BACKYARDS

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8.13.11 was the recording release performance and party for "Backyards." It was a great Saturday night in Hollywood at the Hotel Cafe. Summertime. Full moon. Set list:

RADIO LITE / GOOD TIMES / DAYLIGHT SAVING / LOSING STREAK / I THINK I FOUND A NEW FRIEND / OVER A YEAR / CASSIUS CLAY / THE AMERICAN WEST / OUTLAW / PISSIN' ON PLANTS IN THE SUBURBS

Outlaw 8.13.11 LA, CA by Garland Lane

The people who played music on this recording:

John Elliott : singing, acoustic guitar, piano, electric guitar, orchestra bells, glockenspiel, phone-o-phone, field recordings

Mike Schadel : drums, tambourine, shaker, singing

Colin Warling : bass, mandolin

Mike Wendland : electric guitar

 

Andy Featherston : various aux percussion

Ryan Zwahlen : oboe, english horn

David Moss : cello

Trevor Smith : banjo

Rebecca Cunningham : french horn

Jennifer K. Stevenson : clarinet, bass clarinet

Catherine Barrett : harp

Mike Wells : wurly

Kevin Costner : spoken word

Bill Davis, Anthony da Costa, Jack Wilson & Jason Weems : singing on “cassius clay”

Grace Park : singing on “i think i found a new friend” and “empty in the heartland”

Eli Bolin : singing on “good times” and “over a year”

1996 Wayzata High School Concert Choir : singing on “so this is when it comes”

 

“Backyards” was produced by John Elliott. It was arranged, performed and recorded by John Elliott, Mike Schadel, Colin Warling and Mike Wendland at Beer City Studios in Los Angeles, CA (San Fernando Valley) and at Elizabeth’s house in Austin, TX. It was mixed by John Holmes, Aaron Glas and John Elliott (in various combinations at various times). It was mastered by Ryan Foster at FREQ Mastering in Portland, OR.

All songs written by John Elliott (BMI 2011)


Here's a review from Norway translated via the Google Translator from Norwegian to English:

John Elliott's "Backyards" places so elegantly in the sound that was perfected by Simon & Garfunkel, and of course a number of folk musicians before them. There are references to both the former folk music, but also more recent Britishfolk-pop. Here you will find both the Beach Boys backing vocals and the occasional banjo and mandolin. The songs are acoustic in the expression, but he has brought a band that knows how to punch to where it is needed.

Elliott has a very nice and pleasant voice, and writes spruce texts about daily challenges and love. This is a wonderful autumn album which like the sort of music when you crawl under the blanket with a cup of cocoa and a good book. I think evocative and melancholy are the two key words I hunt here. So are you looking for something evocative and melancholy of the musical autumn cosiness, you could do a lot worse than buying this disc.

http://www.musikkbloggen.no/2011/10/smaplukk-fra-platebunken-10/

Here's a video about the making of the album: