Christine Hanson's
The Cremation of Sam McGee
Christine emerged triumphant from a very long fistfight sporting a Pinteresque keeker applied in instalments during her formative years.
She then decided to build a cathedral and could have used film, paint or the printed word, but she chose music and went off with Sam McGee to fight amongst the Northern Lights.
She rose up twinkling from that scrap and her work is sublime.
These delights are the first of many from a great artist.
Michael Marra
Photo credit JProcktor
About Recording 'Sam'......
The recording of 'Sam' was a wee bit of lock in. The album was recorded in September 2005 at Watercolour Studios, Ardgour, which is in a fairly remote part of the West Highlands - across Loch Linnhe from Fort William.
My idea being that if we were surrounded by beautiful scenery, somewhat isolated, living and playing together, and not distracted by things like mobile phones and email, spontaneous and inspired music would happen.
Over four days the band and I - lived together, played music, and recorded everything. I wanted the recording of 'Sam' to be a performance, and as close in spirit to the original concert as possible.
The tracks that you hear on the finished album, we recorded during the small hours - sometime around 3am.
We were about to call it a night until, on a whim, we decided to go for one more take - it was magic. Something just clicked. We could all feel we'd captured something.....
When you are listening to Sam, images of the High Arctic and Northern Lights may float through your mind, but perhaps now you can also imagine the session where these eight talented and creative musicians and I recorded 'The Cremation of Sam McGee'. To them, I am grateful for their enthusiasm and intuitive work, which made this recording the way I always wanted it to be.
Enjoy...preferably late at night with headphones, and a dram of your favorite single malt.
xx Christine
