I found myself back in New Orleans for the third time in as many years. With a town so rich in musical history, I find this place incredibly inspirational. I have mentioned some of the other musical highlights of this city in my other posts. This trip I had a different mission in mind, one that I would have explored sooner had I known the history.
This trip my modus operandi was to visit a mansion on the edge of the French Quarter. Built in 1848, The Kingsway, as the property is known, has been owned by all manner of local characters, but in the 90’s it was perhaps the most prolific recording studios in the world. Owned and operated by esteemed producer Daniel Lanois (a fellow Canadian) some of my favorite acts of all time recorded at this studio. The likes of U2, Bob Dylan and Pearl Jam all flocked here to record at some point.
As much as I love the aforementioned artists, they’re not the reason I walked across the French Quarter this morning. No, the reason I woke up and walked from Canal Street to Esplanade is because this mansion is the birth place of two of my all-time favorite albums, Road Apples and Day for Night by the Tragically “Mother Fucking” Hip. The band has stated that the energy of city could be heard in the up-tempo songs of Road Apples and I can’t help but feel some of the grittiness of the city in Day for Night.
To paraphrase an anecdote from the band, upon arriving to record in New Orleans the first time, the bands’ driver was doing his best to give dining recommendations and happened to mention one of the best chicken places in town. Before they parted, he provided them one piece of valuable advice…“eat that chicken slow, it’s full of all them little bones.”
At some point, Mr. Lanois decided to put a pool table on the main floor to occupy bands during their downtime. It was here that The Hip learned that if you’re going to shoot pool in a city with the humidity of New Orleans, “you better butter your cue finger up.”
