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Visit product page →"Ramp" was originally released in 1991 and is the seventh Giant Sand reissue in the series from Fire Records.For 'Ramp', Giant Sand ushered in several new members to the fold, "including young bassist Joey burns, the stunning voice of 74 year old Pappy Allen, and our sweet, sweet friend Victoria Williams .. we had begun recording in Tucson and finished it back in Venice, CA at mad dog studio again .. the first track was produced by Dusty Wakeman and featured the late great Duane Jarvis".
Howe describes that the experiment with 'Ramp' was "to record an electric song live in the studio and have the pre-recorded acoustic bridge be slotted in by DAT machine while then starting up again with the electric part live at the same pace as before the DAT take was applied with its different beat. What made this tricky was the mechanical delay of the play button on the state of the art day machine...you can hear the result in "warm storm".
"Giant Sand is a mood," says Howe' of Giant Sand, as if trying to offer a low-key explanation for his dizzying array of artistic exploration that includes a back-catalogue of some 40 albums as a singer, band-leader and producer. After growing up in Pennsylvania in the 1970's, it wasn't until he moved to Tuscon, Arizona that he met his musical soul mate, the guitarist Rainer Ptaceck. The two formed Giant Sandworms and issued only a handful of recordings before the worms were put to rest: since then, Giant Sand have released 24 albums - an impressive haul when considering Howe's equally prolific output under other projects including Black Ranchette and Arizona Amp & Alternator as well as his solo releases.
1. Warm Storm2. Romance Of Falling3. Wonder4. Welcome To My World5. Anti-Shadow6. Jazzer Snipe7. Z. Z. Quicker Foot8. Neon Filler9. Seldom Matters10. Resolver11. Nowhere12. Always Horses Coming13. Patsy's Blues14. Shadow To You (Bonus) -
Visit product page →1994's 'Glum' was to be Giant Sand's largest record and in order to make it so, Howe Gelb invited everyone along to the party. This carnival helped create Giant Sand's best record to date and 'Glum' is now proudly re-issued by Fire.
Howe Gelb explains Glum's story, "This was our best record for a long time. It had Malcolm Burn producing it with me and it was done up at Daniel Lanois' studio in New Orleans.
Since it was our rst big budget session, I tried to get everyone who ever took part on a Giant Sand record to come to Dan's mansion and stay and be on the record somewhere. This made the atmosphere in the house more entangled then it had to be, but seemed like the way it should be.
For some reason I began singing like an old man on this record, or maybe was inspired too much from my new talking distortion pedal on my guitar. At the moment this record was due to be released, the label shut down its operations and it got lost.
But these things have a life of their own. (I wrote 'faithful' for Marianne, whom I just met through our label rep, kate Hyman. When she heard it she said: "but Howe, where is the melody ?")... and that's the story of my life."
Tracklisting:
1. Glum2. Yer Ropes3. Happenstance4. Frontage Road5. 1 Helvakowboy Song6. Painted Bird7. Spun8. Left9. Faithful10. Bird Song11. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry12. Body's A Boat (Bonus)13. Remain Distorted (Bonus)14. Water Fuels The Fire (Bonus)15. Occupy (Bonus)16. Between The Time It Takes (Bonus)17. The Professor (Bonus) -
'Center Of The Universe', originally released in 1992, is the eighth Giant Sand reissue in the series from Fire Records.Visit product page →
Howe holds 'Center Of The Universe' close to his heart, explaining the record ,"Could be my favourite. .. written in a one room cabin at the end of the road in the high desert around Joshua tree where I lived for a few years ... recorded back in Venice, California with the same slant as was instilled in the writing ... adorned with the 'psycho sisters' who show where the melodies in these songs were hiding ... now through the miracle of remastering, these tracks sound more vibrant and alluring".
What was a common approach to record making for Howe and Giant Sand, 'Center Of The Universe' would be the last of a kind, "it marks the last time I could work like this, before the advent of family life was to take over and populate the day .. this record marks the final time of isolation with a happy careless abandon and an immediate urgency delivered by a wired up acoustic guitar with stomp box distortion ready and willing".
"The experiment: to record a vocal in fragments while intentionally singing differently each time on the same song, then combining the takes instantaneously . The result was "loretta and the insect world".
"Giant Sand is a mood", says Howe of Giant Sand, as if trying to offer a low-key explanation for his dizzying array of artistic exploration that includes a back-catalogue of some 40 albums as a singer, band-leader and producer. After growing up in Pennsylvania in the 1970s, it wasnt until he moved to Tuscon, Arizona that he met his musical soul mate, the guitarist Rainer Ptaceck. The two formed Giant Sandworms and issued only a handful of recordings before the worms were put to rest: since then, Giant Sand have released 24 albums - an impressive haul when considering Howes equally prolific output under other projects including Black Ranchette and Arizona Amp & Alternator as well as his solo releases.
Tracklisting:
1. Seeded (`Tween Bone And Bark)2. Pathfinder3. Center Of The Universe4. Off Ramp Man5. Year Of The Dog6. Live To Tell7. Thrust8. Loretta And The Insect World9. Sonic Drive In10. Milkshake Girl11. Stuck12. Thing Like That13. Return To Fodder14. Unwed And Well Sped15. Solomon's Ride16. Slip Slice Suite (Bonus)17. Goin' To New Mexico (Bonus)