Daniel Lanois
This esteemed producer rose to fame during the late '80s through his contribution to major releases by Peter Gabriel (SO) and U2 (THE UNFORGETTABLE FIRE and THE JOSHUA TREE). He subsequently produced Robbie Robertson, the widely-acclaimed ‘comeback’ album by the former leader of the Band, and in 1989 undertook a similar role on Bob Dylan's OH MERCY, widely-regarded as the artist's finest work in several years. Lanois's love of expansive, yet subtle sound, reminiscent of ‘new age’ styles, combines effectively with mature, traditional rock, as evinced on the artist's own album, ACADIE. Drawing inspiration from French-Canadian heritage—Daniel used both his native country's languages, sometimes within the same song—he created a haunting tapestry combining the jauntiness of New Orleans’ music with soundscaped instrumentals. Contributions by Brian Eno and the Neville Brothers, the latter of whom Lanois also produced, added further weight to this impressive collection. Lanois and Eno co-produced U2's two aforementioned multi-million selling studio albums and their combined influence has given the band's sound new dimensions.