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La Bella Vista |
| Produced by Daniel Lanois with Adam Samuels | |
| Released on October 17, 2003 | |
| no chart information | |
| Find it at GEMM | |
| DK 30373 cover |
H arold Budd’s genius at repose, recorded (surreptitiously) over the course of two separate but related Schubertiads in the home of Daniel Lanois. These impromptus, conjured on an old Steinway piano, could be seen as The Plateaux of Mirror unplugged, dappled sound without Eno’s daubing. Likewise, The Room was larger in scope and effect, and it may well be that La Bella Vista is Budd’s most intimate work to date. Despite the live recording conditions and the presence of other inspirational entities, almost no extraneous noise slips into the mix, which is surprising. (Okay, maybe not so surprising to me, whose parties are usually as electric as a group of cows locked in a barn on a cold night, staring at one another while I fish under the sofa with one arm and a vague promise that I might be able to retrieve a rubik’s cube stuffed there for just such an occasion, but surprising to you perhaps.) There are a few creaks and squeaks, but the warm stillness of the piano notes, resonating gently in the air, win the day. In fact, it all helps to paint the portrait of an artist at ease, employing a gentle hesitancy in some cases (“Bell Tower”) as if allowing for the nanoseconds it takes for thought to become execution, indulging in a few uncharacteristic flourishes elsewhere as if succumbing briefly to the lure of live performance. Though comprised of individual songs, La Bella Vista is too organic to pull apart. As opposed to a piecemeal repast like Anthony Phillips’ Ivory Moon, these songs are inextricably linked to the same source of inspiration, the same mood. Here, in my mind, I see notes roll, tumble, and pirouette in a modern pas de deux mains, mindful of their steps and the shadows they might cast. Call it a graceful transparency or an unguarded artist in the act of creation, La Bella Vista affords a view of the composer that sheds much light on his muse and will captivate his fans over time. Those who lamented a lost fragility in albums like Lovely Thunder or Moon And The Melodies will find it restored here.
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| DK 30373 back cover |
TRACK LISTING
CREDITS
HAROLD BUDD -- Steinway piano
Daniel Lanois -- cover photo
Ania Borysiewicz -- package design
| REGION | RELEASE DATE | LABEL | MEDIA | ID NUMBER | FEATURES |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | October 17, 2003 | Shout! Factory | CD | DK 30373 |
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