Most of us are familiar with Daniel Lanois the Producer - the man was, after all, at the helm of such classic albums as Peter Gabriel's So, Bob Dylan's Time Out of Mind, and all three of U2's masterpieces. One of contemporary music's great travesties, though, is that few are acquainted with Daniel Lanois the Singer, Daniel Lanois the Songwriter, Daniel Lanois the Psalmist.
On Shine, Lanois' first solo album in a decade, the celebrated Canadian guitarist brings the familiar warm, atmospheric, "Lanoisy" sound to thirteen new songs; all are Lanois originals, but the soft production might make you think you're listening to outtakes from one of Lanois' collaborations with Dylan. What's missing on Shine are the pyrotechnics of So and the soaring, sky-high guitar solos of The Joshua Tree. These songs are hushed, reverent, meditative, quiet. Daniel Lanois is one of those rare musicians who understands the power of restraint.
He also understands how to write songs that are prayerful and intensely personal. Many of the songs on Shine could pass for leftover lyrics from Bono; exploring Lanois' words is like reading through someone's prayer diary, stealing glimpses of mountaintop faith, valley-deep doubt, and all the soul-searching that goes on in between.
The sonorous, ethereal "I Love You" opens the album. Here Lanois duets with one of the most devastatingly beautiful voices you'll ever hear, the amazing Emmylou Harris. The electric guitar and drum kit are muffled, putting the emphasis on Lanois' voice and his lyrics, which describe a man weighed down by too many earthly possessions: "A man carried metal/ Carried gold/ More than he could handle/ More than he could hold." The three word chorus is intentionally simple; it points to the hope and joy that can be found in simplicity, in letting go of all our excess baggage and clinging instead to love.
Lanois enlists another of his famous friends for the next track; "Falling at Your Feet," originally from the Million Dollar Hotel soundtrack, is co-written and co-performed by Lanois and Bono. The lyrics are simple words of praise, drawn from the biblical promise that "every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord." The song's final lyrics again point to surrender and simplicity: "In whom shall I trust/ How might I be saved/ Teach me to surrender/ Not my will, Thy will."
Throughout the album, Lanois proves himself to be a versatile vocalist. On "As Tears Roll By," he sings in a sweet falsetto; "San Juan" is performed in a quiet whisper. Lanois is an astounding musician, as well; the record's four instrumental tracks are sparse, ambient, and gorgeous. Unfortunately, some of them are also redundant and overlong, making the use of the skip button totally justified.
Among the vocal numbers, though, there's not a single clunker. One song that begs for attention is "The Power of One," a song of empowerment. It's not an anthem of individuality, though; rather, it's a promise of strength in a higher power. Lanois employs a subtle change in the lyrics at the end of the song, shifting from "the power of one" to "the power of the One."
Still, the ultimate album highlight for this listener is neither that song nor the duets with Bono and Emmylou. The title cut is a swaggering folk number that recalls Paul Simon. Lanois' lyrics start off similar to U2's anthem, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," as the singer recounts his own spiritual journey: "I have wandered far and wide/ All the way from Paris to/ Mexico 'til I was gone and didn't know." Lanois, however, gives his song a bit more closure than Bono did: "In the end the thing that keeps me walking is your shine." Or would that be Your shine?
The song, like most of the tracks on Shine, could work as either a travelogue or a prayer; Lanois keeps things artfully ambiguous. He's also passionate, honest, vulnerable, and easy to relate to; the songs from this album work their way into my prayers like few others. You've all met Daniel Lanois the Producer; now it's time to meet Daniel Lanois the Psalmist.
Other coverage for this album
The Phantom Tollbooth 2003Reviewed by Steve StockmanThere are two producers you can trust to buy anything they have their names on no matter whether you know the artists or not; T-Bone Burnett and Daniel Lanois. The latter has got in ahead of his compatriot in relieving his fans of the decade spent waiting for his own album. T-Bone take note! And while we are here as this album arrived on my desk the same day as Bruce Cockburn's new one, a Lanois…Opus 2003Reviewed by Jason MoreheadI've known of Daniel Lanois for many years, though mainly due to his work with other artists. In particular, I'm referring to his association with U2, to whom Lanois lent his production and musical talents on albums such as Achtung Baby, The Joshua Tree, and the underrated The Unforgettable Fire. However, aside from his work on the Sling Blade score, I'd never heard any of his solo output. But…Similar sounding releases
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