Their signature song is Gorecki, from their eponymous debut album and it was inspired by Henryk Górecki's Third Symphony, the Symphony of Sorrowful Songs. Other essential songs are Cotton Wool, God Bless, B Line, Gabriel, Sweet, and Wonder.
To date, the band has released six studio albums: Lamb (1996), Fear of Fours (1999), What Sound (2001), Between Darkness And Wonder (2003), 5 (2011) and Backspace Unwind (2014). In 2003 they also issued a compilation entitled Best Kept Secrets.
In February 2005, Lamb announced that they would pursue their own solo projects, ending their collaboration for now. Their last concerts were in Paradiso, Amsterdam, and these shows appear in the DVD 'Lamb Live at the Paradiso' which was released in 2011.
Lou Rhodes released her first solo album Beloved One (2006) which received a Mercury nomination. This was followed by Bloom (2007), and One Good Thing (2010). Lou also branched out and became an author, with children's books The Phlunk (2013) and The Phlunk's Worldwide Symphony (2014 Strata Books).
Producer Andy Barlow focused on his band Hoof and a project called Luna Seeds with vocalist–songwriter Carrie Tree, and produced the Fink album Distance and Time. In 2013 Barlow's debut solo album as LOWB, Leap and the Net Will Appear was re-released on a new label, Distiller Records. Andy continued to work as a producer, working with Bristol band The Ramona Flowers on their album Dismantle and Rebuild (2014) which he also co-wrote. Most recently, he produced and mixed David Gray's new album Mutineers (2014).
The hiatus ended in 2009 when Lamb reunited and started performing again. Lamb returned to the studio the following year to record their fifth studio album 5 which was released in 2011. They also released their first live album in 2011 Live at Koko and the long-awaited DVD Lamb Lamb Live at the Paradiso.
In October 2014, the band released a new album Backspace Unwind, followed by a single 'We Fall in Love' (subsequently voted "Best Chillout/Lounge Track" at the International Dance Music Awards 2015). They began a tour in 2014 which included the UK and Europe. The tour continued into 2015 with shows and festivals in Australia, New Zealand and Europe.
There are other artists with the same name:
(2) A group formed by Barbara Mauritz and Bob Swanson in San Francisco in the late 1960s. This group disbanded in 1972. The minor San Francisco group Lamb tend to be remembered only for their appearance on the Fillmore: The Last Days concert album, where they were one of several non-star artists on a set dominated by bigger names like the Grateful Dead, Santana, and Boz Scaggs. The band did actually put out three albums in the early '70s, however, and were quite an interesting group. Not only were they not readily comparable to other acts on the San Francisco rock circuit, but it's debatable whether they could be fairly categorized as a rock band at all. Their music blended jazz, folk, singer/songwriter pop, gospel, and even some classical and avant-garde influences. Certainly the dominant figure was singer Barbara Mauritz, whose bluesy and earthy vocals had considerable resonance, but which could also traverse the band's frequently mystical, poetic lyrics with much delicacy and nuance. Reminiscent in spots of such varied artists as Tim Buckley, Judy Collins (in her art-song phase), David Ackles, and Savage Rose (in that band's most gospel-soaked period), their records were ultimately idiosyncratic enough to defy ready comparison to anyone. And they were, too, ultimately too inaccessible to make much commercial impact, despite plenty of tracks of considerable power, beauty, and enigma.
Lamb were formed by the duo of Texan singer Mauritz and multi-instrumentalist (though primarily guitarist) Bob Swanson. The two (writing both separately and together) was responsible for the band's material. They attracted attention in San Francisco when they opened for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young for a few nights at Winterland in November 1969. Impresario Bill Graham became their manager, and producer David Rubinson, who had worked with notable groups such as Santana and Moby Grape, acted in that capacity for their first record. Their debut album on the Fillmore label, A Sign of Change, was perhaps their most uncompromising and experimental, relying largely on jazz-folk acoustic arrangements and spotlighting Mauritz's impressive voice on impressionistic, dream-like lyrics. They moved over to Warner Bros (while retaining Rubinson as executive producer) for the follow-up, Cross Between, which moved toward slightly more mainstream rock arrangements and a more pronounced gospel feel on several tracks. Yet others were throwbacks to the first album in their obscure but enchanting poesy, sometimes owing more to a classical-influenced art song tradition than conventional pop music.
Lamb went yet further toward gospel-rockish material on their third and final album, Bring Out the Sun, which was their most mainstream outing, though hardly mainstream overall, with a couple of tracks again giving vent to their more experimental jazz-folk-classical side. The LP was co-billed to Lamb and Barbara Mauritz, though Swanson was still involved as a composer and instrumentalist on much of the material. Whether or not this co-billing was intended as a transition from Lamb to a solo career, Mauritz was soon recording as a solo, putting out Music Box for Columbia. Her solo career didn't take off, however, although she continued to perform and write (composing the music for many commercials). In the mid-'80s, Bob Swanson returned full-time to photography. The Lamb founded by Swanson and Mauritz, incidentally, had no relation to either the Christian rock band Lamb that began to record later in the '70s, or the drum'n'bass duo Lamb that began recording in the late '90s.
(3) A demoscene musician, active from early 1990s till early 2000s, known for composing many chiptunes, as well as themed collection-album called Autumn Leaf.
(4) A messianic Jewish pop music group formed in 1972 by Joel Chernoff and Rick "Levi" Coghill. This group has recorded as recently as 2005 (with Ted Pearce replacing Rick Coghill).
(5) A Japanese duo from Tokyo, formed in 1999. Kudo sings, Nakamura does everything else. They make pretty, light-hearted, chilled-out pop.
(6) A Japanese rockband who regularly do shows in Tokyo, Japan. They're known for their melodic, emotional, and exciting sound with twin guitars, and bass and drums. Lamb's music has taken on elements from post-rock, math-rock, and pop.
Their first EP, MEME, was released in April of 2020.
Gabriel
Lamb Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I want his wings
I can shine even in the darkness
But I crave the light that he brings
Revel in the songs that he sings
My angel Gabriel
I can love
But I need his heart
I am strong even on my own
But from him I never want to part
He's been there since the very start
My angel Gabriel
My angel Gabriel
Bless the day he came to be
Angel's wings carried him to me
Heavenly
I can fly
But I want his wings
I can shine even in the darkness
But I crave the light that he brings
Revel in the songs that he sings
My angel Gabriel
My angel Gabriel
My angel Gabriel
The lyrics of Lamb's song Gabriel are a beautifully poetic representation of the human condition. The singer of the song speaks of their own inherent capabilities - the ability to fly and shine even in the darkness. But even with these abilities, they cannot help but desire more. They want the light that Gabriel brings, and the songs he sings. The love they have within themselves is not enough; they need Gabriel's heart. It's a classic representation of the human longing for something greater than themselves, and the desire for someone who can provide that for them.
The choice of the name Gabriel for the object of the singer's desire is also significant. In Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is one of the archangels who is seen as a messenger from God. By using the name Gabriel, the song is suggesting that the singer's desire is not just for earthly pleasures, but for an otherworldly connection. This adds an element of spirituality to the song, and suggests a higher level of longing.
Line by Line Meaning
I can fly
I possess the ability to fly
But I want his wings
I desire to have the same level of freedom and power that he has
I can shine even in the darkness
I am capable of being a source of light and hope even in the bleakest situations
But I crave the light that he brings
I long for the enlightenment and positivity that he embodies
Revel in the songs that he sings
I delight in the inspiring and uplifting sentiments expressed in the music that he creates
My angel Gabriel
He is my guardian and protector, sent to guide me and keep me safe
I can love
I possess the capacity to give and receive love
But I need his heart
I require his unique brand of love and affection to feel complete
I am strong even on my own
I have developed the resilience and fortitude to face challenges and overcome obstacles independently
But from him I never want to part
I cannot bear the thought of living without him by my side
He's been there since the very start
He has been with me since the beginning, offering his unwavering support and loyalty
Bless the day he came to be
I am grateful for the moment when he was first born into existence
Angel's wings carried him to me
He was brought to me in a way that is both mystical and magical
Heavenly
He is divine, otherworldly, and beyond mortal comprehension
My angel Gabriel
He is my cherished guardian and confidant, always looking out for my well-being
Lyrics © WARP MUSIC LIMITED, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Louise Ann Rhodes, Andrew John Barlow, Guy Sigsworth
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind