“The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums” gives you exactly what the title implies: a rare or out-of-print album from the ’80s in its entirety. Some will be from CD, but most will have been lovingly transferred from pristine vinyl culled directly from the Analog Kid’s vast collection. Whatever album I choose, it will be one that you can’t easily find a physical copy for sale on Amazon or in your local record store (if you even have one anymore). Death…by stereo!
Daniel Lanois was the man behind the board for some of my favorite albums of the ’80s: Peter Gabriel’s So, U2’s The Joshua Tree, the debut solo album from Robbie Robertson…the list goes on and on. When I found out that Lanois had released a record of his own in late 1989, I went straight to Waterloo Records and shelled out $14.99 for Acadie without even hearing a single track from the album. A risky move for a poor college student? Perhaps, but I also knew that the man who had helped craft sonic masterpieces like “Mercy Street” and “Somewhere Down The Crazy River” wouldn’t let me down. And he didn’t– Acadie is an album that I still listen to on a regular basis, especially when I need to calm the #@&% down (and as anyone who knows me will tell you, that is a very common occurrence).
The list of guest players on Acadie is impressive (Aaron Neville, Brian Eno, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr., Bill Dillon), but it’s Lanois’ expressive vocals (some in English, some in French– sometimes on the same song!) and guitar work that really shine. Of course, Lanois’ production on the record is stunning– the man is a master at creating landscapes that are somehow both sparse and luxurious at the same time. Take a listen to “Still Water”– I love the subtle rhythm work from Adam and Larry, and the eerie yet beautiful backing vocals still give me chills after all of these years. It’s a perfect song to open the album.
The original Opal/Warner Brothers CD pressing of Acadie has been out of print for a number of years now, and even the 2008 reissue is getting harder and harder to find. Lanois autographed my original CD copy after a show in Dallas in 2003, and he couldn’t have been a nicer guy. The Analog Kid hopes you enjoy this sonic masterpiece from one of my favorite artists…
Daniel Lanois: Acadie
Opal/Warner Bros. Records, 1989
1. “Still Water” (Lanois)
2. “The Maker” (Lanois)
3. “O Marie” (Lanois)
4. “Jolie Louise” (Lanois)
5. “Fisherman’s Daughter” (Lanois)
6. “White Mustang II” (Lanois/Brian Eno)
7. “Under A Stormy Sky” (Lanois)
8. “Where The Hawkwind Kills” (Lanois)
9. “Silium’s Hill” (Lanois)
10. “Ice” (Lanois)
11. “St. Ann’s Gold” (Lanois/Malcolm Burn)
12. “Amazing Grace” (Trad.\ Arranged By Lanois/John Newton)
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Bonus Tracks!
The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.
Peter Gabriel: “Mercy Street” (Peter Gabriel)
From the album So
Geffen Records, 1986
Bob Dylan: “Most Of The Time” (Bob Dylan)
From the album Oh Mercy
Columbia Records, 1989
Robbie Robertson: “Somewhere Down The Crazy River” (Robbie Robertson)
From the album Robbie Robertson
Geffen Records, 1987
Somewhere Down The Crazy River
U2: “Mothers Of The Disappeared” (U2)
From the album The Joshua Tree
Island Records, 1987
Filed under: Alternative, Rock Tagged: Acadie, Analog Kid, Bob Dylan, Daniel Lanois, Peter Gabriel, Robbie Robertson, U2
