Terra Incognita | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | February 18, 1997 | |||
Recorded | March – April 1996 | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 42:01 | |||
Label | Work [1] | |||
Producer | Chris Whitley, Toby Wright, Dougie Bowne | |||
Chris Whitley chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [3] |
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [4] |
Terra Incognita is the third studio album by singer-songwriter and guitarist, Chris Whitley, released in 1997. [5] [6]
It was produced primarily by Chris Whitley, Toby Wright, and Dougie Bowne. [7] The album was recorded primarily by Mark Howard (assisted by Wayne Lorenz) at Boulevard Teatro in Oxnard, California. It was mixed primarily by Toby Wright (assisted by John Seymour) at Electric Lady Studios in New York City.
Additional recording was done by Dinky Dawson at the Best Western Highway Inn in Salem, Oregon ("As Flat as the Earth (exp)"), by Chris Whitley at the Sheffield Holiday Inn in Sheffield, Alabama ("Immortal Blues"), and by Toby Wright at Electric Lady Studios in New York City ("Alien").
Additional production and mixing on "Automatic" was done by Michael Barbiero. [8]
The album's title was inspired by Dime-Store Alchemy: The Art of Joseph Cornell by Charles Simic.
The Washington Post called the album Whitley's "best work yet," writing that "it has lots of loud, abrasive guitars, but they ebb and flow, allowing the blues-flavored songwriting to come through clearly and strongly." [9] No Depression wrote that "Whitley's falsetto sounds wonderfully spooky, and his slide playing threatens 'As Flat As The Earth' and 'Immortal Blues' with a naturally sinister feeling." [10] Trouser Press wrote that "much of the record evinces mechanical imagery in titles like 'Gasket' and elliptical lyrics about steel and faulty airplanes." [1] The New York Times wrote that "Whitley infuses [the songs] with a spirit of the blues: a clear-eyed, fatalistic tone that accepts both exaltation and despair." [11]
Nevertheless, Columbia Records dropped Whitley after this album. [12]
All tracks written by Chris Whitley.
"Automatic" was released as a single.
The CD Extra part of the CD includes interviews with Whitley as well as live video performances of "Weightless", "Power Down", "Cool Wooden Crosses", and "Automatic" culled from his November 4, 1996, performance at Billboard Live at The Palace in Los Angeles, California.
"Money" is a song by English rock band Pink Floyd from their 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon. Written by Roger Waters, it opened side two of the original album. Released as a single, it became the band's first hit in the United States, reaching number 10 in Cash Box magazine and number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Stereo Type A is the second studio album by Cibo Matto released in 1999. As the group disbanded in 2001, it was their last studio album prior to their 2011 reunion. The album peaked at number 171 on the Billboard 200, and also reached the top spot of CMJ's College charts.
Christopher Becker Whitley was an American blues/rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. Whitley's sound was drawn from the traditions of blues, jazz and rock and he recorded songs by artists from many genres. During his 25-year career, he released 17 albums. While two songs landed in the top 50 of the Billboard mainstream rock charts and he received two Independent Music Awards, he remained on the fringes of both the blues and alternative-rock worlds.
Still Got the Blues is the eighth solo studio album by Northern Irish guitarist Gary Moore, released in March 1990. It marked a substantial change in style for Moore, who had been predominantly known for rock and hard rock music with Skid Row, Thin Lizzy, G-Force, Greg Lake and during his own extensive solo career, as well as his jazz fusion work with Colosseum II. As indicated by its title, Still Got the Blues saw him delve into an electric blues style.
Dreaming Wide Awake is the second album by singer and composer Lizz Wright, released in 2005. It reached number one on the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz chart. The song 'Hit the Ground' featured in an episode of House MD, season 3 episode 14 – "Insensitive".
"Goodbye Stranger" is a song by the English rock band Supertramp; it was written by Rick Davies. The song first appeared on their sixth studio album, Breakfast in America (1979). The lyrics present an "optimistic view from a drifter."
Thoroughfare Gap is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Stephen Stills, released in 1978. It was a critical and commercial disappointment that only charted at number 84 in the US. This album is now available as a three-album set on two CDs with Stills & Illegal Stills, having never been released on its own on CD.
Toby Wright is an American record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with artists such as Alice in Chains, Metallica, Sevendust and Korn.
Prem Joshua is a German musician, active since 1969.
Funk of Ages is a solo album by former Parliament-Funkadelic keyboardist Bernie Worrell. The album was released in 1990 by Gramavision Records. It includes contributions by numerous guest musicians, including Sly and Robbie, David Byrne, Herbie Hancock, Keith Richards, Vernon Reid, and Phoebe Snow. P-Funk bandmates Bootsy Collins, Maceo Parker, Gary Cooper, Doug Duffey, and Michael Hampton also contributed.
Din of Ecstasy is the second studio album by singer-songwriter and guitarist Chris Whitley. It was released on Columbia Records in 1995.
Live at Martyrs' is the fifth album by singer-songwriter and guitarist, Chris Whitley and his first live album. The performance is a compilation of songs from Whitley's first four albums, a previous collaboration, and two songs that would later appear on Rocket House (2001).
Long Way Around – An Anthology: 1991–2001 is the eighth album by singer-songwriter and guitarist, Chris Whitley. It is his first compilation album and includes hits, album tracks, rarities, and unreleased demos from 1991 to 2001.
Weed is the tenth album by singer-songwriter and guitarist, Chris Whitley. It is his eighth studio album.
On Air is the fifteenth album by singer-songwriter and guitarist Chris Whitley and his second live album. The performance is a compilation of songs from a selection of Whitley's past albums and three new covers.
Terra Incognita is the debut full-length solo album by American singer Juliette Lewis, released in August 2009. Produced by Omar Rodríguez-López of The Mars Volta, it was her first album after parting with backing band the Licks, replaced by the New Romantiques. "‘Terra Incognita’ means unknown territory," she said, "and that’s where I wanted to go musically. The guitars are more wild and atmospheric. The groove is dark and deep and allows for a lot of sonic contrasts."
"Let Go" is a song by the American rock band Cheap Trick, which was released in 1988 as the fourth single from their tenth studio album Lap of Luxury. It was written by guitarist Rick Nielsen and Todd Cerney, and produced by Richie Zito.
Trixie Whitley is a Belgian American multi-instrumentalist. As the daughter of singer-songwriter Chris Whitley, she began her musical career playing with her father, and recording on several of his albums. Whitley has released three solo EPs, is a member of Black Dub, and was the vocalist on their self-titled debut album.
What Normal Was is a solo studio album by Billy Howerdel, guitarist of A Perfect Circle. The album is his first to be directly released under his own name, and his second solo album overall, after releasing his prior album, Keep Telling Myself It's Alright (2008), under the pseudonym Ashes Divide 14 years prior.
Dougie Bowne is an American musician, producer and composer.