you take a National steel guitar Master,,mix up some Steve Earle,Jim White, the most intense Neil Young you can imagine..add Coltrane,Robert Johnson, and a healthy dose of Surrealism, and you start to get the idea of what Chris Whitley was about.
Hardcore, apparently never owned a real shirt, easily one of the most compelling..even frightening live performers ever..
when he passed away a couple years ago I was really saddened… immediately called up the local public radio station to request something from his “Terra Incognito” cd and damned if they didn’t play about a half dozen tunes in a row…
He had that effect on people.
Simply one of a kind and a true treasure.
Good stuff.
How’d he go out?
In true rock fashion?
What are the good lp’s?
just did some searchin;
Wow.
Covering Iggy, Flaming Lips and……Gary Numan!
And really good versions.
Thanks for the tip.
hard to say which are the good lp’s…they all are, but each different.
His first one “Living with the Law” (produced by Daniel Lanois), is considered a classic and actually sold about 150,000 copies.
I got hooked on “Terra Incognito”..check out the track”Aerial”…and the cd right after that..”Dirt Floor”..a more solo acoustic affair.
He’s got a great website ..with lots of good reviews, discography etc..great place to start.
Youtube has about 20 tracks..good representation..including two 7 min each interviews…
he passed from lung cancer at age 45..with his daughter, brother, former and current wife present…
in that context, check out the song “RIP LIVE’ on youtube, without question the most intense,harrowing experience youtube has to offer.
RIP indeed Chris! the Music lives on…