| Dave Stewart — The Ringmaster General (2012) |
Dave Stewart — The Ringmaster General
Birth name: David Allan Stewart
Born: 9 September 1952
Origin: Sunderland, England, UK
Genres: Pop rock, synthpop, New Wave, folk
Occupations: Singer-songwriter, musician, record producer
Instruments: Guitar, bass guitar, sitar, piano, organ, synthesizer, vocals
Location: Hollywood
Album release: September 4, 2012
Record Label: Surfdog
Duration: 50:45
Tracks:
01. I Got Love (feat. Joss Stone) (4:48)
02. Just Another Fall (Duet with Diane Birch) (4:09)
03. A Different Man Now (4:16)
04. Drowning in the Blues (Duet with Alison Krauss) (3:47)
05. Girl in a Catsuit (feat. Orianthi) (5:20)
06. Slow Motion Addict No. 2 (5:55)
07. You Took My Love (5:39)
08. God Only Knows You Now (Duet with Jessie Baylin) (4:17)
09. The Ringmaster General (6:01)
10. Story of Success (2:59)
11. A New Song for Nashville (3:29)
≡ The Greatest Show On Earth /// Editorial Reviews:
• Dave Stewart holds a special place in his heart for Nashville. That s where the legendary British singer, songwriter and guitarist has recorded two albums: 2011 s critically praised The Blackbird Diaries and his 2012 masterpiece, The Ringmaster General, released via Weapons of Mass Entertainment/Surfdog. The album was produced by Stewart and Mike Bradford.
• A potent and distinctive musical gumbo with rock, blues, country, rhythm & blues and psychedelia, The Ringmaster General was recorded and mixed by John McBride at the famed studio he owns with Martina McBride, Blackbird Studio. It features 13 songs including striking duets with Alison Krauss, Diane Birch and Joss Stone as well as one sung with and co-written by Jessie Baylin. The blistering guitar skills of Orianthi are featured as well. As with The Blackbird Diaries, Stewart is backed by some of the finest musicians in Nashville including: guitarist Tom Bukovac, drummer Chad Cromwell, bassist Michael Rhodes, steel guitarist Dan Dugmore and Mike Rojas on piano.
Says Stewart: "Well to me Nashville has that electric music energy feeling that you get when you arrive in certain cities or towns like Kingston, Jamaica and Havana in Cuba, except Nashville also has the feeling of being in the heart of a huge country (which it is) and it feels kinda like coming home."
• He elaborates: "But it s mainly about the people I work and play with there. I ve been so fortunate as to have landed in the arms of the McBrides and becoming part of an extended family. John McBride and I share the same crazy passion for sound and all the guys in the band I record with (and the girls) are up for that wild adventure I like to bring in the studio. All the musicians know I m going to do lots of different experiments in songwriting and performance and they also know that I don t know what it s gonna be yet so it makes for an interesting time, a white knuckle ride, and a wild party of sound."
Website: http://davestewart.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thedavestewart
≡ Dave Stewart has played in numerous bands, penned a Broadway musical and produced and written songs for some of the biggest names in music. His experience shines on his latest solo project, The Ringmaster General. A follow up to 2011’s similarly star-studded The Blackbird Diaries, this album features Joss Stone, Orianthi, Jesse Baylin, Alison Krauss and Diane Birch. For an extra dose of country, power couple John and Martina McBride welcomed Stewart and friends to record in their Nashville studio. The product: a record bursting with passion, personality and variety.
That “bursting” is quite literal. “I Got Love,” the opening track, explodes like a human cannonball. Joss Stone belts and coos about the throes of heartbreak, with the help of a small chorus sounding like a southern Baptist choir. Just in case the crashing cymbals, groovy guitar and vocal chops weren’t impressive enough, the song includes a saxophone solo that appears naturally, but somehow adds an element of surprise. ≡ From there, the ringmaster general has his audience hooked.
≡ “Girl In A Catsuit” exemplifies the Ringling Brothers aspect of the album. Guitar goddess Orianthi shreds nonstop, inspiring the controlled chaos of caged motorcycle daredevils. But soul-bearing piano ballad “A Different Man Now” features the general singing alone, contemplating time and personal evolution. Songs like this one remind listeners that, in the end, this record carries his name.
≡ When it comes to country rock albums, range of song style is the key ingredient to avoid tiresome twang. Stewart, no virgin to the world of production, masterfully covered his bases. Few records have been more aptly titled; Stewart performs the role of ringmaster on wild tracks, encouraging vocal runs and instrumental improvising, but he poses as a composed, weathered general in others. As the album closes, Dave Stewart, both ringmaster and general, takes a powerful bow.
Fortaken: http://www.mxdwn.com
Personal life:
≡ Previously married from 1973 to 1977, Stewart married former Bananarama member Siobhan Fahey (who later formed Shakespears Sister) in 1987. The couple have two children (Sam and Django) but divorced in 1996. On 4 August 2001, Stewart married Dutch photographer Anoushka Fisz with whom he has two daughters, Kaya and Indya.
In 2004, Stewart and Fisz relocated to Hollywood so Stewart could concentrate on his soundtrack work.
Discography:
≡ 1990 Dave Stewart and the Spiritual Cowboys
≡ 1991 Honest (Dave Stewart and the Spiritual Cowboys)
≡ 1994 Greetings from the Gutter
≡ 1998 Sly-Fi
≡ 2008 The Dave Stewart Songbook Vol. 1
≡ 2011 The Blackbird Diaries
≡ 2012 The Ringmaster General
| Dave Stewart — The Ringmaster General (2012) |
Dave Stewart — The Ringmaster General
Birth name: David Allan Stewart
Born: 9 September 1952
Origin: Sunderland, England, UK
Genres: Pop rock, synthpop, New Wave, folk
Occupations: Singer-songwriter, musician, record producer
Instruments: Guitar, bass guitar, sitar, piano, organ, synthesizer, vocals
Location: Hollywood
Album release: September 4, 2012
Record Label: Surfdog
Duration: 50:45
Tracks:
01. I Got Love (feat. Joss Stone) (4:48)
02. Just Another Fall (Duet with Diane Birch) (4:09)
03. A Different Man Now (4:16)
04. Drowning in the Blues (Duet with Alison Krauss) (3:47)
05. Girl in a Catsuit (feat. Orianthi) (5:20)
06. Slow Motion Addict No. 2 (5:55)
07. You Took My Love (5:39)
08. God Only Knows You Now (Duet with Jessie Baylin) (4:17)
09. The Ringmaster General (6:01)
10. Story of Success (2:59)
11. A New Song for Nashville (3:29)
≡ The Greatest Show On Earth /// Editorial Reviews:
• Dave Stewart holds a special place in his heart for Nashville. That s where the legendary British singer, songwriter and guitarist has recorded two albums: 2011 s critically praised The Blackbird Diaries and his 2012 masterpiece, The Ringmaster General, released via Weapons of Mass Entertainment/Surfdog. The album was produced by Stewart and Mike Bradford.
• A potent and distinctive musical gumbo with rock, blues, country, rhythm & blues and psychedelia, The Ringmaster General was recorded and mixed by John McBride at the famed studio he owns with Martina McBride, Blackbird Studio. It features 13 songs including striking duets with Alison Krauss, Diane Birch and Joss Stone as well as one sung with and co-written by Jessie Baylin. The blistering guitar skills of Orianthi are featured as well. As with The Blackbird Diaries, Stewart is backed by some of the finest musicians in Nashville including: guitarist Tom Bukovac, drummer Chad Cromwell, bassist Michael Rhodes, steel guitarist Dan Dugmore and Mike Rojas on piano.
Says Stewart: "Well to me Nashville has that electric music energy feeling that you get when you arrive in certain cities or towns like Kingston, Jamaica and Havana in Cuba, except Nashville also has the feeling of being in the heart of a huge country (which it is) and it feels kinda like coming home."
• He elaborates: "But it s mainly about the people I work and play with there. I ve been so fortunate as to have landed in the arms of the McBrides and becoming part of an extended family. John McBride and I share the same crazy passion for sound and all the guys in the band I record with (and the girls) are up for that wild adventure I like to bring in the studio. All the musicians know I m going to do lots of different experiments in songwriting and performance and they also know that I don t know what it s gonna be yet so it makes for an interesting time, a white knuckle ride, and a wild party of sound."
Website: http://davestewart.com
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thedavestewart
≡ Dave Stewart has played in numerous bands, penned a Broadway musical and produced and written songs for some of the biggest names in music. His experience shines on his latest solo project, The Ringmaster General. A follow up to 2011’s similarly star-studded The Blackbird Diaries, this album features Joss Stone, Orianthi, Jesse Baylin, Alison Krauss and Diane Birch. For an extra dose of country, power couple John and Martina McBride welcomed Stewart and friends to record in their Nashville studio. The product: a record bursting with passion, personality and variety.
That “bursting” is quite literal. “I Got Love,” the opening track, explodes like a human cannonball. Joss Stone belts and coos about the throes of heartbreak, with the help of a small chorus sounding like a southern Baptist choir. Just in case the crashing cymbals, groovy guitar and vocal chops weren’t impressive enough, the song includes a saxophone solo that appears naturally, but somehow adds an element of surprise. ≡ From there, the ringmaster general has his audience hooked.
≡ “Girl In A Catsuit” exemplifies the Ringling Brothers aspect of the album. Guitar goddess Orianthi shreds nonstop, inspiring the controlled chaos of caged motorcycle daredevils. But soul-bearing piano ballad “A Different Man Now” features the general singing alone, contemplating time and personal evolution. Songs like this one remind listeners that, in the end, this record carries his name.
≡ When it comes to country rock albums, range of song style is the key ingredient to avoid tiresome twang. Stewart, no virgin to the world of production, masterfully covered his bases. Few records have been more aptly titled; Stewart performs the role of ringmaster on wild tracks, encouraging vocal runs and instrumental improvising, but he poses as a composed, weathered general in others. As the album closes, Dave Stewart, both ringmaster and general, takes a powerful bow.
Fortaken: http://www.mxdwn.com
Personal life:
≡ Previously married from 1973 to 1977, Stewart married former Bananarama member Siobhan Fahey (who later formed Shakespears Sister) in 1987. The couple have two children (Sam and Django) but divorced in 1996. On 4 August 2001, Stewart married Dutch photographer Anoushka Fisz with whom he has two daughters, Kaya and Indya.
In 2004, Stewart and Fisz relocated to Hollywood so Stewart could concentrate on his soundtrack work.
Discography:
≡ 1990 Dave Stewart and the Spiritual Cowboys
≡ 1991 Honest (Dave Stewart and the Spiritual Cowboys)
≡ 1994 Greetings from the Gutter
≡ 1998 Sly-Fi
≡ 2008 The Dave Stewart Songbook Vol. 1
≡ 2011 The Blackbird Diaries
≡ 2012 The Ringmaster General