No Deeper Blue
Encyclopedia
No Deeper Blue is a 1994 studio album by Texas
country
/folk
singer-songwriter
Townes Van Zandt
.
This was Van Zandt's first studio album of original songs in seven years following, At My Window
and the last to be widely released before his death on New Year's Day 1997. As recently as September 1993 Van Zandt had been in a Nashville
hospital suffering from what at first was diagnosed as tuberculosis
, but was later found to be a severe case of pneumonia
.Dave Hoekstra, "Van Zandt in Ascendance At the Lunar", Chicago Sun-Times
, December 19, 1994, p. 24 The release of this album found Van Zandt in good form and touring extensively in both Europe
and the United States
.
The liner notes include a dedication "to John (JT), Will, and Katie Bell," and Van Zandt includes lullabies to his two youngest children ("Hey Willy Boy" and "Katie Belle Blue"), but light-hearted songs are contrasted with some of Van Zandt's darkest material, songs like "The Hole" and "Marie".
—by Townes Van Zandt
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
/folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Townes Van Zandt
Townes Van Zandt
John Townes Van Zandt , best known as Townes Van Zandt, was an American Texas Country-folk music singer-songwriter, performer, and poet...
.
This was Van Zandt's first studio album of original songs in seven years following, At My Window
At My Window (album)
At My Window is an album released by Folk/country singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt in 1987. This was Van Zandt's first studio album in the nine years that followed 1978's Flyin' Shoes, and his only studio album recorded in the 1980s. Although the songwriter had become less prolific over the...
and the last to be widely released before his death on New Year's Day 1997. As recently as September 1993 Van Zandt had been in a Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
hospital suffering from what at first was diagnosed as tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
, but was later found to be a severe case of pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
.Dave Hoekstra, "Van Zandt in Ascendance At the Lunar", Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
, December 19, 1994, p. 24 The release of this album found Van Zandt in good form and touring extensively in both Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The liner notes include a dedication "to John (JT), Will, and Katie Bell," and Van Zandt includes lullabies to his two youngest children ("Hey Willy Boy" and "Katie Belle Blue"), but light-hearted songs are contrasted with some of Van Zandt's darkest material, songs like "The Hole" and "Marie".
Track listing
All songs written—and vocalsSinging
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
—by Townes Van Zandt
- "A Song For" — 3:00
- Philip Donnelly (guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
), Percy Robinson (steel guitarSteel guitarSteel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use...
), Sven Buick (bassBass (instrument)Bass describes musical instruments that produce tones in the low-pitched range. They belong to different families of instruments and can cover a wide range of musical roles...
), Robbie BrennanRobbie BrennanRobbie Brennan is an Irish drummer and a former member of Phil Lynott's bands Grand Slam Soul Band. Brennan has played with several of Ireland's musicians, such as, Christy Moore, Skid Row, Auto Da Fe, Jimi Slevin and the Electric Band, Paul Brady and Clannad....
(drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
), Brendan Hayes (pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
), Declan Masterson (whistleWhistleA whistle or call is a simple aerophone, an instrument which produces sound from a stream of forced air. It may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means...
- Philip Donnelly (guitar
- "Blaze's Blues" — 3:20
- Philip Donnelly (slide guitarSlide guitarSlide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
), Sven Buick (bass), Robbie Brennan (drums), Brendan Hayes (piano, organ)
- Philip Donnelly (slide guitar
- "The Hole" — 4:09
- Philip Donnelly (electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, percussion), Sven Buick (bass), Fran Breen (drums), Brendan Hayes (organ)
- Philip Donnelly (electric guitar
- "Marie" — 4:45
- Philip Donnelly (guitar), Percy Robinson (steel guitar), Paul KellyPaul Kelly (Irish musician)Paul Kelly is an Irish multi-instrumentalist musician from Tallaght in Dublin, Ireland. He has played Irish traditional music, bluegrass and country, and is equally at home in a variety of different styles of music.-Early life:...
(fiddleFiddleThe term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
), Sven Buick (bass), Fran Breen (drums), Brendan Hayes (organ)
- Philip Donnelly (guitar), Percy Robinson (steel guitar), Paul Kelly
- "Goin' Down to Memphis" — 4:10
- Philip Donnelly (electric guitar), Sven Buick (bass), Fran Breen (drums), Brendan Hayes (piano organ)
- "Hey Willy Boy" — 2:15
- Philip Donnelly (guitar & percussion), Sven Buick (bass), Paul Kelly (fiddle), Fran Breen (drums), Brendan Hayes (harmoniumHarmoniumA harmonium is a free-standing keyboard instrument similar to a reed organ. Sound is produced by air being blown through sets of free reeds, resulting in a sound similar to that of an accordion...
), Mairtin O'Connor (accordionAccordionThe accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
)
- Philip Donnelly (guitar & percussion), Sven Buick (bass), Paul Kelly (fiddle), Fran Breen (drums), Brendan Hayes (harmonium
- "Niles River Blues" — 3:05
- Philip Donnelly (guitar), Sven Buick (bass), Paul Kelly (fiddle), Fran Breen (drums), Brendan Hayes (barrel organBarrel organA barrel organ is a mechanical musical instrument consisting of bellows and one or more ranks of pipes housed in a case, usually of wood, and often highly decorated...
), Mairtin O'Connor (accordion)
- Philip Donnelly (guitar), Sven Buick (bass), Paul Kelly (fiddle), Fran Breen (drums), Brendan Hayes (barrel organ
- "Billy, Boney and Ma" — 5:13
- Pete Cummins (guitar), Percy Robinson (steel guitar), Sven Buick (bass), Paul Kelly (fiddle), Philip Donnelly (percussion), Fran Breen (drums), Brendan Hayes (keyboards), Declan Masterson (Uileann pipes )
- "Katie Belle Blue" — 3:18
- Philip Donnelly (high-string guitar), Sven Buick (bass), Paul Kelly (fiddle), Brendan Reagan (bazouki), Brendan Hayes (baby chimes )
- "If I Was Washington" — 2:29
- Philip Donnelly (12-string guitar & percussion), Pete Cumins (guitar), Sven Buick (bass), Brendan Reagan (mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
), Fran Breen (drums), Brendan Hayes (piano)
- Philip Donnelly (12-string guitar & percussion), Pete Cumins (guitar), Sven Buick (bass), Brendan Reagan (mandolin
- "Lover's Lullaby" — 4:09
- Philip Donnelly (acoustic & electric guitars), Percy Robinson (steel guitar), Sven Buick (bass), Fran Breen (drums), Brendan Hayes (organ)
- "Cowboy JunkiesCowboy JunkiesCowboy Junkies are a Canadian alternative country/blues/folk rock band. The group was formed in Toronto in 1985 by Margo Timmins , Michael Timmins , Peter Timmins and Alan Anton ....
Lament" — 3:18 (written for the band formed in 1986)- Philip Donnelly (acoustic & electric guitars), Percy Robinson (steel guitar), Sven Buick (bass), Fran Breen (drums), Brendan Hayes (organ)
- "BW Railroad Blues" — 3:52
- Philip Donnelly (acoustic & electric guitars and percussion), Sven Buick (bass), Fran Breen (drums), DonovanDonovanDonovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
(harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
), Brendan Hayes (organ)
- Philip Donnelly (acoustic & electric guitars and percussion), Sven Buick (bass), Fran Breen (drums), Donovan
- "Gone Too Long" — 2:55
- Townes Van Zandt (guitar), Philip Donnelly (electric guitar), Sven Buick (bass), Fran Breen (drums), Donovan (harmonica), Brendan Hayes (piano, organ)
Production
- ProducedRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Philip Donnelly - Executive producerExecutive producerAn executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
— Jeanene Van Zandt - Recorded by Pearse Gilmore
- at Xeric Studios, Limerick, Ireland
- Studio coordinator — Edel Ni Dhuinn
- Guitar technician — Joe Brown
- Project agent — Harold Eggers
- Mastered by Paul Solomons
- at Porky's Mastering, LTD., London, England
Artwork
- Album cover painting — "Snake Eyes" by Jeanette (Jet) Whitt
- Photography — Anthony Lathrop
- Design — Anthony Lathrop, Jeanene Van Zandt and CC Design
Releases
| year | format | label | catalog # |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | CD Compact Disc The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,... |
Sugar Hill | 1046 |
| 1994 | cassette Compact Cassette The Compact Cassette, often referred to as audio cassette, cassette tape, cassette, or simply tape, is a magnetic tape sound recording format. It was designed originally for dictation, but improvements in fidelity led the Compact Cassette to supplant the Stereo 8-track cartridge and reel-to-reel... |
Sugar Hill | 1046 |
External links
- Townes Van Zandt — A guide to his songs and recordings (links to discography & lyrics)