Daniel Lanois
Acadie

THE REVIEW

"I wanted a record of popular songs but also of unusual, mysterious music, of snapshots and minor pieces, and some psychedelic instrumentals that would take the listener on a journey. I find it beautiful when you can elevate the spirit of others, and so I wanted to provide an outlet for imagination."

Within his DNA, there exists the production of music for Daniel Lanois. A young and established producer of diverse groups from his cold homeland called Canada, he is discovered through the sound tam-tam by Brian Eno, who in turn opens him up and exports him to warmer and more international lands.

It doesn’t take him long to become known, soon producing: "The Unforgettable Fire" and "Joshua Tree" by U2, "Birdy" and "So" by Peter Gabriel, "Robbie Robertson" by the Band's namesake leader, "Yellow Moon" by the Neville Brothers, numerous records by Brian Eno, "Oh! Mercy" masterpiece by Bob Dylan, and many more. Daniel Lanois thus becomes one of the most sought-after producers in contemporary rock. But it’s not enough for him; at a certain point, he feels the need to record his own solo album. He is thirty-seven when he releases this first album, Acadie, in '89..

The record is an atypical work. Its greatness lies in melding in perfect "Lanois" style his Canadian origins with the recording location, which is New Orleans. It lies in homogenizing the spontaneity of the musician's composition with the perfection in detail typical of a producer. This is the key to his solo masterpiece. Country, rock, psychedelia, blues, ambient, and folk music are among the numerous sources of inspiration.
It results in an original work, built on memories, personal recollections, and suggestions. In the twelve tracks that make up the album, Lanois plays instruments ranging from guitars to keyboards, from accordion to very light percussion.
It results in a fresh and inviting album, modern and traditional at the same time. The accordion pairs with Eno's keyboards, the slide guitar creates rarefied sounds typical of Gabriel and Robertson.

The tracks range from the traditional and vibrant ballad "Jolie Louise" to the ambient music of the excellent "Fisherman’s Daughter". From the splendid "The Maker" (featuring Aaron Neville's voice) to the Cajun of "Under a Stormy Sky". From "Still Water" the opening track, simply lyrical and enjoyable, to the gallop of "Where The Hawkind Kills". His singing in French and his vocal skills are exemplified in the beautiful and melancholy "Silium’s Hill", a track of rare beauty, not forgetting the rendition of "Amazing Grace" which is the jewel of Acadie. The remaining four tracks: "O Marie", "White Mustang", "Ice", "St. Ann’s Gold" seem tailor-made for soundtracks of films set in vast, boundless, limitless spaces. One senses Eno's presence, one hears his synthesizers, one perceives his injecting sounds dear to him.

The sensations that Daniel Lanois creates in "Acadie", are the union of fast rhythms tied to melancholic lyrics. This combination is masterfully rendered by the excellent blending of sweetness and bitterness. Once again, we return to the union of "two elements" that are contrasting, but when summed together, render anything a "whole", unique, original, and deep.

"Acadie" is a record to listen to when we want to travel, with our mind, to endless spaces, to unknown destinations, in search of something unclear, that we cannot express with words, with our mind. And so, we use the heart, and it all becomes simpler. This record gives us the possibility.

Another piece in the construction of this musical puzzle, in the sonic universe.