available as a two-for-one package which is essential listening.
In July 2005, just under four months before his death, Chris Whitley released ‘Soft Dangerous Shores,’ produced, in a neat circle-closing fashion, by Malcolm Burn, a producer who had significant involvement with ‘LWTL,’ alongside Lanois in 1991. A seamless, breathless fusion of the organic and synthetic aesthetics which always seemed to polarise Whitley's previous work, this is truly one from the heart. Many people close to Chris say that although he was yet to be diagnosed with the lung cancer which took his life in November 2005, he had a sense that his time was short, and that is borne out in the lyrics of almost every song of this immense set.
From surreal, gorgeous opener ‘Fireroad (For Two)’ (“Say once before you go, before I'm gone...") to heartbreaking closer ‘Breath Of Shadows’ ("The dead and the living coming true/it's too late to find a way home...,") this album just doesn't have a single weak track. The Eno-like ambience of ‘City Of Women’ and the monumental groove of ‘Last Million Miles’ are particular highlights, but there is nothing to criticise here at all, a true masterpiece that would have stood brilliantly as Whitley's last hurrah, had it not been for the album that this entire article is an entree to.
Which is ‘Reiter In’, the last recorded work of Chris Whitley and his only major collaborative release, credited to "Chris Whitley & The Bastard Club." Released posthumously, this album was allegedly recorded after Chris was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, and the urgency and vitality in the performances bear that theory out completely. It sounds like a man playing as if his life depended on it-or perhaps living because his playing depended on it.
Kicking off with a visceral, feral reading of The Stooges' classic ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog,’ complete with tape warp and cue in, it's instantly obvious that this is not going to be ‘Soft Dangerous Shores’ Pt.2. All-out, garage-blues-punk, it's a powerful, aggressive salvo that again seems to reference death ("now I'm ready to close my eyes/now I'm ready to close my mind...") and simultaneously out-punk the original by a country mile. Second track ‘Bring It On Home’ is a Willie Dixon song that was also reworked by Zeppelin in the early 1970s, but here it’s transformed into something entirely different - the groove is fabulously loose, the players almost smeared across the beat and really getting into some wild territory; an undoubtedly interesting take on the song, but perhaps not to the taste of the average listener weaned on a diet of more polished material.
The highlight of the album is undoubtedly the almighty take on The Flaming Lips’ ‘Mountainside’. Originally taken from the Lips’ ‘In A Priest Driven Ambulance’ album, the original seems tame in comparison with this unwieldy beast. Driven along by Bonhamesque drumming that sounds similar in tone to a coach falling down said mountainside and Chris’ dominant, deafening electric guitar, it’s a performance with such mighty impetus that it feels like it took all eight members of The Bastard Club to tame it and bring it to its shuddering halt at 5:15. Whitley is firing with both barrels vocally here, and sounding raw as hell with it. No pretence, no posturing, just eight people playing from the soul itself.
The album cycles through a couple of other notable covers (a demented take on The Passions’ ‘I’m In Love With A German Film Star’ and an unexpectedly compelling reading of Gary Numan’s ‘Are Friends Electric?’) before hitting a string of original songs that form the album’s emotional meat - in particular the spoken-word vocal of the album’s title track, read by Susann Buerger. The words resonate deeply - “the rider is the ghost that leads the body…,” and the music is classic Whitley. ‘I Go Evil’ is similarly brilliant, the lyrics (“I go evil by dictation”) bearing out Whitley’s previous self assessment as “a musical surrealist” and delivered with the same sneer and attitude that defined previous classics such as ‘Can’t Get Off’ and ‘Gasket.’
The album shakes itself out over the final two tracks, the gently rollicking ‘All Beauty Taken From You In This Life Remains Forever’ and the brief blaze of ‘Come Home,’ penned by bass Bastard Heiko Schramm, then comes to rest. As the final note of the album fades out, it’s hard to believe that this is the end, not just of a great album but of a career, a catalogue and, ultimately, a life. As sad as the reality is, it’s immense testament to the attitude and spirit of Chris Whitley that, when staring death in the face at 45 years of age, he pulled together a team of his closest musical compadres and made ‘Reiter In’ - an album about life and a record as vital as anything else from his stellar musical legacy.
Christopher Becker Whitley was diagnosed as suffering from advanced lung cancer early last October, and passed on just five weeks later on November 20 2005. As soon as word of his passing spread, messages of condolence and celebration of his life began to pour in to his family via the internet from thousands of people worldwide who had been touched by his music - surprising perhaps to those who considered Chris to be touring in relative obscurity, but not in the slightest to those familiar with the raw power, subtlety and glorious dislocation of his music. Not just a sound, not just a soundtrack to life, but a lifestyle and attitude in itself - something bigger than the parameters of music could ever contain. Whitley was undeniably part of the flame-blue line of roots writers which began with the likes of Robert Johnson and Charlie Patton and continued through Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams, Townes Van Zandt, Gram Parsons, and today resides within the likes of Hayes Carll, Allen Toussaint and many more both existing and to come - people creating music as solid and timeless as granite, which will ensure that, even in death, they’ll always be around.
Go pick yourself up some Chris Whitley and you’ll see what I mean.
Jinder-
14/06/2006
http://www.bhone.co.uk/content.asp?type=r&id=12
A THREAD on this MESSAGE BOARD for MORE ABOUT REITER IN can be found at:
http://www.timreynolds.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6479 |
| rubylith |
Posted - 04/14/2006 : 07:45:13 AM
We listened to Johnny Society tonight, actually the first time I met you Fluffy (and we barely "met") was at a Chris Whitley show and Johnny Society opened. I think it was when the law in NYC passed that banned smoking. Chris got on stage and lit up a smoke, blew the smoke out and goes.... "so....how 'bout that mayor?"
everyone's like "bnooooo!"
haha it was great. Anyway Johnny Society is amazing, it seems everything in the Fluffy realm seems to kick ass, you are like a magnet of great music! |
| KevinLesko |
Posted - 04/14/2006 : 02:12:54 AM
I've got a bit of a Chris Whitley story myself. Before leaving for Seattle, I got free backstage passes to the KCRW Evening Become Eclectic (KCRW is the equivelent to PBS for radio, and are famous the morning becomes eclectic show where they break a lot of new artists). The event itself was cool. Backstage was free food, about 5 open bars, and famous looking people-a-plenty. The show featured Feist, Spoon, Gomez, Sia, Ben Harper, Franz Ferdinand, and Death Cab For Cutie. I was mainly there to see Ben Harper, he was awesome... they broke into Bob Marley's "War" and all of a sudden Ziggy Marley came out on stage to sing it. Way cool.
Anyways, I decided to wear my Chris Whitley "War Crime Blues" shirt for the first time since his passing. I figured what better place than a celebration of independant music, right? While I was in the backstage area enjoying a burbon & coke, a man approached me and asked if I was a Chris Whitley fan. Excitedly, I replied yes, expecting him to say the same, however, he then introduced himself as Chris' cousin, and was happy to see me wearing a CW shirt. I told him I listened to Reiter In on the way to the show and he mentioned how lovely Chris' voice was, and he went on his way. Small world indeed. |
| Fluffy |
Posted - 04/04/2006 : 02:47:07 AM
So you know how I am always talking about the world seems to be getting smaller everyday? Well....tonite I got an email from Kenny Siegal who is in a band called Johnny Society that has opened for TR and also did the whole Hotel Vast Horizon tour with me, CW and the germans. Kenny and Johnny Society are also the back up band on Reiter In and Kenny recorded the CD at his home studio in Catskill, NY. Ohhhh, and keep in mind that Johnny Society and their former incarnation The Hand has always been one of my personal FAVE bands. Kenny is another musical genius in my book. Anyway, as if all of that wasn't "small world" enuf the email from Kenny arrived after he read my post on the CW message board about turning Ray Davies on to Chris Whitley's new CD. Guess what! According to Kenny, Johnny Society at one TIMe was being considered by Ray Davies as a new signing to his label Konk Records. I wish I had know that when Ray was listening to the Chris CD, he probably would have loved to know that the back-up musicians were folks he was once considering signing. I think I will call him and let him know. SMALL FUCKING WORLD!! |
| Arthen |
Posted - 04/03/2006 : 9:03:41 PM
I've looked in two Borders, a Best Buy, and a Tower records have yet to find a physical copy. So it looks like I'll have to order it online as well. |
| PJK |
Posted - 04/03/2006 : 7:42:05 PM
I just ordered my copy of Reiter In. I haven't seen the photo inside, but I love the cover photo. I am a big fan of black and white photography. Can't wait to hear the CD. |
| Fluffy |
Posted - 04/03/2006 : 7:01:43 PM
I was blown away by meeting the guy who took that AWESOME photo. I remember being blown away by it the first TIMe I saw it. Way KEWL!! |
| Arthen |
Posted - 04/02/2006 : 6:43:43 PM
Music is eternal. |
| PJK |
Posted - 04/02/2006 : 6:37:50 PM
Yes I agree, very interesting, but sad too.
I realized I never did get to hear CW play again, but I am thankful I got to at least hear him one time. I am equally thankful I have his CD's to listen to. I think the fact that he left his music behind is pretty cool.
I look at my collection of music, so many of the artists are gone from this world, yet everytime I listen to their music, I feel like they are still here. Makes me realize just how wonderful a gift music really is. |
| Arthen |
Posted - 04/02/2006 : 1:44:25 PM
Awesome stuff Fluff. The Ray Davies thing and the ATO story in particular. I'll always be dissapointed that I never got to see CW live. |
| Fluffy |
Posted - 04/02/2006 : 07:24:22 AM
Thought you guys might like to check out a couple of posts I made on the CW message board.......
http://www.mortalmusic.com/bbs/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1008 |
| Fluffy |
Posted - 03/10/2006 : 4:59:41 PM
I think they are all great, but like TR they are all very different. Dirt Floor(solo acoustic)
Din of Ecstacy(studio, loud, dirty, AWESOME)
Rockethouse(eclectic spacy weirdness)
Live at Martyrs(Solo acoustic LIVE)
Living with the Law(very Daniel Lanois flavored, SMOOTH)
Terra Incognita(very polished singer/songwriter album, especailly coming on the heels of Din of Ecstacy)
Perfect Day(Covers CD with a very jazzy feel. Martin and Wood from Medeski Martin and Wood back him on this CD)
Few moments are as exciting as the one where it becomes undeniably clear that an artist has made his breakthrough. Rocket House is that moment for Chris Whitley. After a decade as one of rock's most beloved cult icons, Whitley has reinvented himself from the bottom up. Rocket House, Whitley's seventh album and first full-fledged studio recording in five years, finds his characteristic smoky-voiced blues-rock dirges invigorated by trip-hop beats, lushly layered arrangements and a soulful vocal style that invokes Al Green as much as Howlin' Wolf.
Produced by Tony Mangurian (Luscious Jackson), Rocket House is a textured sound collage that builds on Whitley's trademark dobro, banjo and slide guitar songcraft. Keyboardist Stephen Barber (Shawn Colvin, Eric Johnson) joins Whitley for all of the album's 11 songs, along with Mangurian on drums and DJ Logic on turntables. Several other musical friends appear on Rocket House: Dave Matthews and Bruce Hornsby heard early demos of the record and independently asked if they could play on the album, and both musicians contribute to "Radar." Whitley's 14-year-old daughter, Trixie, found a studio near her home in Belgium to record vocals on "Chain" and "Serve You." Longtime Rolling Stones and former Beach Boys backing vocalist Blondie Chaplin sings on several tracks. Badal Roy (Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman) added his signature tablas to "Little Torch."
Whitley's songs are as visceral and cerebral as ever. The primal, eastern melodies of the opener "To Joy (Revolution Of The Innocents)" reveal Whitley's roots in the eclectic sound of bands like Can and Kraftwerk. Almost by way of introduction, he sings in the song's chorus, "Angels, and even devils, too, all await to show how far we come to joy." The tone of Whitley's compositions is restless, but deliberate: "Rocket House" pits sparse guitar melodies against a driving breakbeat as Whitley croons like Ray Charles at a rave. "Little Torch" is harmonically soothing, but is offset by DJ Logic's ominous sampling and Whitley's warning, "They never gonna let you get away / Well the world will follow always."
The album's quieter moments may be more familiar to fans of Whitley's past work. The mostly-solo acoustic "Solid Iron Heart" gives a nod to his earlier albums, and the languid tempo of "Serve You" mingles amicably with Whitley's gruff falsetto. The carnal, ghostly "Vertical Desert" and the ethereal "Something Shines" draw the album to a dramatic end. The unsettling samples, haunting piano and searching lyrics leave a bittersweet taste as the album fades to a close.
Chris Whitley has become almost a mythical character, shrouded in mystery and intensity. His nomadic childhood led him through homes in Texas, Mexico, Vermont, New York and Belgium before he finally settled back in New York, busking on the streets and working in a picture frame factory. A chance meeting with producer Daniel Lanois at a photo shoot led to a record deal. From his legendary debut, the rootsy Living with the Law (Sony, 1991), through the aggressive Din of Ecstasy (Sony/Work, 1995) and polished Terra Incognita (Sony/Work, 1997), Whitley developed a devoted following. His unorthodox musical path continued with the intimate and stark Dirt Floor (Messenger/Classic, 1998), recorded in one day in his father's Vermont barn; the stripped down solo album Live at Martyr's (Messenger, 1999) followed a year later. Most recently, Whitley collaborated with Billy Martin and Chris Wood of Medeski Martin & Wood on the sultry, understated and jazz-influenced Perfect Day (Valley, 2000), a collection of standards.
From beginning to end, Rocket House marks Chris Whitley's rebirth as a brilliant, innovative artist. The album is a culmination of the stark moodiness, intuitive lyricism and aggressive sense of purpose that have highlighted Whitley's past work, and it breathes and cries and begs you to listen. Just put it on with a good set of speakers and hear when it's like when a truly inspired musician hits his stride. |
| Fluffy |
Posted - 03/10/2006 : 4:24:56 PM
(from CW's official website)
Dislocation Blues
A Chris Whitley and Jeff Lang collaborative album called "Dislocation Blues" due to be released in 2006 features several songs sung by Chris as well as Chris's playing featured on most cuts...this CD has some absolutely brilliant moments that no Chris Whitley fan or Jeff Lang fan for that matter will go away dissapointed...
Statement from Jeff Lang:
"The record that I was fortunate enough to make with Chris is a studio record, not a live one. We recorded 12 songs in Melbourne during April this year for a full-length CD, a collaboration between us. It is very bitter/sweet to talk about in light of the loss of the man, but against that the recording is full of incredibly beautiful singing and playing by Chris. We wrote a couple of new songs together for the recording, and also recorded versions of Chris' songs Velocity Girl, Dislocation Blues, Rocket House (very different version to that on the Rocket House album, two nationals with Chris' boot board). Chris also sang amazing renditions of the traditional song Stagger Lee, Dylan's When I Paint My Masterpiece, Forever In my Life by Prince (incredibly soulful singing) and he and I traded verses on Dylan's Changing Of The Guard as well as tracking a couple of my songs. It was recorded live in a wonderful sounding room, with a great recording engineer in a no-stress environment over three days. Of the twelve songs Chris sung seven, I sung four (with Chris singing harmony throughout one) and we both sung one together (the aforementioned Dylan song). All but three songs are with a great rhythm section - Grant Cummerford on upright and electric bass, and Ashley Davies on drums.
There were also some live tracks selected for a bonus disc.
Right now, I'm not certain of when it will be released. It was our plan that it would come out in the first half of 2006, and I am hopeful that this will still happen.
I'm sure you will find out as soon as details are arranged.
Being able to work with Chris is something that I'll be forever proud of."
Jeff Lang
» www.jefflang.com.au
|
| Fluffy |
Posted - 03/10/2006 : 4:10:24 PM
March 3, 2006, 4:53PM
Whitley influenced a host of musicians; now they're giving back
By ANDREW DANSBY
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
Chris Whitley died in Houston in November because he had nowhere else to go.
A two-month tour left him thousands of dollars in debt; his records had never been brisk sellers. "The reality is, he had two National guitars, a bag, and that's it," says Corrine Tames, organizer of two Whitley tribute concerts, one tonight in Austin, the other Sunday in Houston.
Tames was Whitley's label rep in this region more than 15 years ago when he released Living With the Law, his rootsy, bluesy debut. It was the album that won him a dedicated listenership that tracked him as he followed his fidgety muse, which bounced from blues to psych rock to jazz and electronica.
After losing his apartment in New York last year, Whitley came to live with Tames in Houston. He was diagnosed with lung cancer last fall. She tried to arrange medical care for him in New York, but because he had no address, homeless-shelter hospice was the only option. She arranged for hospice care here instead, and with his entire family present Whitley died at her home four weeks later, on Nov. 20, at age 45.
Though he died without any money, Whitley left behind a treasure of a discography that, despite stylistic variance, was always united by his remarkable guitar playing and his otherworldly voice.
Tames hopes the concerts will "wipe the financial slate clean," clearing up medical and personal debts. Proceeds will also be placed into a trust fund for Whitley's 18-year-old daughter, Trixie Whitley, who currently stands to receive nothing from the 13 wildly diverse albums her father recorded and released during his lifetime.
The talent assembled for the shows reflects Whitley's own music: great jazz and rock guitarist Vernon Reid; turntablist DJ Logic, who worked with Whitley on his 2001 electronica-tinged rock album Rocket House; and a pair of Austin musicians, guitarist Charlie Sexton and pop/folk singer Shawn Colvin.
The Houston show will also include performances by Whitley's brother Dan, the Sonnier Brothers and John Egan, and the Austin tribute features the same lineup along with Alejandro Escovedo, Eric Johnson and others.
"All of these artists had a personal relationship or association with Chris," Tames says. "It went beyond respecting his work. He didn't just touch one genre of music, and that shows in the lineup."
Sexton and Whitley crossed paths a number of times in Austin. He says the last time he saw Whitley was at a coffee shop; Whitley played an early copy of what was then his most recent album, Soft Dangerous Shores.
"There are two kinds of musicians," Sexton says. "There's the kind that is talented, can write a good song, a good player. This kind has some success but then decides, 'Hey, I'm going to open a shoe store.' They apply that love to something else that ultimately proves more rewarding monetarily. Then there's the other side. The lifers. They start playing young, they do what they do, and they do it until they die. Chris was a lifer.
"He never lost his edge. Even when singing the most beautiful ballad, it had an edge to it. He was such a volatile performer."
The show also will provide an opportunity to purchase Whitley's new album, Chris Whitley and the Bastard Club. Tames describes it as "a straight-up rock 'n' roll record," with covers of songs by Iggy Pop, Willie Dixon and Gary Numan. It will have a wide release March 28.
"When he recorded it, none of us knew he was ill," she says. "But it's a very strong record. My image of him is always as someone strong, going his own way. It exemplifies that; it's a great record."
andrew.dansby@chron.com
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/3699776.html
|
| Robin |
Posted - 01/24/2005 : 1:07:02 PM
Wow! I can't beleive that article has never crossed my path before. Thanks so much for posting it. Peace, Robin |
| Fluffy |
Posted - 01/22/2005 : 10:41:14 AM
A link to this was posted above in this thread, but as it is one of my fave articles ever about Chris and it was written by the same person that interviewed me, I thought I should post it. ENJOY!!!
WHITLEY WAXES PHILOSOPHICAL ON "WAR CRIME BLUES"
by Joy Sculnick
Once every generation, a musician emerges to grace us with rare artistry and genius. Chris Whitley is one such artist.
Over the last 13 years, the Texas-born Whitley has gifted us with eight original albums, all filled with compositions that are at varying times raw, moody, sensual, and soaring. Whether driven by a backing band or by his own intricate slide guitar playing, Whitley’s voice always takes us on a journey through the human experience. A true poet, his lyrics are often couched in metaphor and mystery, leaving the listener to imagine herself near a Mississippi levee at midnight or perhaps a lonely café. Whitley is an aural painter; his colors the slide guitar and his voice, a voice that is sometimes soft and careful, sometimes deep and tense.
Whitley’s current release, ‘War Crime Blues,’ is a masterful, subtle meandering on how the wars in the Middle East have affected him as an artist, which is to say that you will not hear any grand political statements or anything of the sort. Instead, Whitley’s songwriting considers the possible deeper causes of war and aggression.
As he prepared to travel to Houston as part of what has been a very successful solo tour, Whitley took some time to reflect.
“There are things on that record that are trying to respond to war or that kind of ‘us against them’ aggressiveness…There seems like so much male aggression and frustration that’s trying to be expressed.” Whitley wonders if the underlying motivation for the war is not political after all. “I’m not trying to present answers or something with that record but I do feel that it’s bigger than just ‘Take their guns away’ or ‘Make their laws more reasonable’ or ‘Is it the heroin trade from Afghanistan?’ It’s not all politics. It’s something human underneath that motivates, that creates these politics.”
Whitley points to French philosopher Albert Camus’ 1951 essay ‘The Rebel’ and suggests, “It’s not idealisms and this and that. It can be existential frustrations. We overlook that. You turn on the TV and if it’s guys burning American flags or if it’s Bush people, they all seem like frustrated men. Something that they need to get out but they don’t know what it is.”
Having spent the last three years in Germany has given the singer-songwriter an international perspective on the horrors of war. He says, “Living in Dresden, there’s a major history of these things there from Nazism but also from the crime of bombing… It’s a really sick story and almost nobody knows it. It was twice as many people killed as in Hiroshima.” (During World War Two, the Allies dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, killing approximately 70 000. By comparison, the Allied bombing of Dresden six months before resulted in 135 000 deaths.)
In discussing war, Whitley often returns to the same idea – that we are all, no matter the race or ethnicity, joined together in the pursuit of life. “Living in Europe and going back and forth (between the U.S and Europe), you know, I feel kind of like, it’s not ‘us and them.’ It’s all of us.”
Whitley, now 43, remarks that we have all been affected by war, whether it’s World War Two, Vietnam, the Gulf War, or now Iraq. “My parents were young in the sixties. I remember as a little kid thinking I would be drafted for the Vietnam War. You know, like it’ll go on forever. It seemed like that. I remember feeling that way as a little kid because all the people around me were young hipsters like my parents. It seemed like that to them, like ‘When’s this going to end?’”
‘Ghost Dance,’ a real standout on ‘War Crime Blues,’ features a driving slide guitar and evokes the spirit of the Native American warrior Sitting Bull, who led the1890 Sioux resistance against the U.S Army. The Sioux believed that performing the Ghost Dance ritual would help them triumph over the military. Sitting Bull is never referred to in the song. It’s all about nuance for Whitley. A casual reference that is up to the listener to pursue. Or not.
In conversation, Whitley displays a keen interest in Native culture, due, in part, to his family heritage (which contains Cherokee ancestry), and easily refers to other Native figures such as Geronimo, whose 1906 memoirs he enjoyed reading. It seems that Whitley has done a fair bit of reading, easily referring to the German writer, Goethe, André Breton, the Surrealist philosopher, as well as the existentialist Camus.
Whitley, however, had not heard the story of Eden Ahbez, the proto-hippie who wrote the huge Nat King Cole hit, ‘Nature Boy,’ which Whitley covers on ‘War Crime Blues.’ In the 1940s, Ahbez espoused hippie philosophy years before the term was coined. He shunned a traditional lifestyle, choosing instead to live in a Los Angeles park and lecture on mysticism on street corners. ‘Nature Boy’ is the sweet, innocent tale of “a very strange enchanted boy” who muses that the “fairest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.” For various reasons, Cole sat on the song for a few months before recording it. When he did decide to go ahead, the rights for the song had to be secured first. A search began to locate the homeless Ahbez, who, so the legend goes, was finally found camping out under the first ‘L’ in the Hollywood sign.
Whitley laughs out loud, saying numerous times, “That’s a great story…I loved that song. I’ve always loved it…And the last day of recording, I woke up in the morning, and the first thought was, ‘I have to do ‘Nature Boy.’
Sung a cappella, Whitley’s version of ‘Nature Boy’ is stunning in its simplicity and beauty. Completed in two takes, Whitley says, “I’d never sung it before. I had no idea.” He says he is not fully happy with the result. “I still feel like I would love to do it again…I know I could sing it better because I didn’t try. It was the second take. The engineer said, ‘Great.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, ok.’ If I didn’t have the engineer’s perspective at the moment, I would have kept trying to make it better and it probably would have gotten less resonant with my technical limitations.”
Whitley describes his interpretation of ‘Nature Boy’ as “just purely a naïve innocent response.” In the end, Whitley feels it is this ‘naïve innocent response’ that yields the greatest music. Whether it’s Nirvana or Iggy Pop or the early Mississippi blues of Robert Johnson, Whitley says that what these artists all share is a raw feeling, a need for self-expression that runs deeper than our intellect, down to a primitive place where we are most human.
Most of ‘War Crime Blues’ was recorded in one or two takes. Whitley took a more spontaneous approach in the studio, often asking the recording engineer to just run the tape while he wrote the song on the spot. “I wanted that record to be like that, like a response to something in a visceral way.”
Record stores are quick to pigeon hole Whitley as a blues artist. In some shops, you may find Whitley’s work in the ‘Rock’ section. He attributes the labeling that musicians now experience to society’s intense consumerism. “I grew up with, like, 70s, 60s records. Dylan records, Beatles records, Hendrix, the Doors, Sly Stone. And it was all rock. Now the marketing and saturation of our culture has necessitated calling it this or that. I still see them all related. Other people have to call it something that’s really specific to give people a little bit clearer idea of what they’re buying in this culture where you can buy so much.”
It would be wrong to try and label Whitley. He knows how to rock out with a band but can also embody that lonely bluesman playing a slide guitar. Many of his songs cry out for the love that is lost or never found, others quietly evoke the primal sadness and confusion of living.
Much can be learned about Whitley from ‘Perfect Day,’ his 2000 release of cover songs. He interprets a variety of artists including Howlin’ Wolf, Lou Reed, the Doors, and Jimi Hendrix. Each selection seeks to strip down its original version to its starkest beginnings. The result is sheer illumination.
‘Perfect Day’ also contains covers of two Bob Dylan songs. The album begins with ‘Spanish Harlem Incident’ and ends with ‘4th Time Around.’ Says Whitley, “I grew up on Dylan…All of my life I’ve gone back and forth with him. He’s a genius. My favorite stuff of him is his most abstract, his most emotional…What I love about Dylan is , like, ‘4th Time Around,’ these really abstract things you don’t know what he’s getting at. They’re political only in their aesthetic, kind of in representation. But they’re not topical. They’re really like when he’s confused.”
Apparently, Dylan is a fan of Whitley. The two met several years ago following Whitley’s show at a Stockholm club. “He (Dylan) came and sat through a set of mine. He shook my hand. I was scared. I really did grow up on him. My parents listened to him…And then years later I was in Stockholm again. A journalist came to me, ‘Remember that gig with Dylan?’ The guy says to me, ‘I did an interview with Dylan that night and I asked him what he thought of your set. And Dylan said, ‘Man, I had goosebumps.’”
Whitley has had many other brushes with extreme fame and rock royalty. In 1998, he opened for Alanis Morissette on her US tour. It was a strange experience. “That was weird. She’s a radio pop person so her wanting to bring me along was great. But it’s not what her audience is even about. Alanis was doing like, like kind of serious versions of ‘You Oughta Know.’ People didn’t respond to it. They wanted her to be the radio star.” And they were less receptive to Whitley, on two occasions throwing things at him while he played.
While on tour with Tom Petty following the release of his first album, 1991’s “Living with the Law,” Whitley observed that “they (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) don’t really like the touring. It’s an industry and I come in there and I’m not really a pop guy but it was a good opportunity for me to play with these people.”
Whitley’s current tour takes him through Texas, California, Washington, and Oregon. He plays small clubs and is performing without a band. On stage, it is just Whitley and his guitar. He doesn’t speak to the audience that much, although he is always grateful for the turnout. We, in turn, are captivated and supportive, as Whitley seeks to plow through the depths of his consciousness and take us all to a higher level.
Posted on March 12, 2004
Send comments to chrisrosetti@aol.com
SOURCE:
http://www.geocities.com/maeve_gael/chris_whitley.html |
| KevinLesko |
Posted - 09/28/2004 : 02:24:12 AM
I'm actually about 2 weeks late on this, but I just thought I'd pass the word along that both WEED and WAR CRIME BLUES (two great new Chris Whitley cds that were only available at shows and online) are now officially released in stores. I'd highly reccomend picking either of these up next visit to a record shop. |
| KevinLesko |
Posted - 08/09/2004 : 3:05:50 PM
FOUND IT!!! I was close... here is the quote I read from a fan on his message board:
"I got the chance to talk to Chris about the new album. He said he is working with Matthias and Heiko from HVH as well as some German Trip Hop guys. He implied that there was going to be a strong electronic element to the new record, but he was trying really hard NOT to make a pop album." |
| KevinLesko |
Posted - 08/09/2004 : 2:57:07 PM
quote:
Over the past month Chris has been hard at work on his newest effort which is being produced by Malcolm Burn, the same guy who produced Chris' first CD "Living with the Law". It was recorded in Kingston, NY using the same band from "Hotel Vast Horizon", Heiko on bass and Mattias on drums. These are the same two who toured with him to support the HVH CD. I can't wait to hear what it sounds like. Apparently they have had many guests work on it as well like Chris' brother Dan Whitley who has his own band in NYC. Heiko tells me it is awesome and that it will really surprise me. This has really peaked my interest which is already peaked everyTIMe I hear Chris has recorded something new. Can't wait!!!!!!!
Word... I read somewhere (I think on CW's message board) that one of the prominant guests was a German electronica artist. I'll have try to search for the exact quote to make sure I'm not just making this up. |
| Fluffy |
Posted - 08/07/2004 : 2:35:10 PM
Over the past month Chris has been hard at work on his newest effort which is being produced by Malcolm Burn, the same guy who produced Chris' first CD "Living with the Law". It was recorded in Kingston, NY using the same band from "Hotel Vast Horizon", Heiko on bass and Mattias on drums. These are the same two who toured with him to support the HVH CD. I can't wait to hear what it sounds like. Apparently they have had many guests work on it as well like Chris' brother Dan Whitley who has his own band in NYC. Heiko tells me it is awesome and that it will really surprise me. This has really peaked my interest which is already peaked everyTIMe I hear Chris has recorded something new. Can't wait!!!!!!! |
| KevinLesko |
Posted - 06/02/2004 : 12:37:56 PM
There is an update on Whitley's website:
Chris is writing, creating, playing again for his new record. The production will start in only three weeks. As soon as possible we will try to give you a closer look with some shots. In the meantime check out the new tour dates.
Man, Chris is just pumping out the music, I love it!!!!
Here are the tour dates:
7/14/04
Wednesday
"Cisco Systems Bluesfest"
Ottawa, ON
Showtime: tba
ticket info: 613 755 1111
7/16/04
Friday
"Cisco Systems Bluesfest"
Ottawa, ON
Showtime: tba
ticket info: 613 755 1111
7/20/04
Tuesday
"South Street Seaport"
Showtime: 1:00 pm
New York, NY ticket info: tba
9/22/04
Wednesday
"Rainbow Bistro"
Ottawa, ON
Ticket Info: 613 9419 242
Showtime: 9 pm
9/23/04
Thursday
"Hugh's Room"
Toronto, ON
Ticket Info: 416 531 6604
Showtime: 8 pm
9/30/04
Thursday
"Magic Bag"
Ferndale, MI
Ticket Info: 248 544 3030
Showtime: tba
10/02/04
Saturday
"Old Town School of Folk Music"
Chicago, IL
Ticket Info: 773 728 6000
Showtime: 7&10 pm
10/06/04
Wednesday
"400 Bar"
Minneapolis, MN
Ticket Info: 612 332 2903
Showtime: 8:30 pm
10/07/04
Thursday
"The Mill"
Iowa City, IA
Ticket Info: 319 351 9529
Showtime: 9 pm
10/09/04
Sunday
"Lion's Lair"
Denver, CO
Ticket Info: 303 320 9200
Showtime: 10 pm
10/11/04
Monday
"Club Suede"
Park City, UT
Ticket Info: 435 658 2665
Showtime: 9 pm
10/14/04
Thursday
"Tractor Tavern"
Seattle, WA
Ticket Info: 206 789 3599
Showtime: 8 pm
10/19/04
Tuesday
"vagabond Blues"
Palmer, AK
Ticket Info: 907 263 2787
Showtime: 8 pm
10/20/04
Wednesday
"Wilda Marston or Snowgoose Theatre"
Anchorage, AK
Ticket Info: 907 263 2787
Showtime: 8 pm
11/06/04
Saturday
"Rhythm Room"
Houston, TX
Ticket Info: 713 863 0943
Showtime: 9:45 pm
11/20/04
Saturday
"Riverwalk Blues & Music Festival"
Ft. lauderdale, FL
Ticket Info: tba
|
| rubylith |
Posted - 05/27/2004 : 11:03:41 AM
for one New Orleans was one of the best TIMes I ever had. Went down for Jazz fest. But yea we brought our guitars and played on the street for a long, long time. Bars are open 24hrs and we made some loots just jamming. The experience was great and I recommend it to anyone. |
| Zachmozach |
Posted - 05/26/2004 : 9:31:07 PM
Hey the local portland paper mentioned Chris Whitley today. It was just a sentance about how he started out as a street musician in New Orleans if I remember right. Made me think I oughta finaly try out going to the streets to play. It'd be fun if nothing else. |
| Fluffy |
Posted - 04/08/2004 : 8:02:42 PM
Same as TR's pretty much, he encourages it. |
| Arthen |
Posted - 04/08/2004 : 7:33:19 PM
Does CW have a taping policy? |
| Fluffy |
Posted - 04/08/2004 : 04:39:02 AM
This is from a promotional thing that CW did for his album "Dirt Floor":
"But no matter what, I know that if I'm pure about the music--true to my aims--that it will reach people on a much deeper level. It's not an art-vs.-commerce thing, it's just that touching a few people deeply is where it's at for me." Chris Whitley
Sound like anyone else we know?
"This is a free country and I can practice the freedom. Obviously my approach isn't necessarily bent upon being more popular. Although, I like the idea of being popular. I want people to like my music, but not to the point that I'm going to make music with that in mind first." Tim Reynolds
I am a very lucky man!
If you haven't read the review posted above by mackenzie I highly recommend checking it out. Here it is again:
http://www.geocities.com/maeve_gael/chris_whitley.html
It maybe one of the BEST interviews/storys I have read about CW.
Here is a beautiful review I found from the Boston Club Passim performance:
Chris Whitley:Troubadour Nosferatu
Chris Whitley stands on Club Passim’s spare stage like a troubadour Nosferatu, a black T-shirt pulled tight over his Iggy Pop torso and a guitar hung at his hips. Although the room is sold out, Whitley seems almost alone with his music. And his delivery says he enjoys it that way. He unveils stories that play out as dark stream-of-consciousness poetry, tales of whores and junkies and convicts sung in a style that’s so personal, at times it’s almost impenetrable.
Whitley’s eyelids slide down as he leans toward the microphone, switching among a half-mumble, a harsh whisper, and an arching manner of phrase that builds in register and intensity to a keening falsetto inspired by the bluesman Skip James. His playing often balances speedy surges of picked-and-frailed rhythms with quavering low sustained tones and sour atonal chords that underline the anxiety in his lyrics. The blur and the repeated themes of his six-string attack can threaten to become numbing, but blended with the buzz of his voice, they create a momentum that has a hypnotic grip. At its best, Whitley’s musicianship becomes a nexus of Delta blues and Led Zeppelin — especially when he alternates small explosions of slide with the ascending chordal runs that were a hallmark of Zeppelin’s acoustic performances.
His stage patter is as introverted as his song delivery. He speaks to the audience just a few times, mostly to apologize for having to retune his vintage electric solid-body and a pair of resonator guitars — which look to be a half-century or more old — between almost every number. Then he’s back in his own world. All that doesn’t necessarily make for easy listening unless you’re willing to be hypnotized by the muted light each song shines into the cave of his psyche.
It wasn’t always that way. Whitley arrived as a distinctive if more conventional troubadour in 1991 with the album Living with the Law (Columbia) and a full-blown radio hit. The disc shared "Kick the Stones" with the soundtrack to Thelma & Louise; the song was featured in the pivotal scene where Geena Davis’s Thelma beds Brad Pitt’s drifter, shedding her sexual frustration but sealing her doom and Louise’s. At the time, Whitley was more exuberant, as influenced by his blues heroes and Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page as he was by the vast spaces of the Southwest where he took refuge. More than a decade and a half-dozen albums later, his personal demons and creative inclinations have led him to less open places.
Whitley is currently touring solo behind Hotel Vast Horizon (Messenger), an album cut with a trio that he proved capable of translating to stage alone. Even positive numbers like the title track, which rang out in his February 11 Passim set, acknowledging the possibilities of love, are built on unsettling images: prison, "writhing" nightfall, implications of totalitarianism. The tone for this story was set by the low strings he bent during the song’s introduction to put a shiver in their drone. Older numbers he played, like "Poison Girl" and "Phone Call from Leavenworth," told their tales at a glance. And the new "Assassin Song" was his snapshot of his life as a touring musician. "I come from far away/Anywhere I am is home," he sang. "If you could make me stay/You’d only always be alone."
In the end, Whitley’s music, seductive as it can be to those receptive to its odd siren’s song, does seem to be about the loneliness of the inner life — that sense of being an island in the universe. The difference between Whitley and many other such strugglers is that he’s willing to entertain visitors to his deepest regions, as long as they’re willing to meet him on his own terms.
BY TED DROZDOWSKI
Issue Date: February 20 - 26, 2004
|
| KevinLesko |
Posted - 03/20/2004 : 3:30:03 PM
Yeah, thanks for posting that link to the interview! I think the fact that Chris referenced a 1951 essay says a lot. In fact, I'm going to go ahead and claim a link to great music nowadays with that kind of intellegence. I mean look at all of the crap out there... like Good Charlotte, I'd like to see them reference any type of literature. I don't know what I'm geting at here, but I just think that Inteview says a lot about what makes CW so great.
By the way, in case anyone missed my other thread about this, both Weed, and War Crime Blues are available in the US with free shipping off http://www.messengerrecords.com/cgi-local/shop.pl/SID=1079814318.12824/page=category.html/category=1 |
| PJK |
Posted - 03/20/2004 : 2:51:29 PM
WOW, thank you sooooo much!!!!!! I found that to be the most interesting article I have read about an artist in a very long TIMe!
I saw Chris perform in Bryn Mawr and he truly is amazing. I want to go see him again.
BTW Welcome to the board. I hope you post more often! |
| mackenzie |
Posted - 03/20/2004 : 11:04:26 AM
Hi!
I just read the most awesome interview with Chris Whitley. It's recent.
You can see it at the following link:
http://www.geocities.com/maeve_gael/chris_whitley.html
|
| Arthen |
Posted - 01/19/2004 : 4:54:28 PM
Wish you the best of luck on the Tour Fluffy! I wish I could make it to a show, but I guess not this time.  |
| Fluffy |
Posted - 01/19/2004 : 4:24:39 PM
Hey folks, Very, very soon, I head out on another Chris Whitley tour. This one is a solo tour and looks to feature alot of new material from Chris, from the much talked about WEED and his newest effort, War Crime Blues. The tour dates are not complete yet, but what we have so far are this:
WAR CRIME BLUES Tour04
1.28.04 Atlanta, GA Smith's Olde Bar 404.876-8436 9 pm
1.29.04 Atlanta, GA Smith's Olde Bar 404.876-8436 9 pm
1.30.04 Nashville, TN 3rd & Lindsley 615.259-9891 10 pm
1.31.04 Charlotte, NC Double Door Inn 704.376-1446 8 pm
2.03.04 Charlottesville, VA Star Hill Music Hall 434.951-0325 9 pm
2.04.04 Vienna, VA Jammin' Java 703.255-1566 8 pm
2.05.04 Bryn Mawr, PA The Point 610.527-0988 8 pm
2.06.04 Vienna, VA Jammin' Java 703-255-1566 8 pm
2.07.04 Mamaroneck, NY Emelin Theatre 914.698-0098 8 pm
2.08.04 Philadelphia, PA Tin Angel 610-891-9766 8 pm
2.09.04 New York, NY Knitting Factory 212.219-3006 8 pm
2.10.04 New York, NY Knitting Factory 212.219-3006 8 pm
2.11.04 Cambridge, MA Club Passim 617.492-7679 8 pm
2.14.04 Unity, ME Unity Ctr for the Perf Arts 207.948-7469 8 pm
2.17.04 Northampton, MA Iron Horse Music Hall 413.586-8686 TBA
2.18.04 Burlington, VT Club Metronome 802.865-4563 TBA
2.19.04 Wakefield, PQ Black Sheep Inn 819.459-3228 8 pm
2.20.04 Montreal, QC Club One
2.22.04 Ferndale, MI Magic Bag 248.544-3030 TBA
2.24.04 Pittsburgh, PA Club Café 412.683-5363 8 pm
2.25.04 Cleveland, OH Beachland Tavern 216.383-1124 8 pm
2.26.04 Indianapolis, IN The Patio 317.259-7029 10 pm
2.27.04 Covington, KY Emerald Ballroom 513.779-9462 8:30 pm
2.28.04 Chicago, IL Martyrs' 312.559-1212 10 pm
2.29.04 Chicago, IL Martyrs' 312.559-1212 9 pm
3.02.04 Ames, IA M Shop 515.294-2969 8 pm
3.03.04 Minneapolis, MN 400 Bar 612.332-2903 10 pm
3.11.04 San Diego, CA Brick by Brick
3.16.04 Ben Lomond, CA Henfling's 831.335-5208 9 pm
3.18.04 Reno, NV The Hacienda 530.279-6262 2 sets, 7:30 pm
3.19.04 San Francisco, CA 12 Galaxies 415.309-9240 10 pm
3.20.04 San Francisco, CA 12 Galaxies 415.309-9240 10 pm
3.24.04 Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern 206.789-3599 9 pm
3.25.04 Portland, OR Dante's 503.318-2213 9 pm
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| {=HTG=} |
Posted - 11/07/2003 : 07:14:33 AM
Flaming Moe anyone?  |
| KevinLesko |
Posted - 11/05/2003 : 01:36:46 AM
Thanks for the info Teri, luckily it appears as though Fluffy will be bringing us Doller users back some copies when he returns. Can't wait! |
| tericee |
Posted - 11/04/2003 : 10:36:18 AM
If anyone ever needs to do business in Euros, just ask me. I'm getting really good at it. PayPal is a good way to go if the European you're dealing with has an account.
If you ever need to know the exchange rate, an easy place to check is http://www.exchangerate.com. Right now one dollar is worth about .84 Euros.
And finally, if you're on a foreign website and can't read the language, try looking for a British flag. Usually if you click on it, there's an English version of the page.
teri :) |
| PJK |
Posted - 10/28/2003 : 12:31:51 PM
Kevin, did you see Fluffy's thread about Dresden? He said he will be bringing back a bunch of Weed cds for people who want them so you can buy one with US dollars! |
| KevinLesko |
Posted - 10/24/2003 : 1:13:56 PM
oh man, how on earth do i send a check for 22 euros??? I want this cd, but this seems like a bit of a hassle (hoff) to convert and ship internationally and all. I'll definately look into it, thanks for posting this Ron. |
| Ron |
Posted - 10/24/2003 : 10:32:36 AM
Greetings from New Orleans... the first time I met Chris was at Kingsway, the studio that is now no more...!.. anyway I contacted Fargo Records about the 'Weed" cd.. here is there reply....
Hi,
you can buy Weed, sending us a 22 euros check (shipping costs included) at
the following address.
Hope it can help.
Thanks for your interests in Fargo.
Jean-Charles
FARGO RECORDS
9, Passage de la Boule Blanche
75012 PARIS - FRANCE
Tel: 00 33 (0)148054952
Fax: 00 33 (0)143408670
web: www.fargorecords.com
----- Original Message -----
From: <9thward@neworleans.com>
To: <mailorder@fargorecords.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2003 5:15 PM
Subject: Chris Whitley, 'weed' |
| Oozle |
Posted - 09/22/2003 : 9:21:51 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Fluffy
Between you me and the lamp post, he recorded them in the bathroom of the place he has been staying in Germany. LOL They are all new solo versions of those songs. I can't wait to hear them.
By the way, don't let that make you think any less of them(that they were recorded in the bathroom), remember, Dirt Floor was recorded in a shed. Apparently the acoustics in the bathroom were phenomenal. LOL
I do some of my best work in the bathroom...... |
| rubylith |
Posted - 09/17/2003 : 09:11:46 AM
haha good shit |
| KevinLesko |
Posted - 09/16/2003 : 11:24:55 PM
how odd... it looks shockingly similar to the hat which you often wear, and often refer to as the "chris whitley derby"
|
| Anne |
Posted - 09/16/2003 : 10:20:33 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Fluffy
Indeed, indeed!!! I would also suggest his latest(minus the new one of course)Hotel Vast Horizon. The new one, Weeds, is new solo recordings of songs from his early Columbia Records catalog. It has new versions of 2 of my fave CW tunes. 1 being an instrumental version. I can't wait to hear it. As of yet, I don't have a copy but one is supposed to be being sent to me very soon. I can see if he can send me one for you as well. I really think if you like the 2 you have you should start trying to acquire all his recordings as I think you will like them all, with the possible exception of my fave CW CD Din of Ecstasy. It is a little noiser than any of his other records and it followed Living with the Law an album you will surely LOVE! I just don't think people were ready for Din when it came out. It would be like knowing TR from the T&D TouRs and then buying Live Puke Matrix. It's not BAD, it's just a shock to the system. LOL If I can be of any other help suggestions-wise or anything, feel free to ask. Glad your digging CW.
PS:Alot of them can be found quite cheaply on ebay:
Chris Whitley On EBAY
And if you look closely to the hat CW is wearing on the cover of this magazine you just might recognize it.
PS: He is also wearing it on the cover of Dirt Floor.
|
| KevinLesko |
Posted - 09/15/2003 : 4:17:05 PM
Well put Rubylith... I've been thinking a lot about how badly I want to hear that WEED cd lately. I've also been pimping out Hotel Vast Horizon at work too... it is curently my Employee recommendation! I did it in hopes of having more people just check it out and give it a chance. I think when they do, they will be pleasantly surprised. |
| rubylith |
Posted - 09/11/2003 : 09:23:06 AM
Chris Whitley has changed my life forever, period.
He is one of the most talented song writers in time. And he sings better then anyone i've ever heard. His best quality is that he has SOUL, i know Fluffy couldn;t agree more. LAter! |
| Fluffy |
Posted - 09/11/2003 : 04:23:11 AM
Daniel Lanois produced Living With The Law
?????HUH????
Uhh, Malcolm Burn produced Living With The Law that was recorded at Daniel Lanois' studio Kingsway Studio in New Orleans.
This seems to be a popular misconception. Daniel was instrumental in Chris' career at that point by supplying a studio, introducing him to both Malcolm Burn(who played with Lanois) and, well here it is from Chris' own mouth in an interview:
"I'd met him in New York City, and he introduced me to a woman he met who became my publisher the next day -- KATHLEEN CAREY. Dan gave her a tape of mine. Through Dan, I met MALCOLM (BURN) and immediately liked him, asked if he wanted to work together. I respected him and liked his values."
Shortly thereafter, Columbia signed him to a deal and Burn produced Living With The Law, recorded at Lanois' Kingsway Studio in New Orleans.
Whitley says he'd like to work again with Lanois in the future.
above quote from:
http://www.octopusmediaink.com/ChrisWhitley.html
|
| KevinLesko |
Posted - 09/10/2003 : 2:00:08 PM
here is some more info I found online about WEED, which appears will be an official release next year:
Chris has just re-recorded a selection of 16 songs taken from his three Sony albums, Living With The Law, Din Of Ecstasy and Terra Incognita; Weed will be on sale at the UK gigs and will be released next year. For those who know the intensity of Chris' performances, these re-recordings are highly impressive. The renditions of songs from the Daniel Lanois produced Living With The Law are particularly stunning. |
| KevinLesko |
Posted - 09/04/2003 : 7:03:47 PM
oh boy, now I'm even more excited to hear that... it sounds absolutely awesome. I remember Chris once saying that he was never happy with the way SONY wanted him to record some of his songs, and that he liked the basic demos better, so it makes sence for him to re-record those great songs solo and stripped down (or powered down hehe). |
| enthuTIMsiast |
Posted - 09/04/2003 : 1:41:19 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Fluffy
don't let that make you think any less of them(that they were recorded in the bathroom), remember, Dirt Floor was recorded in a shed. Apparently the acoustics in the bathroom were phenomenal. LOL
Won't matter what we think if we can't get our grubby little hands on a copy... |
| Fluffy |
Posted - 09/04/2003 : 03:28:39 AM
Between you me and the lamp post, he recorded them in the bathroom of the place he has been staying in Germany. LOL They are all new solo versions of those songs. I can't wait to hear them.
By the way, don't let that make you think any less of them(that they were recorded in the bathroom), remember, Dirt Floor was recorded in a shed. Apparently the acoustics in the bathroom were phenomenal. LOL |
| KevinLesko |
Posted - 09/03/2003 : 12:07:34 PM
Damn!!! Thanks for the post Jason, I didn't see anything about that WEED cd prior to this, it has lots of my favs on it too... like Narcotic Prayer, Cool Wooden Crosses and Power Down. So am I understanding this correctly, are these new recording of old songs, as in he just recorded them, in a new way... or are they unreleased alternate versions that have been around, but not released?
Oh and by the way, RocketHouse is awesome with DJ Logic Mixing it up. Hotel Vast Horizon is also very good... I think it shows off CW's voice better than any other cd. Fluffy, I thinks it interesting how you mentioned Puke Matrix and Din of Exstacy as being the two odd albums out, because Puke was my first TR cd, and Din was my first CW cd, and I love the both, maybe even my favs from each artist. HAHA. |
| Fluffy |
Posted - 09/03/2003 : 01:55:01 AM
And I also found some old threads that discuss CW and his music in greater detail if you want to check them out:
http://www.timreynolds.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1635
http://www.timreynolds.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1277
The following is from the second thread linked above:
I think they are all great, but like TR they are all very different. Dirt Floor(solo acoustic)
Din of Ecstacy(studio, loud, dirty, AWESOME)
Rockethouse(eclectic spacy weirdness)
Live at Martyrs(Solo acoustic LIVE)
Living with the Law(very Daniel Lanois flavored, SMOOTH)
Terra Incognita(very polished singer/songwriter album, especailly coming on the heels of Din of Ecstacy)
Perfect Day(Covers CD with a very jazzy feel. Martin and Wood from Medeski Martin and Wood back him on this CD)
Few moments are as exciting as the one where it becomes undeniably clear that an artist has made his breakthrough. Rocket House is that moment for Chris Whitley. After a decade as one of rock's most beloved cult icons, Whitley has reinvented himself from the bottom up. Rocket House, Whitley's seventh album and first full-fledged studio recording in five years, finds his characteristic smoky-voiced blues-rock dirges invigorated by trip-hop beats, lushly layered arrangements and a soulful vocal style that invokes Al Green as much as Howlin' Wolf.
Produced by Tony Mangurian (Luscious Jackson), Rocket House is a textured sound collage that builds on Whitley's trademark dobro, banjo and slide guitar songcraft. Keyboardist Stephen Barber (Shawn Colvin, Eric Johnson) joins Whitley for all of the album's 11 songs, along with Mangurian on drums and DJ Logic on turntables. Several other musical friends appear on Rocket House: Dave Matthews and Bruce Hornsby heard early demos of the record and independently asked if they could play on the album, and both musicians contribute to "Radar." Whitley's 14-year-old daughter, Trixie, found a studio near her home in Belgium to record vocals on "Chain" and "Serve You." Longtime Rolling Stones and former Beach Boys backing vocalist Blondie Chaplin sings on several tracks. Badal Roy (Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman) added his signature tablas to "Little Torch."
Whitley's songs are as visceral and cerebral as ever. The primal, eastern melodies of the opener "To Joy (Revolution Of The Innocents)" reveal Whitley's roots in the eclectic sound of bands like Can and Kraftwerk. Almost by way of introduction, he sings in the song's chorus, "Angels, and even devils, too, all await to show how far we come to joy." The tone of Whitley's compositions is restless, but deliberate: "Rocket House" pits sparse guitar melodies against a driving breakbeat as Whitley croons like Ray Charles at a rave. "Little Torch" is harmonically soothing, but is offset by DJ Logic's ominous sampling and Whitley's warning, "They never gonna let you get away / Well the world will follow always."
The album's quieter moments may be more familiar to fans of Whitley's past work. The mostly-solo acoustic "Solid Iron Heart" gives a nod to his earlier albums, and the languid tempo of "Serve You" mingles amicably with Whitley's gruff falsetto. The carnal, ghostly "Vertical Desert" and the ethereal "Something Shines" draw the album to a dramatic end. The unsettling samples, haunting piano and searching lyrics leave a bittersweet taste as the album fades to a close.
Chris Whitley has become almost a mythical character, shrouded in mystery and intensity. His nomadic childhood led him through homes in Texas, Mexico, Vermont, New York and Belgium before he finally settled back in New York, busking on the streets and working in a picture frame factory. A chance meeting with producer Daniel Lanois at a photo shoot led to a record deal. From his legendary debut, the rootsy Living with the Law (Sony, 1991), through the aggressive Din of Ecstasy (Sony/Work, 1995) and polished Terra Incognita (Sony/Work, 1997), Whitley developed a devoted following. His unorthodox musical path continued with the intimate and stark Dirt Floor (Messenger/Classic, 1998), recorded in one day in his father's Vermont barn; the stripped down solo album Live at Martyr's (Messenger, 1999) followed a year later. Most recently, Whitley collaborated with Billy Martin and Chris Wood of Medeski Martin & Wood on the sultry, understated and jazz-influenced Perfect Day (Valley, 2000), a collection of standards.
From beginning to end, Rocket House marks Chris Whitley's rebirth as a brilliant, innovative artist. The album is a culmination of the stark moodiness, intuitive lyricism and aggressive sense of purpose that have highlighted Whitley's past work, and it breathes and cries and begs you to listen. Just put it on with a good set of speakers and hear when it's like when a truly inspired musician hits his stride. |
| Fluffy |
Posted - 09/03/2003 : 01:39:33 AM
Indeed, indeed!!! I would also suggest his latest(minus the new one of course)Hotel Vast Horizon. The new one, Weeds, is new solo recordings of songs from his early Columbia Records catalog. It has new versions of 2 of my fave CW tunes. 1 being an instrumental version. I can't wait to hear it. As of yet, I don't have a copy but one is supposed to be being sent to me very soon. I can see if he can send me one for you as well. I really think if you like the 2 you have you should start trying to acquire all his recordings as I think you will like them all, with the possible exception of my fave CW CD Din of Ecstasy. It is a little noiser than any of his other records and it followed Living with the Law an album you will surely LOVE! I just don't think people were ready for Din when it came out. It would be like knowing TR from the T&D TouRs and then buying Live Puke Matrix. It's not BAD, it's just a shock to the system. LOL If I can be of any other help suggestions-wise or anything, feel free to ask. Glad your digging CW.
PS:Alot of them can be found quite cheaply on ebay:
Chris Whitley On EBAY
And if you look closely to the hat CW is wearing on the cover of this magazine you just might recognize it.
PS: He is also wearing it on the cover of Dirt Floor.
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