David Gray

Posted by: Evan D. Jay on 22 October 2000

Anyone have any suggestions of artists influenced by David Gray or artists that have influenced David Gray.

Posted on: 22 October 2000 by Andrew Randle

Go to www.cdnow.com and search for David Gray. When you find him hit the RELATED ARTISTS button.

Andrew

Andrew Randle
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Posted on: 23 October 2000 by Pete

... judging from the horrible butchering given to "Say Hello Wave Goodbye"...

Pete.

Posted on: 25 October 2000 by Former member

Try David's own web site (how's that for logic), or AMG (www.allmusic.com): lots of info on all artistes there.

I must take issue with the 'butchering of Say Hello Wave Goodbye' I think it's a great version. When a pop song still grabs me in a very simple acoustic format; it's gotta be good. Check out Mary-Chapin Carpenter's live simple rendition of Springsteen's 'Dancing in the dark'. Wonderful.

I saw David Gray live last week and it's worth it for his animated waggling of the head, if nothing else. The drummer is also slightly mad!

The previous album 'Sell sell sell' has SOME good tracks, but is not as consistently good as 'White Ladder'

Just keep listening to Uncle Bob Harris on Saturday evenings to discover loads of good new music.

Posted on: 26 October 2000 by Rico

Am I the only one who's not taken with this? I've heard White Ladder during an extended dem, and thought it was so patchily mixed I expected it to be a first release by someone who just couldn't get a record deal. Guess I was right on at least one count. May I'll 'get it' after a little more exposure.

His success story (as explained in many of the popularist mags currently) is heart-warming; but I'm only in it for the music.

Rico - musichead

Posted on: 26 October 2000 by Allan Probin

quote:
The previous album 'Sell sell sell' has SOME good tracks, but is not as consistently good as 'White Ladder'

I picked up Sell Sell Sell at the weekend in HMV's sale. Only managed to listen to it once so far but my impression is that it is much simpler and less ambitious than White Ladder and possibly the better for it. In comparison, White Ladder sounds a little 'over-produced'.

I'm still trying to work out what his accent is on Sell Sell Sell that he's dropped on White Ladder. Welsh I think.

Allan

[This message was edited by Allan Probin on THURSDAY 26 October 2000 at 21:08.]

Posted on: 26 October 2000 by Former member

Yes; he is Welsh.

Most of 'White Ladder' was self recorded at his home studio which explains why it is not a 'top-drawer' recording.

It is much easier to get a good sound with less going on if it's a D.I.Y. job. I should know; I have a Portastudio and do some recording for self abuse purposes.

If you like the Marc/Mark? Cohn thing, check out the very similar sounding Bebo Norman's 'Ten thousand days' for a superb recording of great music.

Also check out Uncle Bob Harris on Saturday evenings on Radio 2 for exposure to excellent new music.

Radio 2! Shit; I must be getting old.

May your SBL's never wobble.

Posted on: 27 October 2000 by bob atherton

I bought White Ladder some time ago on the very strong recommendation of a friend, & I think that it is superb musically. The problem for me is IMHO I think the recording quality is pants.

A lot of people seem to be using this album to demonstrate their equipment in shops & I guess in recent shows.

I popped into Audio Excellence in Bristol a couple
of days ago as I knew they had a 500 with NBL's on dem. Again I thought the recording was grainy & very rough around the edges.

They then put on Walk Across The Rooftops by Blue Nile & it was a breath of fresh air.

For me its 9/10 for music & 6/10 for recording quality.

Bob.

Posted on: 27 October 2000 by Pete

"Say Hello, Wave Goodbye" isn't missing instrumentation in DG's acoustic version, but it is IMHO very fundamentally lacking the camp bitchiness from Marc Almond's delivery, which unfortunately for the new take is inherent in the lyric.

Compare and contrast the "Take Your Hands Off Me!" and "I'll find someone that's not going cheap in the sale" lines for particularly strong evidence of vital sparks gone astray. I'll take the original any time on that one. Having heard the previous record and quite liked it, the buzz on the new one almost had me getting it until I heard SHWG in the local a couple of weeks ago. Oh dear!

Pete.

Posted on: 31 October 2000 by Former member

This guy seems to have mobile nationality. A lot of people think he is Irish, because Ireland was the first country where he really started to get noticed, and the UK media picked up on him as an Irish artist as a result. The Van Morrison influences are also obvious, IMO.

I thought he was actually English, from Manchester. Am I wrong?

Richard

Posted on: 01 November 2000 by Anna Tooth

To go back to the subject of other albums by David Gray, I bought "Lost Songs 95-98"the other week, and this is really good. A lot simpler in it's construction / production than White Ladder, it has an very acoustic feel to it which complements his songs really well. Uncut gave it 4*, but also said that it's not available in the UK yet, which it is 'cos I bought it in Salisbury.

Anna

Posted on: 01 November 2000 by woodface

Bought it sometime ago and really liked it unfortunately it does not really stand up to repeat plays!