Ian Tyson recordings

Subject: Ian Tyson recordings
From: Wesley S
Date: 04 Jun 08 - 04:29 PM

Ian Tyson has dropped below my radar since his Ian and Sylvia days on Vanguard Records. I've got a feeling that I should be listening to his music. Where would you suggest I get started? Are any of his recordings "unplugged" so to speak? I prefer minimal production values whenever possible. I'd prefer a few acoustic intruments over a full band treatment anyday. Do any of his recording fit that description?

Subject: RE: Ian Tyson recordings
From: Roger in Baltimore
Date: 04 Jun 08 - 05:14 PM

Wesley,

Go to Amazon.com (there is a link at the mudcat home page) and search for Ian Tyson. He has quite a few albums/CD's. I do not know the content of any of them, but it would be a good place to start. There are reviews that might help you with the content. P.S. If you order through the Mudcat link, the Mudcat gets a small cut of any purchase you make.

Big RiB

Subject: RE: Ian Tyson recordings
From: Def Shepard
Date: 04 Jun 08 - 05:18 PM

Hope this is helpful

Ian Tyson Discography

Subject: RE: Ian Tyson recordings
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 04 Jun 08 - 05:18 PM

He has a website at www.iantyson.com

He has not been as publicized as Gordon Lightfoot, but he has more of the Canadian plains cowboy in him and in his music. I cannot imagine him getting caught up in the overdone studio-driven sound.

Subject: RE: Ian Tyson recordings
From: Joe Offer
Date: 04 Jun 08 - 05:24 PM

Hi, Wesley -
Yes, you've missed some good music. Take a trip to Ian's Website, http://www.iantyson.com/, to see what he's been doing.
Since he split from Sylvia, Ian Tyson has written and recorded a lot of cowboy songs - not traditional cowboy songs, but good songs that are in a traditional style. I think you'll like them.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Ian Tyson recordings
From: Def Shepard
Date: 04 Jun 08 - 05:33 PM

The discography is actually on Ian Tyson's official website :-D

Subject: RE: Ian Tyson recordings
From: pdq
Date: 04 Jun 08 - 05:47 PM

The most acoustic record from his "goodn's" is "Old Corrals and Sagebrush" which has a lot of nice "doghouse bass" work.

Everything he did since "One Jump Ahead of the Devil" is worth owning.

I have had good luck loaning people "Eighteen Inches of Rain" which may be his most accessible effort, at least to the general Country Music public, although one person I loaned it to couldn't get past the "yodeling" on the first song.

"I Outgrew the Wagon" is recorded in Canada and has a nice acoustic guitar player, but most of his work is really straight Country. It just happens to be of superior quality and good taste.

Subject: RE: Ian Tyson recordings
From: Def Shepard
Date: 04 Jun 08 - 05:51 PM

For me, the title and the music on Cowboyography sum up what Ian Tyson is all about.

Subject: RE: Ian Tyson recordings
From: SouthernCelt
Date: 04 Jun 08 - 07:36 PM

For me, Ole Ian is "da man" when it comes to Western music -- not C & W like they make today but WESTERN meaning COWBOY music. He is the only artist in any performance field that I've joined a fan club for.

Although "18 Inches of Rain" is probably his most "produced" album since he recorded it in Nashville and there are some studio musicians instead of his cadre of Canadian friends playing the accent instruments, e.g., fiddle, I like it best of all the albums. I think the somewhat eclectic mix of musical styles and subjects include some of his best material. Heck it don't get no better than "MC Horses"! Second to me is probably his somewhat long album "Old Corrals and Sagebrush and Other Cowboy Culture Classics" probably because it's a mix of his material and traditional or otherwise old cowboys songs. His last album "Songs from the Gravel Road" is probably my least favorite since he gets a bit away from the cowboy style and throws in a little jazz. "One Jump Ahead of the Devil" was sort of the culminating effort in his brief foray into country-rock. Although the material on that one isn't bad, I didn't care for the sound mix and other production touches; to me it sounds muddy on most every song.

I think I now have everything Ian has ever done except possibly a couple of the special issue collections that are nothing more that mixes of material from the other albums. That includes all Ian and Sylvia and Ian solo. When I occasionally perform songs for small groups, I always throw in a few I&S or Ian cowboy songs unless the event is specific to another musical genre, eg Celtic.

So my recommendation is if you liked Ian's work with Sylvia, you should like most of his solo work.

SC

Subject: RE: Ian Tyson recordings
From: GUEST,Bernie
Date: 04 Jun 08 - 10:32 PM

I think "Live at Longview" would be your best choice if you prefer a relatively stripped-down sound....just Ian on rythym acoustic,one lead acoustic,a bass player....there's fiddle on one or two cuts,drums on only a few,trumpet on one....but it's the most acoustic of all his solo recordings,and I think I have them all...it was done in 2002 in his hometown, before a hall full of hardcore and knowledgeable fans...songs are:

Najavo Rug/Old corrals and sagebrush/Desert motel/I outgrew the wagon/Jerry Ambler/Sorta'together/Fifty years ago/Someday soon/Smugglers cove/Casey Tibbs/Blue Moon/Somewhere in the Rubies/M.C.Horses/Horsethief moon/Little High plains town/Bob Fudge/Magpie....

Many of us regard him as Canada's greatest songwriter,in that he can write a heartbreaking love song along with intelligent songs about the cowboy and rancher's way of life;a life he sees slowly disappearing....those songs convey a sense of place in a particular part of Canada that most people here in the east know,or care,little about....hear him while you can....

Subject: RE: Ian Tyson recordings
From: open mike
Date: 05 Jun 08 - 02:15 AM

http://www.iantyson.com/
http://www.iantyson.com/pages/discography.asp
cowboyography is a classic

Subject: RE: Ian Tyson recordings
From: Wesley S
Date: 05 Jun 08 - 03:43 PM

Thanks folks. Lots of good suggestions.

Subject: RE: Ian Tyson recordings
From: Def Shepard
Date: 05 Jun 08 - 04:17 PM

The American musician, Tom Russell, cites Ian Tyson as a huge influence, see Tom's Myspace for a quote

Subject: RE: Ian Tyson recordings
From: bankley
Date: 06 Jun 08 - 09:39 AM

Tom and Tyson write together when they have a chance, "Navaho Rug" being an example... Danny Greenspoon produced his last CD in Toronto about 2 years ago... haven't heard it yet... but Danny does fine work

Subject: RE: Ian Tyson recordings
From: GUEST,Kevin
Date: 21 Jan 10 - 09:45 AM

Just trying to find lyrics and chords for the tyson songs on the Live at Longview album, haven't had much luck, can anyone help? Thanks

Subject: RE: Ian Tyson recordings
From: open mike
Date: 21 Jan 10 - 12:02 PM

Ian often appears at Cowboy music and poetry festivals

this National Gathering is coming up next week in elko nevada
http://www.westernfolklife.org/