Solace

Solace
Studio album by Xavier Rudd
Released	March 28, 2004 (Australia)
Genre	Blues'nRoots Alternative
Label	Salt X Records/Universal Music Australia
Producer	Xavier Rudd, Todd Simko
Professional reviews
Allmusic link
Xavier Rudd chronology
Live at the Grid (2003) Solace (2004) Good Spirit (2005)

Solace is the fourth album from Australian roots musician Xavier Rudd released in Australia on March 28, 2004 and which debuted in the top twenty of the ARIA album chart on April 5, 2004. It is his first record distributed by a major label with distribution by Universal Music Australia. Solace's success earned Rudd two ARIA Music Awards nominations for Best Breakthrough Artist (album) and Best Blues and Roots Album at the 2005 ceremony, but lost to Jet's Get Born and John Butler Trio's Sunrise Over Sea, respectively.

Conception and production

The album was recorded entirely on his own featuring his guitar, several didgeridoos, a wooden box, an array of slide and acoustic guitars and percussion instruments. It was recorded in Vancouver. His personal friend and producer, Todd Simko, helped him through the recording.

Songs

The second song, "3 Degrees" is a short track about a time where Rudd describes an event that took place in Nashville, Tennessee. The ninth song, "A Fourth World," was played by Rudd in front of live crowd and told them he didn't have a name for it yet. After the show a fan went up to him and said he thought he had a good name for the song. He said "a fourth world" because there's a third world, but "there's also a fourth world where people who don't have an existence, who are sort of trapped."^[1]

The eleventh song, "No Woman No Cry", is a cover of Bob Marley's 1975 song. While on tour with Melissa Ferrick he was struck by her performance of "No Woman No Cry." He decided to record his own version that would recapture the melancholy he experienced from hearing Melissa's version. Two songs, "Shelter" and "Let Me Be," were released as singles in Australia.

Triple J Hottest 100, 2003 54#Let me be

Triple J Hottest 100, 2004 56#Shelter 59#Solace

Track listing

1. "Shelter" – 3:49
2. "3 Degrees" – 0:53
3. "Let Me Be" – 4:13
4. "Solace" – 5:01
5. "G.B.A." – 4:35
6. "In Transit" – 1:31
7. "Chances" – 3:42
8. "Journey Song" – 2:41
9. "A Fourth World" – 3:53
10. "Yirra-Kirl" – 1:30
11. "No Woman No Cry" – 4:24
12. "Partnership" – 5:15
13. "Silence" – 4:08
14. "Green Spandex" – 3:56

Personnel

• Xavier Rudd - Guitar, Harmonica, Drums, Vocals, Didjeridu, Bells, Slide Guitar, Djembe, Shaker, Slide Banjo, Aztec Drum, Guitar (12 String Electric), Stomp Box, Guitar (12 String Acoustic)
• Todd Simko - Banjo, Shaker, Omnichord

Production

External links

• Xavier Rudd home page
• Undercover review
• Xavier Rudd Article on Straight.com

References