The Unofficial Chris Thile Thread

[renaistre]

Anyone here LOVE this guy's music like I do? I think his album "Not All Who Wander Are Lost" is one of my all time favorites. In case you don't know who he is, he is also one of the members of Nickel Creek (more great music.)

He's kind of non-traditional by normal blugrass standards, but I think he'll go down as one of the greatest mandolin players ever. What do you all think?

 

[twosteppin]

Excellent Thread !! I wish a could give you 1000s of rep points for it!!
I love "not all who wonder are lost'" It is beatiful. I am a big fan of Nickel creek's self titled album. "Sweet Afton" is a lovely song. Chris sounds heavenly in it
he is a great mandolin player.

 

[renaistre]

Excellent Thread !! I wish a could give you 1000s of rep points for it!!
I love "not all who wonder are lost'" It is beatiful. I am a big fan of Nickel creek's self titled album. "Sweet Afton" is a lovely song. Chris sounds heavenly in it
he is a great mandolin player.

WOOOT!!! Well now there at least two of us.

The first two songs that hooked me on Nickel Creek were Ode to a Butterfly and Out of the Woods. Sweet Afton is very beautiful also. For some reason, no one else in my family likes the way Chris sings.

Have you heard any of Chris or Sean's other solo albums? I have seen them in the store, but I haven't heard them.

 

[twosteppin]

Ode to the butterfly is a cool song. I suppose Chris's voice may be an aquired taste..lol. However, It didnt sound to wonderful on the "this side" album.
I want to memorise sweet afton, not sure why. Probably cause its just beautiful. I haven't heard Chris or Seans other stuff. They are somewhere on my long list of cds I want. (but my birthday is coming up soon!!! )
Have you seen the lighthouses tale video. I really like it.

 

[renaistre]

No, I havn't seen the lighthouse video. I have just seen "The Smoothe Song" (which I liked) and "This Side" (which I didn't, just the video that is). I'll have to look for it on Yahoo.

Yes, Chris's vocals on "This Side" (the album) are kind of, *ahem*, different. But I actually do like most of them.

Come on people, where are the rest of you?

Maybe we're the only ones DMB233

 

[twosteppin]

Sigh...I know there is some Nickel Creek fans out there. Maybe in the secular forum...
The lighthouses tale video is pretty cute, I like "when you come back down"
It seems to be that on their second album, they were trying to get more "single" songs, that you can make a video too. But by trying to do that, they left out room for great music like in there first album
Songs like the fox, robin and marion.
"house of Tom Bombadil" is probably their coolest song

 

[renaistre]

I saw them perform live once, and "The Fox" was their best song of the night. They did all kinds of crazy stuff in the solos.

Maybe I should have put Nickel Creek in the title as well.

 

[twosteppin]

That might help, I'm not sure people would know that Chris is the dude from Nickel Creek

You got to see them live?? How cool. I can imagine how fun it must be with "the fox"

 

[renaistre]

I saw them for KZLA's "spring thing" concert last year here in Santa Clarita, CA. They were on right after Joe Nichols and right before SHeDAISY, so it wasn't a full concert, but it was great anyway.

Whoa, did you change your CF name or somthing? I was sure it was different before.

 

[twosteppin]

sounds cool! What is the name of their new project? I hear it is awesome (members of Nickel creek+other people)

I changed my username. it was dmb233

 

[dmiller]

Cris Thile's most awesome tune is Shadow Ridge.

Check it out on "Top of the Hill" -- a compilation of Sugar Hill's finest recording artists.

 

[ClementofRome]

Chris is a prodigy for sure and "may" be the best mandolin player alive today (with proper nods to Grisman, Bush, Steffy, Skaggs, etc etc etc). He is quite a technical player as well as an out and out jammer. I have a copy of Chris and Bela Fleck playing a 35 minute completely improvisational duet from the High Sierra Fest (I think) from a couple of years ago that is unreal. His duet work with Mike Marshall is also phemonenal.

As for Nickle Creek, they are fun, no doubt, but Chris is so far beyond Sara and Sean in shear instrumental talent that it is unbelievable (not criticizing Sara and Sean...they are good). Have you heard them do Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues"??? Blistering speed and Chris can really sing that crazy song too.

I have seen them a goodly number of times and they (NC or Chris with others) never dissappoint.

The newest thing is Mutual Admiration Society:

[font=Arial,Helvetica]Mutual Admiration Society is a collaboration between Glen Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket), Sara Watkins, Sean Watkins, and Chris Thile (Nickel Creek).

I have only heard a few cuts of off this Sugar Hill release and though I love NC have never been a Sprocket fan, so my opinion is probably not a good one. I am not caring for it very much. But I gotta say that these kids have ambition, guts and talent....so whatever they want to do is fine with me!

Great thread...sorry to have missed it earlier...computer problems.
[/font]

 

[renaistre]

Chris's latest is out now, called "Deceiver." I don't have it, but I listened to the previews on iTunes. Very interesting and different. They have it listed under "rock" which is also a surprise. If anyone has it already, let me know what you think.

 

[skinnerninner]

great thread! i love chris thile he is such a musical genius. he amazes me with every album. I started playing the mandolin because of him....and because its such a sweet instrument

 

[twosteppin]

cool! the madolin is a sweet instrument

 

[renaistre]

Chris is my brother's inspiration for mandolin as well. He just got "Stealing Second," Chris's second album from when he was 16. It's not quite as advanced as his later stuff, but you can tell that there is musical amaizingness going on there even back then.

 

[ClementofRome]

ditto on "Stealing"...it is the infancy of what may become the greatest mando player ever. I play mando myself a bit and I am aware of all of the greats of the instrument, but this guy is just another animal altogether.

 

[MQTA]

This is from Merlefest 2002

I haven't seen him perform in a few years now. Nickel Creek is awesome.

 

[renaistre]

Yup, that's him alright. A bit younger and with a different haircut perhaps.

The second picture isn't showing up for me. ARRRGGGG, IT'S THE RED X!

My little brother got Chris' instructional DVD for Christmas. We already watched most of it, and he plays solo versions of When Mandolins Dream, Ode to a Butterfly, and Raining at Sunset. Wow. That's about all I can think of to say.

Oh, and my sister got one of Sean Watkins' solo albums (can't remember the name). It sounds pretty darn good too.

 

[dmiller]

The 2nd pic shows Chris, and Doc Watson.