White Ladder CD

MUSIC

POP

Song Listing

Disc 1

Song Title

1. Please Forgive Me ~ David Gray (Rock)

2. Babylon ~ David Gray (Rock)

3. My Oh My ~ David Gray (Rock)

4. We're Not Right ~ David Gray (Rock)

5. Nightblindness ~ David Gray (Rock)

6. Silver Lining ~ David Gray (Rock)

7. White Ladder ~ David Gray (Rock)

8. This Years Love ~ David Gray (Rock)

9. Sail Away ~ David Gray (Rock)

10. Say Hello Wave Goodbye ~ David Gray (Rock)

11. Babylon II ~ David Gray (Rock)

One of Dave Matthews' favorite artists, David Gray had built a substantial underground presence before getting picked-up for distruibution by a major label. Previously, David was selling his fourth full-length album directly to American fans from his website. This enhanced CD includes two previously unavailable songs and a 12 minute documentary with photos, interview, live footage and artist links. The 2 songs are "Babylon" (the first radio single) and "Please Forgive Me", which were both radio hits in Ireland and England. The Manchester-born, Welsh-raised, Ireland-based singer-songwriter has already gone five times Platinum in Ireland.

'... Simply the greatest lyricist in popular music today... This is a passionate, honest, evocative and beautiful album. Buy it.' -- Hot Press magazine.
'One of pop's enduring Mavericks.' -- Melody Maker

Album Notes and Credits

Notes & Personnel Info
	This is an Enhanced audio CD which contains regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.
	Personnel: David Gray (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); Clune (vocals, keyboards, bass, drums); Colm Mac Con Iomaire (violin); Tim Bradshaw (keyboards); Simon Edwards (bass); Lestyn, Steve Sydelnyk, Marius De Vries (programming).
	Personnel: David Gray (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); Clune, McClune (vocals, keyboards, drums); Colm Mac Con Iomaire (violin); 4x4 (strings); Tim Bradshaw (keyboards); Steve Sydelnyk, Lestyn, Marius de Vries (programming).
	Recording information: AIR Studios.
	Photographer: Donal Dineen.
	Unknown Contributor Role: Scott Wilson.
	Arranger: Terry Edwards.
	David Gray began his career utilizing bare-bones folk-rock arrangements that left plenty of room for his Dylan/Van Morrison-inspired vocals and lyrics to weave their spell. Subsequently, he submerged his unique qualities somewhat in thick production. WHITE LADDER finds a workable balance between these two extremes. Some of the tracks are little more than Gray plus rhythm section, recalling the simplistic grace of his debut A CENTURY ENDS; on other cuts, synthesizers and electronic rhythms are incorporated in a tasteful, organic way that lends modernity to the proceedings without imposing upon the spirit of the songs.
	As always, the most important thing is Gray's lyrical and vocal skill, which remain pleasingly intact. He leavens his simple, heartfelt observations with just the right amount of poetic imagery, much in the same manner that the electronic touches are added to spice up WHITE LADDER's neo-folk arrangements.
Producer: David Gray; Clune; Jason Hocking; Polson; Clune
Engineer: Jon Bailey; Lestyn

Artist Overview

Welsh singer-songwriter David Gray's story is the classic scenario of the overnight success that took years to happen. He emerged in the early 1990s as an acoustic-based artist heavily influenced by old-school troubadours like Bob Dylan and Van Morrison. After a few more fine but financially unsuccessful albums, he finally broke through to the mainstream in 1999 with WHITE LADDER, an album that organically meshed Gray's singer-songwriter aesthetic with a more contemporary electronica-flavored sound.

Artist Followers
Damien Rice | James Blunt

Compilation Appearances

	Tribute:johnny Boy Would Love This
	Way (Ost)

Technical Info

	Release Date : 03/21/2000
	Original Release Date : 1999
	Catalog ID : 69351
	Label : ATO (USA)
	Number of Discs : 1
	Studio/Live : Studio
	Mono/Stereo : Stereo
	SPAR Code : n/a
	UPC : 00078636935126

Professional Reviews

Rolling Stone (10/12/00, p.89)
- 3 stars out of 5 - "...Sleek modern folk....Gray proves that great songs sometimes require quiet acts of irreverence."

Entertainment Weekly (1/19/01, p.85)
- "...A restorative for those hungry for intimacy....an heir to Van Morrison..." - Rating: B

Q (1/01, p.92)
- Included in Q's "50 Best Albums of 2000".

Q (8/00, p.118)
- 4 stars out of 5 - "...A triumph of songcraft, with a huge emotive tug following from the spare acoustic textures. Gray's crusty, Dylan-esque voice shines throughout..."

CMJ (5/00, p.24)
- "...A stately, sophisticated album...Gray combines gentle guitar hooks and effusive string washes with warm, fluent beats on memorable songs....[A] magnificent accomplishment..."

Mojo (Publisher)
(7/00, p.124)
- "...Mega-platinum in Ireland....Dominated by understated acoustic strumming and his warbling tenor, opener 'Please Forgive Me' is a dead ringer for mid-'70s Dylan..."

NME (Magazine)
(7/15/00, p.34)
- 6 out of 10 - "...Given the decent songwriting showcased here, you suspect it couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke..."

BloomReach Content

White Ladder (1999)

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