5th Solo Studio Album On 180g Vinyl LP!
The masterful record is an intimate, stripped-down set that highlights Crosbys instantly recognizable voice, incisive songwriting, and incomparable guitar work. The palpable joy in the 9-song collection captures the iconic artist in an unexpected burst of inspiration. "To create brand new music that Im excited about is a pearl beyond price," says the two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
Lighthouse features a rare economy of sound, filled primarily by Crosbys voice and guitars, and Michael League of Snarky Puppys skillful production. Theres a sparse, unvarnished quality to the tracks that allows the songs breathing room and for the full emotional weight of the lyrics to emerge, unencumbered by extraneous instrumentation.
On album opener, "Things We Do For Love," written for his wife of nearly 40-years Jan, Crosbys vocals reflect a poetic tenderness. On "Paint You A Picture," a cinematic tale of romantic regret co-written with Marc Cohn ("Walking In Memphis"), they are filled with remorseful resignation. The longtime social activist lands his political punches as he bitingly condemns the craven politicians who send other peoples children to war on "Somebody Other Than You," and compassionately reminds us that we are all the same on "Look In Their Eyes," a poignant tale about immigration inspired by the Syrian refugee crisis.
Particularly striking on Lighthouse is Crosbys piquant guitar playing, which is as inventive as always, but never flashy. By turns gentle and caustic, his work here surprised even him as he discovered new tones. "I put a guitar in a strange tuning and I see what I find," he says. "It gives you different inversions of the chords and it gives you different sounds. I have many tunings. It helps me find things that are fresh and that are mine rather than just repeating stuff that other people have done."
Crosby and League recorded the album at Groove Masters, the Santa Monica studio owned by Crosbys longtime pal Jackson Browne. League co-wrote half the songs on Lighthouse with Crosby. In one of their rare disagreements, Crosby asked League to put aside a month for recording, though League insisted they only needed two weeks. "I said, Ive never done a record in two weeks, Im an old guy and youre a young fireball. You have to slow down a little bit and give me a whole month," Crosby recalls. "We recorded the record in 12 days," he adds with a hearty laugh.
In Crosbys unparalleled six-decade career, the native Californian has created songs that resonate as indelible cultural touchstones for more than three generations, not only as a solo artist, but as a founding member of The Byrds in the mid-60s, Crosby, Stills & Nash (recipients of the Grammy for best new artist in 1969), and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Hes collaborated with dozens of artists, including Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Pink Floyds David Gilmour, Phil Collins, Elton John and Carole King.
"'Things We Do For Love' finds Crosby's ever-delicate voice gliding over a soft acoustic progression, then swelling into a stunning wall of harmony..." - Rolling Stone
Features:
180g Vinyl LP
4-color Lyric sheet
Gatefold jacket
Limited time download card for full album
Selections:
Side A:
1. Things We Do For Love
2. The Us Below
3. Drive Out To The Desert
4. Look In Their Eyes
5. Somebody Other Than You
Side B:
1. The City
2. Paint You A Picture
3. What Makes It So?
4. By The Light Of Common Day
The masterful record is an intimate, stripped-down set that highlights Crosbys instantly recognizable voice, incisive songwriting, and incomparable guitar work. The palpable joy in the 9-song collection captures the iconic artist in an unexpected burst of inspiration. "To create brand new music that Im excited about is a pearl beyond price," says the two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee.
Lighthouse features a rare economy of sound, filled primarily by Crosbys voice and guitars, and Michael League of Snarky Puppys skillful production. Theres a sparse, unvarnished quality to the tracks that allows the songs breathing room and for the full emotional weight of the lyrics to emerge, unencumbered by extraneous instrumentation.
On album opener, "Things We Do For Love," written for his wife of nearly 40-years Jan, Crosbys vocals reflect a poetic tenderness. On "Paint You A Picture," a cinematic tale of romantic regret co-written with Marc Cohn ("Walking In Memphis"), they are filled with remorseful resignation. The longtime social activist lands his political punches as he bitingly condemns the craven politicians who send other peoples children to war on "Somebody Other Than You," and compassionately reminds us that we are all the same on "Look In Their Eyes," a poignant tale about immigration inspired by the Syrian refugee crisis.
Particularly striking on Lighthouse is Crosbys piquant guitar playing, which is as inventive as always, but never flashy. By turns gentle and caustic, his work here surprised even him as he discovered new tones. "I put a guitar in a strange tuning and I see what I find," he says. "It gives you different inversions of the chords and it gives you different sounds. I have many tunings. It helps me find things that are fresh and that are mine rather than just repeating stuff that other people have done."
Crosby and League recorded the album at Groove Masters, the Santa Monica studio owned by Crosbys longtime pal Jackson Browne. League co-wrote half the songs on Lighthouse with Crosby. In one of their rare disagreements, Crosby asked League to put aside a month for recording, though League insisted they only needed two weeks. "I said, Ive never done a record in two weeks, Im an old guy and youre a young fireball. You have to slow down a little bit and give me a whole month," Crosby recalls. "We recorded the record in 12 days," he adds with a hearty laugh.
In Crosbys unparalleled six-decade career, the native Californian has created songs that resonate as indelible cultural touchstones for more than three generations, not only as a solo artist, but as a founding member of The Byrds in the mid-60s, Crosby, Stills & Nash (recipients of the Grammy for best new artist in 1969), and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Hes collaborated with dozens of artists, including Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Pink Floyds David Gilmour, Phil Collins, Elton John and Carole King.
"'Things We Do For Love' finds Crosby's ever-delicate voice gliding over a soft acoustic progression, then swelling into a stunning wall of harmony..." - Rolling Stone
Features:
180g Vinyl LP
4-color Lyric sheet
Gatefold jacket
Limited time download card for full album
Selections:
Side A:
1. Things We Do For Love
2. The Us Below
3. Drive Out To The Desert
4. Look In Their Eyes
5. Somebody Other Than You
Side B:
1. The City
2. Paint You A Picture
3. What Makes It So?
4. By The Light Of Common Day
