Ray Lamontagne...
mcameronrocks
Posts: 321
...must get the new album. Such an amazing voice. such soul and pain when he sings. Definitely a must buy.
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Saw him a couple of weeks for an E-Town taping and going Monday to see him at Red Rocks with David Gray
I feel very fortunate to have seen him 2 weeks after his first album dropped. I saw him in a very small venue in Ferndale, MI with no more than 75 people. He played only with him, a stand up bass player and a piano player. His voice absolutely filled every space in that room. One of the most amazing musical experiences for me.
The guy is amazing. I've never seem someone sing so melodically and with such a soothing tone, yet soooo powerful.
EV - 5
(**Letterman'02, Irving Plaza, Storytellers, Beacon, ACL, Spectrum 3&4, Bridge School '10**)
"Constant recoil,..sometimes life don't leave you alone."
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The album got a great review in the new People magazine out this week.
Don't fuck sheep. -EV 7/11/11
You can never have enough Neil in the mix. -EV 10/24/10
There's only one commandment: Don't be an asshole. -EV 5/6/10
I can see that _ the Joe Cocker comparison. Not as world-weary as Joe's voice, but just as gripping. Definitely the kind of voice that makes you stop and listen.
For sure! Van Morrison back in the early days when he still sang with some passion too!
Ray LaMontagne was born in Nashua, New Hampshire, in 1973 to a constantly traveling mother and a violent musician father who abandoned the family during Ray's childhood. Because of his father's background in music, LaMontagne refrained from most musical activity, instead spending much of his time reading fantasy novels in the forest.[2] He attended high school at Morgan High School in Morgan, Utah, but frequently ditched class, wrote stories, or got into fights with other students. As a result of these interactions, his grades were poor and he struggled to graduate.[3] After graduation, LaMontagne moved away from his family to Lewiston, Maine in order to find a full-time job.
LaMontagne found a job at a shoe factory in Lewiston where he worked 65 hours a week. One morning at 4 a.m., LaMontagne heard Stephen Stills' song "Treetop Flyer" on the radio as it awoke him for an early work shift.[5] After purchasing the Stills Alone album, he decided that he wanted to quit his job at the shoe factory and start a career as a singer-songwriter.
6/12/08 - Tampa, FL
8/23/09 - Chicago, IL
9/28/09 - Salt Lake City, UT (11 years too long!!!)
9/03/11 - East Troy, WI - PJ20 - Night 1
9/04/11 - East Troy, WI - PJ20 - Night 2
That is such a perfect way to describe his singing.
6/12/08 - Tampa, FL
8/23/09 - Chicago, IL
9/28/09 - Salt Lake City, UT (11 years too long!!!)
9/03/11 - East Troy, WI - PJ20 - Night 1
9/04/11 - East Troy, WI - PJ20 - Night 2
We saw Ray and David Gray last Friday at the Greek Theater in Berkeley. We went to see Ray but came away HUGE David Gray fans as well. That man is the epitome of a frontman, consumate performer. Didn't really know we knew so many of his songs, he must be in constant rotation on KFOG around here or something. The encore/duet of "Dig a Pony" was electric! But you could tell from that ... that it's just not Ray's thing, a loud electric band like Gray's, his voice blended into the music, kinda drowned out. Was a kickass rendition regardless!
But with his band, that's literally what I said at the end of each Ray song. Just, "Whoa!" Maybe a "Wow!" too! His band's versitility was awesome, his two supporting guitar players back and forth from pedal steel, acoustic, electric. Drummer was fantastic fun too.
But Ray was simply mesmerizing. Yeah, that's what we thought too ... shades of Joe Cocker. Kinda Doobie Bros McDonald at softer times. Hella versitle, from his soft solo acoustic/harmonica number into the stomping "It's a Crying Shame" song singing through his harmonica mic all distorted and stuff. Just fantastic!
And the venues these guys are hitting is spot on ... what I woulda given to see 'em at Red Rocks, but OMG, at the Greek with the sun going down on a Friday night, magic! Unlike an Eddie show, you coulda heard a pin drop during "Rock n Roll and Radio."
Well almost, the one lame part was the Gray fans chatting it up during Ray ... disappointing. But at the quietest, thank god, he had that whole audience in his hands. Near the end, after a quick "Thank you" the audience just ramped up it's cheer, louder and louder and louder. He was kinda overwhelmed, embarrassed, didn't quite know how to shut us up, we just kept screaming and hollerin' louder and louder for him. Each soft "Thank you" was greeted with a louder and louder cresendo! Amazing fun!
Looking forward to enjoying Ray for years and years to come.
Whoa!
That sounds so amazing! I hear nothing but good things about Ray live.
Such a voice, gonna pick up his album as well!
~not a dude~
2010: MSGx2
2012: Made In America
2013: Pittsburgh, Brooklynx2, Hartford, Baltimore
2014: Leeds, Milton Keynes, Detroit
2015: Global Citizen Festival
2016: Phillyx2, MSGx2, Fenwayx2
2018: Barcelona, Wrigleyx2
I didn't know Jim James did such a thing but I bet it's a very good effort. In recent years I've come to realize how talented Jim is as a songwriter.
6/12/08 - Tampa, FL
8/23/09 - Chicago, IL
9/28/09 - Salt Lake City, UT (11 years too long!!!)
9/03/11 - East Troy, WI - PJ20 - Night 1
9/04/11 - East Troy, WI - PJ20 - Night 2
Look for it under Yim Yames.
So much smooth adult contemporary a la Joni Mitchell mixed with smooth adult country like the Oak Ridge Boys. Reminds me of AM radio in the 80's. Strange that he's dressed like an old timey balladeer now, though. The big hitters on the album are definitely Repo Man (so great!), Beg Steal or Borrow and Devil's in the Jukebox, but tempo isn't all this is about, so add God Willin' & the Creek don't rise and For the Summer to my list of favourite tracks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mEfDSP4g_U
beautiful
It's superb, as are all of his albums. I'm not even sure how I'd rate them, I mean I love them all and don't have any clear favorites. His first one had his biggest hit. His second one was his "darkest". His third one he shook up his sound a little bit. Added some horns and other instruments here and there. His latest kind of follows along with the third as far as style goes. If you really liked the new one chances are you'd really like this others too.
Trouble - 2004
Till the Sun Turns Black - 2006
Gossip in the Grain - 2008
God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise - 2010