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John Lyle

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About Me

KNOWN CORNERS review-“This is superb poetry. But, better than that, these are beautiful lyrics, meeting all of the rhythmic and melodic demands of the fine music against which they are set. The styles are varied, but have one thing in common- passionate performance. There is folk, an Irish ballad, soul, roadhouse blues, grindhouse rock, an acoustic instrumental; all built around Lyle’s sure-footed guitar and soulful vocals. ‘Known Corners’ is an album about loss, acceptance of loss and getting back to what you had before you had anything. This beautifully sequenced cd is not kid’s stuff. If you listen to this in the car, be prepared to pull over.” - Warner Morgan.........Bio-Headed for a career as an English professor in the mid 1960’s, John Lyle was ‘broadsided’ by Bob Dylan and The Beatles. His degree went out the window, and so did he, playing in a series of bands and then performing on Canadian network television and radio as a solo act. He was also signed to two record labels during this era, but realized that because of his highly sensitive nature he was not cut out for the performing life. John returned to his home in the Vancouver area, and devoted himself to his family, supporting them with a career that may have been more dangerous than the perfomance stage. He became a postman. John Lyle’s wonderful body of work is evidence of a life lived on the streets and in the home, filled with all the love and loss and joy and despair that are part and parcel of being alive. The songs are vital, not written to imitate a commercial trend or to fulfil a contract, but to reflect the intensity of experience and to remain sane..........'John's songs are amazing!' Frazee Ford (The Be Good Tanyas)..........'We love John Lyle. We listen to him all the time.' The Sumner Brothers..........'There's lots of nice stuff on there!' Paul Rodgers (Bad Company; Free; Queen).........‘Magnificent!’ Robert Altman..........John Lyle will take you gently to your safe place, and then sneak up on you with a song as uncompromisingly ferocious as a grizzly in a maternity ward.’ Dennis Albo, in his reality novel ‘One Bullet Left'..........'The James Joyce of folk.' Heywood Banks.........'Super passionate stuff!' Mark Smith

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 3/5/2007
Band Website: cdbaby.com/all/johnlyle
Band Members: Mostly me on vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards and percussion, with sterling help through the years from virtuoso guitarist, writer, singer John Murray.Seven albums available on iTunes and CDBABY.COM -KNOWN CORNERS (2007) COOL FIRE (2005) DOWN THE ROAD AND FAR AWAY (2002) TOO LATE TO PANIC (2000) BEAUTY LOOKS AWAY (1995) HUMORS (1985) BOOTLEG POWERHEAD (1971) Plus two more that aren't yet available- ALMOST LIKE FATE (1998) HARD-COVER VIRGINS (1978)
Influences: STONES, BEATLES, DYLAN, BIBLE, SHAKESPEARE, COLE PORTER, IRVING BERLIN, FROST, AUDEN, FREDDIE GREEN, T. S. ELIOT, JAMES BURTON, JONI MITCHELL, NABOKOV,NISARGADATTA, JACKSON BROWNE, SHAWN COLVIN, DOSTOYEVSKY, JESSE COLIN YOUNG, MUDDY WATERS, ERIC CLAPTON, DION, JIM REEVES, RAMANA MAHARSHI, ROY ORBISON, LITTLE RICHARD, JOHNNY HORTON, PROUST, MARTY ROBBINS, FREUD, VINCE GILL, HENRY JAMES, ELVIS, CHUCK BERRY, HITCHCOCK, AMOS GARRET, JACK GALLAGHER, GLENN GOULD, RICKY NELSON, PRESTON STURGES, NEIL YOUNG, CARL JUNG, ARETHA, LEONARD COHEN, KRISHNAMURTI, LARRY DAVID, BRUCE COBURN, EAGLES, LOVIN’SPOONFUL, JOHN BRADSHAW, MISSISSIPPI JOHN HURT
Sounds Like: .
Record Label:
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

ANOTHER AWARD!

John has been awarded the JOHN LYLE PRESERVATION SOCIETY's meretricious achievement award. This award is presented bi-annually but has never been accepted by John who denies that his achievements are...
Posted by John Lyle on Mon, 22 Sep 2008 09:38:00 PST

The Walls Of Jericho remix

 One of my favorite new songs has been remixed by me. If I have another cd in me, and if cd's still exist when I get it together, this song will be on it. I realized the instruments needed som...
Posted by John Lyle on Sat, 23 Aug 2008 09:40:00 PST

Blasted In Hope

'Blasted In Hope'- A song I wrote in 1970, after spending months at university immersed in the French symbolists Baudelaire and Rimbaud. I didn't get an acceptable (to me) recording of the song unti...
Posted by John Lyle on Wed, 23 Jul 2008 08:56:00 PST

ANOTHER GOLDEN DREAM

ANOTHER GOLDEN DREAMA new song on an old theme- raging against the heavens. My sister says, 'why do you sound so calm?' Because that's how I feel.I got to put the Spanish troubadour three-quarter size...
Posted by John Lyle on Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:47:00 PST

MY MILK IS HOT AND READY

One of a number of songs written and recorded in the months following the 'death by suicide' of my step-daughter Kerrie, 'My Milk Is Hot And Ready' didn't find a spot on the resulting album 'Known Cor...
Posted by John Lyle on Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:58:00 PST

CLOSE YOUR EYES

Close Your EyesI've got a very old new song topping the list on my myspace hit parade. It's called 'Close Your Eyes' and was was co-written with John Murray who provided the beautiful melody and sens...
Posted by John Lyle on Mon, 09 Jun 2008 08:29:00 PST

SHAKE DOWN ON THE SHAKE-UP.

A shake down on the shake up on the Myspace player. Four different tunes have elbowed their way onto the team, with my two new recordings ABOVE THE RAIN and THEY STONED HER holding on to their roster...
Posted by John Lyle on Mon, 19 May 2008 03:55:00 PST

A CHANGE OF TUNES

A wholesale change on the Myspace player. I'm mixing things up with the very very old along with very new completed tracks for my next album.'Country Harvest Time' and 'The Camel's Back' are two of m...
Posted by John Lyle on Sun, 11 May 2008 09:19:00 PST

COOL FIRE

I have, with unusual difficulty, put up on the Myspace player six tunes from my 2005 cd COOL FIRE. This cd started out as a rounding up of some old melodies I had in my flaming youth been unable to w...
Posted by John Lyle on Thu, 10 Apr 2008 05:38:00 PST

SPRING IS UPON US

As we prepare to head out the door for two weeks in hopefully sunny Mexico, with the rain beating a relentless rhythm on our filthy skylites, I would like to share a verse I have yet to set to music. ...
Posted by John Lyle on Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:59:00 PST