The Producers

Daniel Lanois

photo from amplify.nmc.ca

The producers are the folks behind the desk, of course.

But they are so much more.

Keeper of the creative vision. Project manager. Life coach. Musical director. Player. Songwriter. Engineer. Talent wrangler. Cajoler of performances.

Each has their own strengths, their ‘secret sauce’.

And without them, a lot of records would suck.

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Born in Hull, Québec in 1951, Daniel Lanois is a world-renowned producer and so much more.

Engineer and producer, sure. He has produced some major names like Peter Gabriel, Bob Dylan, and U2.

Yes, he’s known for his work with Brian Eno.

He’s an artist in his own right- both as a singer/songwriter as well as a creator of film and video game music.

Most of all, he’s the guy you want if you’re looking to create cinematic, textural sounds that make the most out of the space you’re in.

And if you want your project to have a feel, he’s likely the one to show up with an instrument you haven’t tried and a more organic sensibility in a world where technology now seems to do most of the work.

Lanois’ 80s body of work is phenomenal - including Gabriel’s ‘So’ and a little record called ‘The Joshua Tree’, but he did lots of projects here in Canada, too.

1983 - Martha and the Muffins/M+M - Danseparc

I write about Martha and Mark a lot because they were that good and that influential.

For me, Lanois brings a definite mood to the track and a nice emphasis on the main vocal. The guitar stands out with that jagged sound and I always love those 808 hand claps!

1983 - The Parachute Club - self-titled

The debut record from Lorraine Segato and crew features an iconic CanCon anthem in ‘Rise Up’.

I’m just going to leave the Boom video here, as Lorraine speaks briefly about Lanois and his production.

The big takeaway is hearing an artist who understands they wrote something iconic and the depth of their appreciation for that.

1984 - Luba - Secrets and Sins

Luba is a powerhouse singer/songwriter from Montréal.

Her first album as a solo artist is this one, produced by Lanois.

At the time, I didn’t fancy this track. But listening now I appreciate her forceful and soulful vocal as well as the arrangement and structure.

The reggae/calypso feel is punctuated by a synth impersonating a steel drum, which was the style at the time.

There’s a lovely bridge section and a very cool breakdown before proceedings begin to fade out.

1987 - Robbie Robertson - self-titled

One of the best CanCon albums of all time, I’ve already written about it in depth.

While co-produced with Robbie Robertson, I think it’s right up there as an example of Lanois’ evolving signature sound.

1989 - Daniel Lanois - Acadie

So, it turns out that the super-producer is also an excellent artist in his own right.

Lanois’ debut album is critically acclaimed and considered one of the best Canadian albums of them all.

Backed by fellow producers Eno and Malcolm Burn and a host of guests, Lanois sings his originals in both English and French with a cover of ‘Amazing Grace’ to cap the album off.

The album opener sets the tone for what’s to come, with a little help from a celebrity rhythm section of Adam Clayton on bass and Larry Mullen Jr. on drums.

This little gem of a story song was a minor hit.

Drifting in between English and French the lilting melody betrays a sad story, but is so charming and over so quick you can hardly believe what happened.

For all of Dan’s gifts in the studio, can you believe he has this voice and this talent for wordplay, too?

Here’s a bonus track, and an early Canadian history lesson to boot.

Not sure how this didn’t end up on the album, but here we have the story of the end of France’s rule over what would eventually be Canada in 1759.

The production credits keep coming for Lanois, and they are unbelievable. So many artists come to him time and again.

Most recently he finished work with Arcade Fire on ‘Pink Elephant’.

PS - Would you be interested in future pieces about producers? Let me know in the comments.