Pretty sure Nels is playing the solo on this

[jff]

Lee Ranaldo's new video, solo starts at 1:30:

 

http://stereogum.com/988162/lee-ranaldo-angles-video/video/

[calvino]

Looks like it's a good one - great, great line-up. Below is the DMG writeup. Looks like Nels plays lead throughout.

 

LEE RANALDO With NELS CLINE/ALAN LICHT/JOHN MEDESKI/STEVE SHELLEY/JIM

O'ROURKE et al - Between The Times And The Tides (Matador 10980; USA)

2012 solo album from the Sonic Youth guitarist. Recorded with

long-standing Sonic Youth producer John Agnello, the album is a

shimmering and melodic tapestry of Rock sounds. Ranaldo's trademark

alternate-tuning guitar work is at the forefront, but it is amplified

by brilliant leadwork from Wilco's Nels Cline on every track. The

all-star lineup also includes Sonic Youth's Steve Shelley on drums,

Alan Licht on guitar, and John Medeski on keyboards. There are also

cameos from original Sonic Youth drummer Bob Bert and Jim O'Rourke.

"With the dreamy, brooding quality to songs like "Mote," "Hey Joni,"

and "Wish Fulfillment," Lee Ranaldo could be seen as the George

Harrison of Sonic Youth, offering a more lyrical contrast to the

blunter and more abstract approaches of Thurston Moore and Kim

Gordon. On his solo album Between the Times and the Tides, he expands

on those qualities in his music and reveals new ones, inviting

friends including Alan Licht, Steve Shelley, Jim O'Rourke, and Nels

Cline along to help. Some of these songs could have been fine

additions to a Sonic Youth album, particularly "Xtina as I Knew Her"

which, with its expansive swath and dark, dissonant solos swirling

around the plainspoken clarity of his vocals, comes the closest to

Ranaldo's work with the band. Meanwhile, his unabashed romanticism

continues with "Stranded," where he sighs over pedal steel, "I long

for your lips" -- something that Kim Gordon or Thurston Moore

probably wouldn't pull off or even attempt. Like any good solo album,

this one shows off Ranaldo's different aspects, but he arguably goes

even farther afield of his prescribed role in Sonic Youth than his

bandmates do in many of their extracurricular projects. Between the

Times and the Tides displays a strong and surprising classic rock

streak: "Waiting on a Dream" begins the album with a darkly trippy

raga complete with backward guitars and tablas that evokes the

Stones' "Paint it Black," while "Tomorrow Never Comes"' tumbling

rhythm and eloquent solos feel akin to the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never

Knows." Ranaldo gets downright hippie-ish, in a good way, on the

psychedelic "Angles" and "Shouts," which pairs violent words with a

hypnotic melody and a spoken word description of a riot that feels

like '60s, '90s, and 2010s protests layered atop each other. Between

the Times and the Tides also reveals that he can write a

straightforward pop song just as well, if not better, than

songwriters who aren't from his avant/experimental background. "Off

the Wall" is one such gorgeous standout, with carefully crafted

lyrics that don't detract from its endearing melody; "Lost" is

another, and another example of the poetic empathy that sets his

songwriting apart. Ranaldo ventures even farther on the folksy

"Hammer Blows" and "Fire Island (Phases)" a suite of psych-rock,

country-rock, and swooning soft rock miniatures, and sounds just as

comfortable on both tracks as he does on the album's more expected

territory. Though a question mark hung over Sonic Youth's future at

the the time of its release, Between the Times and the Tides cements

Ranaldo's role as a dreamer and poet who can remain true to himself

and reveal new things at the same time." ~ Heather Phares

[jff]

Wow, that sounds good. Might turn out to be the best SY solo album.

[dark]

Like it, most definitley Nels .. the drummer Steve Shelley is from my hometown and I worked with his dad

[calvino]

Shelley is a great drummer - I talked to him for a bit before an outdoor show in St. Louis, very personable, nice guy.

 

Definitely going to get this release.

[rwilson580]

Have we heard any comments from Nels about Ranaldo opening for the band this summer? I would assume we'd see him joining Ranaldo on stage for some of the songs from his last album. Has anyone seen any chatter about that? Will we be getting a double dose of Nels at these shows?

 

Sorry if this has already been discussed somewhere...I'm not finding it....

[calvino]

I ordered this release from Matador this past Monday - hoping to receive it, soon. A Renaldo/Wilco bill sounds great.

[rwilson580]

As a long time Sonic Youth fan, I've always found Lee's songs a nice change of pace on the predominantly Thurston/Kim albums. I think I may have to spring for this album before the Cooperstown show, too.

[crzydiamond]

I'm a big fan of lee's stuff as well, and this album is very good. I highly recommend it. Lyricly, it is lacking on some songs, but musically very good.

[JAK2112]

I don't think that solo could have belonged to anyone but Nels

[Magnetized]

I just bought this CD yesterday and have only listened to it once, but I really, really like it and I think it's going to hold up well. I figured since I was going to be seeing them multiple times in the next few months, it would enhance my enjoyment to get familiar with the music. Now I've got one more thing to be excited about! And yeah, I'll be stunned if Nels doesn't come out for a song or two on tour.