John Lyle's new cd 'Wild Awake' is out- http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lylejohn9
Alannah Myles- 'The lyrics for 'They Stoned Her' are as beautifully written as they sound when they are sung. I hope that because it has moved me, the Universe will find a home for it somewhere. I know exactly what I would do with it sung acapella in 3 part harmony with only a simple tapping percussion. A very sad song that strikes a stringent chord in today's need to put an end to archaic religious beliefs. Many thanks to John Lyle for following his heart.'
Heywood Banks- "I'll tell you up front,this is an odd album. Odd, wonderful, obscure, illogical, surprising unexpected, mysterious and yet new and comfortable as an old pair of women's underwear. A great Sunday morning album! 'Wild Awake' combines folk, jazz, rock, broadway standards and classical elements. But the main thing is that wonderful voice! Warm, intimate and wise. Truly one of a kind! I hope you share my love for the music and writing of John Lyle!
Simon Atherley- "I know John personally; indeed I even wrote and played the guitar part on ` A New Bandana'. It is only fair you should know this before you read the rest of this review... However, I write not because of my very small part in this fine album's making, nor because Wild Awake provides a welcome and eclectic mix of musical whimsy, lost love's musings and lyrical intr …
John Lyle's new cd 'Wild Awake' is out- http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lylejohn9
Alannah Myles- 'The lyrics for 'They Stoned Her' are as beautifully written as they sound when they are sung. I hope that because it has moved me, the Universe will find a home for it somewhere. I know exactly what I would do with it sung acapella in 3 part harmony with only a simple tapping percussion. A very sad song that strikes a stringent chord in today's need to put an end to archaic religious beliefs. Many thanks to John Lyle for following his heart.'
Heywood Banks- "I'll tell you up front,this is an odd album. Odd, wonderful, obscure, illogical, surprising unexpected, mysterious and yet new and comfortable as an old pair of women's underwear. A great Sunday morning album! 'Wild Awake' combines folk, jazz, rock, broadway standards and classical elements. But the main thing is that wonderful voice! Warm, intimate and wise. Truly one of a kind! I hope you share my love for the music and writing of John Lyle!
Simon Atherley- "I know John personally; indeed I even wrote and played the guitar part on ` A New Bandana'. It is only fair you should know this before you read the rest of this review... However, I write not because of my very small part in this fine album's making, nor because Wild Awake provides a welcome and eclectic mix of musical whimsy, lost love's musings and lyrical intrigues. Nor am I writing because it is rare to find such lovingly crafted, yet uninhibited, home-grown gems. No. The reason I write this review is because of one track in particular, "They Stoned Her", which for me is the stand-out track of the entire album. In a "PC" world, where confused liberals substitute natural and justified human outrage for "cultural and religious tolerance", Lyle drags us into a contemporary scene of medieval horror, a true crime against humanity. Quite frankly, if there really is such thing, then Lyle's deeply mourning vocal and sad poetry of outrage acts like the secret filming of the nearest thing you'll get to pure evil on this earth. I defy anyone to listen to "They Stoned Her", and not be horrified. I'd like to see a film with this as the closing song. No doubt it would be banned..."
The cover shot is of a stranger in a strange land. On the move, standing still, mercurial and static with the world on his back. The eye of the beholder is strange and true, capable of quick forgetting and slow cooking.
The music inside is something else. It is to be avoided. Under no circumstances expose yourself to ‘Wild Awake’.
If you find it necessary, or have the uncontrollable urge to dive into the deep end of this of this river of no return, start with track one and take Marilyn Monroe and Robert Mitchum with you.
About the 2007 cd 'Known Corners' http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lylejohn2
“This is superb poetry. But, better than that, these are beautiful lyrics, meeting all of the rhythmic and melodic demands of the fine music against which they are set. The styles are varied, but have one thing in common- passionate performance. There is folk, an Irish ballad, soul, roadhouse blues, grindhouse rock, an acoustic instrumental; all built around Lyle’s sure-footed guitar and soulful vocals. ‘Known Corners’ is an album about loss, acceptance of loss and getting back to what you had before you had anything. This beautifully sequenced cd is not kid’s stuff. If you listen to this in the car, be prepared to pull over.” - Warner Morgan.........
Bio-
Headed for a career as an English professor in the mid 1960’s, John Lyle was ‘broadsided’ by Bob Dylan and The Beatles. His degree went out the window, and so did he, playing in a series of bands and then performing on Canadian network television and radio as a solo act. He was also signed to two record labels during this era, but realized that because of his highly sensitive nature he was not cut out for the performing life. John returned to his home in the Vancouver area, and devoted himself to his family, supporting them with a career that may have been more dangerous than the perfomance stage. He became a postman. John Lyle’s wonderful body of work is evidence of a life lived on the streets and in the home, filled with all the love and loss and joy and despair that are part and parcel of being alive. The songs are vital, not written to imitate a commercial trend or to fulfil a contract, but to reflect the intensity of experience and to remain sane..........'John's songs are amazing!' Frazee Ford (The Be Good Tanyas).........'We love John Lyle. We listen to him all the time.' The Sumner Brothers..........'There's lots of nice stuff on there!' Paul Rodgers (Bad Company; Free; Queen)...........‘Magnificent!’ Robert Altman.........John Lyle will take you gently to your safe place, and then sneak up on you with a song as uncompromisingly ferocious as a grizzly in a maternity ward.’ Dennis Albo, in his reality novel ‘One Bullet Left'...........'Wonderful, odd genius...I hate to think what they'd find if they opened up his head'-American comedian Heywood Banks............'Super, passionate stuff!' Mark Smith
