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Released 2006
I have mastered the album. I went there with my son Harley, Mike
Lindup and Susan Gluth who is the German woman who has been shooting a
documentary about me for the last two years. She spent the last few
days staying with us. I was working to the last minute with Count it
Off which has changed radically. It was great having Harley there with
me because we are very close. Mike is a very close friend and also has
very good ears for detail. I asked his advice a few times. There were
occasions when I had to tune certain tracks up as little is 0.7 of a
percent to match either the tune before or the one after any given
track. I didn't use a tuner for this record so there were a few tuning
issues. Mike has super sharp ears. The main determining factor with
the order for me was the contrast in keys. The second was the tempos
or feels. I have to listen to it one more time to approve the cut (as
they say). This will be the last time I hear it for a few weeks. Then
the studio will fed-ex it to the label in Germany and manufacturing
will begin. I need to make a couple of small adjustments to the
credits and off we go.
So that's it. I am signing off now. I would like to thank you for
making this journey with me. You have been wonderful companions. There
have been a few ups and downs but the experience has made me richer. I
have learnt a lot about my strengths and weaknesses (especially the
latter). I can still hear faults which I now accept will always be
there. But I am not perfect, nor ever will be. I am just trying to
improve as a musician and person. I believe I have made some progress.
Some might disagree. I think it's a question of acting one's age,
musically. If I were to try and reproduce anything I have done in the
past it would be comparable to a middle aged guy trying on an old pair
of jeans only to look ridiculous. I could never do an album like
'First Touch' again, nor would I ever want to. This album represents
where I am in the universe now and my take on life and music today.
Only time will tell if it is any good. No one has ever "got" any of my
albums right away and most people have said "it's not as good as the
last one". Those same people usually let me know they "get" it a year
or two later. Then I make another album and the same happens again.
This amuses me. I don't want you to get it right away. If you did I
don't think it would say much about the music. It's like making
friends. Some of my best friends were people I didn't understand from
the get go. They made me want to know them. I tried to find meaning
and a connection with them. We are friends for ever now. I sincerely
hope you can find a connection and meaning in this album, 'Fourth
Wall'. |
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REVIEW:
Dominic Miller became known as Sting's Guitarist. Apart from that he
has refined numerous albums of other artists, i.e. of Peter Gabriel or
Manu Dibango, and he always finds time again to bring out solo albums.
His fourth release with the matching title 'Fourth Wall' presents calm
and very atmospheric instrumental music; only a few times some singing
- or better: voices as a tone colour comes in. The mostly plucked
acoustic parts are accompanied by synthesizer fillings, some low
profile base and percussion. Miller plays very lyrical pieces, the
harmonies sometimes remind of his employer - and this maybe shows how
much he influences Sting's music. This man has got style, he
absolutely masters the acoustic guitar and impresses by the
combination of technical precision and musicality. For Miller it's all
about sounds and atmosphere.
Gitarre & Bass magazine
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REVIEW:
Seine Stärke ist seine Anpassungsfähigkeit. Der amerikanische
Gitarrist Dominic Miller ist ein Sideman, der nahezu jeden Bandsound
veredelt, weil er von Sting bis Pavarotti mit sicherem Gespür für die
ästhetischen Stärken eines Projektes die passenden Klänge auswählt.
Doch er hat auch eine Schwäche für sanfte und sentimentale Weisen, die
im Alltag des Rockpop-Betriebs häufig auf der Strecke bleiben. So
wundert es wenig, dass sich sein fünftes Album unter eigenem Namen,
Fourth Wall, zuweilen an der Grenze zum Kitsch, zur klingenden
Esoterik bewegt, ohne sie jedoch zu überschreiten. Unterstützt vom
Kollegen der Studiofraktion wie Mike Lindup (Level 42) oder dem
Armani-Bläser Chris Botti, flaniert er – bevorzugt mit der akustischen
Gitarre – durch die Gefilde anschmiegsamer, softjazzgetönter Melodien.
Das hat Charme und führt dazu, dass der Hörer sanft eingelullt die
Seele baumeln lassen kann. Wenn er nicht gleich ins Land der Träume
hinübergleitet.
Jazz Thing magazine |
