Daniel
Lanois was born in 1951, in Hull, Canada. This esteemed producer rose
to fame during the late 80s through his contribution to major releases
by Peter Gabriel ( So ) and U2 ( The Unforgettable Fire and The Joshua
Tree ). He subsequently produced Robbie Robertson, the widely-acclaimed
'comeback' album by the former leader of the Band,
and in 1989 undertook a similar role on Bob Dylan 's Oh
Mercy, widely-regarded as the artist's finest work in several
years. Lanois's love of expansive, yet subtle, sound, reminiscent
of 'new age' styles, combines effectively with mature, traditional
rock, as evinced on the artist's own album, Acadie. Drawing inspiration
from French-Canadian heritage - Lanois used both his native country's
languages, sometimes within the same song - he created a haunting
tapestry combining the jauntiness of New Orleans' music with soundscaped
instrumentals. Contributions by Brian Eno and the Neville Brothers,
the latter of whom Lanois also produced, added further weight to this
impressive collection. Lanois and Eno co-produced U2's two aforementioned
multi-million-selling studio albums and their combined influence has
given the band's sound new dimensions. He was instrumental in re-directing
Emmylou Harris 's career with Wrecking Ball in 1995 and toured with
her, leading his own band during the autumn of that year. He produced
Dylan's excellent Time Out Of Mind in 1997.
