"He ventured new sonic territory with ... the romantic/existential yearning of "Weightless" (Lonelier than God/Fallen from above/ Weightless as a child/Hopeless to your love)." [from the LWA CD liner] The version on Terra Incognita: The remix on Long Way Around:
Author: Katie
Soft Dangerous Shores Media
Whitley recorded Soft Dangerous Shores with bassist Heiko Schramm and drummer Matthias Macht, the supple German rhythm team on board for Hotel Vast Horizon (Messenger, 2003). Malcolm Burn was at the helm, producing and engineering the record in his Kingston, N.Y., studio. Burn's sepia-toned keyboards were also the source of the album's hovering atmospherics. … Continue reading Soft Dangerous Shores Media
Look What Love Has Done Playlist
One of the ATCW group's favorites, Look What Love Has Done, as Manual Destanque put it, "... jerks a tear from my eye every time. The first time I listened to it I was thrilled, love that song, love the story and the images and metaphors... And then there's the last bit of the song … Continue reading Look What Love Has Done Playlist
The Odd Couple: Chris and Warren Zevon
It seems an odd pairing: Chris, a self-taught guitarist whose visceral lyrics were influenced by desert landscapes and an appreciation of French surrealist poets; Warren, a piano man (briefly mentored by Igor Stravinsky) whose lyrics often described viscera and whom Rolling Stone labeled "rock's macabre jester." Chris, the offspring of a Madison Avenue ad executive … Continue reading The Odd Couple: Chris and Warren Zevon
“Home Is Where You Get Across”
Danny Kadar has shared the first known recording of Home (New Orleans 1991): Another 1991 recording of Home (courtesy of Danny Kadar): Here's Chris playing Home with Bob Wasserman and Les Claypool on Wasserman's CD Trios (1994): Chris plays LWTL and then Home (with Rob and Les) at the Trios concert … Continue reading “Home Is Where You Get Across”
Musical Influences: In His Own Words
Chris Whitley cites many musicians as having influenced his music making, ranging from the Desert Blues of Mali and blues legends such as Howlin' Wolf to contemporary legends such as Jimmy Page, David Bowie and Prince. Below, in his own words, are his comments about the music he liked and how it affected his songcraft. … Continue reading Musical Influences: In His Own Words
Tracing the Ancestry of “Gasket”
"And Gasket, originally my take on industrial country jug band blues, has an inverted Howlin' Wolf riff. It's a modern greasy blues tune originally about how I never used condoms as a teen." [from Beer Melodies] I have been obsessed with the Moanin' at Midnight/Gasket connection since I first heard an unnamed track (listed … Continue reading Tracing the Ancestry of “Gasket”
“Bringing in the Sheaves” – Gleaning Song Inspirations from Stage Comments and Interviews
Yes, it's a long, unwieldy title, but 'tis the season of harvest and Thanksgiving here in the U.S., so ..... A few years ago, I launched an ATCW post to document song inspirations that (primarily) Hiroshi Suda and I had gleaned from reading articles and listening to bootlegs. Given that Facebook is a black … Continue reading “Bringing in the Sheaves” – Gleaning Song Inspirations from Stage Comments and Interviews
In His Own Words – Extended Interviews
There's no better insight into what Chris thought and felt than what he himself said. Here's a one-stop place from which you can access all the extended audio interviews I've collected. Also check the radio shows provided in each album blog for more of what Chris had to say. Audio In the Foreground .... … Continue reading In His Own Words – Extended Interviews
Radar Solo
Obviously, Radar was a regular during the Summer 2001 RH tour with Heiko, Tony, Eddy, and DJ Logic; it also was on pretty much every set list when Chris toured Europe in Fall 2001 with DJ Big Wiz. But Chris rarely played Radar in solo appearances; I could find only 7, mostly from radio shows. … Continue reading Radar Solo
