Chris Madsen – In Black and White


Great private press from Vancouver, BC featuring one-half dark, haunted ssw moves with reverberated vocals, these songs being the best on the LP. Chris has a deep voice which must issue some sort of web as you are drawn to listen to him sing as he covers topics like nature, love and loss. The other half of the LP contains solo guitar that, while played skilfully, pails in comparison to the songs with vocals (in my opinion). Released independently in 1983, though many of the songs were composed earlier.

Sometime after 1980 Chris spent a winter in a Tipi and wrote many of the songs. Afterwards he played the coffee house circuit and eventually drummed up enough cash to press up the album himself. True to his acoustic convictions the album retains his minimalist approach and doesn’t suffer from it. Even the reverberation was done using a real reverb plate. No digital effects here. To this day Chris has made a living from playing and creating acoustic music. See the link below to visit his website.

LISTEN: Chris Madsen Clips

VISIT: Chris Madsen’s website

chris madsen - back

5 Comments

  • Checked out the clips now, sounds like the real deal for loner/downer dudes… tormented nocturnal vibes…

  • kidinquisitive says:

    Awesome album! Thanks for the heads up Canonical.

  • Chris Madsen says:

    There is a Master Artist from whom all song from other artists is drawn. These songs were drawn from the well of the Master Artist through meditation and a life dedicated to hearing these ‘songs’. It is now 30 plus years since I put out this particular album and after all these years am grateful that even then through the stillness I heard and then played these songs. Namaste, Chris madsen

  • Chris Madsen says:

    I’m thankful my earliest work is here online. It was the first vinyl album I did back before we even knew what a CD was. 12 albums and decades later I still would not have changed much on this Album except perhaps had a little less reverb. reverb was fashionable for awhile for acoustic solo guitarists. Chris Madsen http://www.chrismadsen.com

  • Get real says:

    So not impressed with this album. Sounds of tortured man who never got over the stuff of his past and hurts people because of it. Patrick Lama ssid it right loner/downer vibes here. Depressing album. His comments here too are eslf serving and egotistical, I mean common who is so full of himself as an artist that he would actually write comments on his own work. Obviously a man who needs to pump himself up because he so is not that great as an artist. There are much better artists out there. I so would not recommend this at all.

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