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.
Bonfire
Lamb Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When life just seems to be the conspiracy against you
I don't know where the answers lie
But I try not to get hung up on the questions
I burn like a good bonfire
In whatever I do
I burn like a good bonfire
The time is long overdue for us
As cleaving all of our souls
We all get so complicated in our lives
When walking just walk, when sitting just sit when being just be
Above all don't stray from your chosen path
Burn like a good bonfire
In whatever you do
Burn like a good bonfire
And I know you'll come through
Burn like a good bonfire
In whatever you do
Burn like a good bonfire
And may peace come to you
The time is long overdue for us cleaving all of our souls
We all get so complicated in our lives
Burn like a good bonfire
In whatever you do
Just burn like a good bonfire
And I know you'll come through
Burn like a good bonfire
In whatever you do
Burn like a good bonfire
And may strength flow through you
In the song "Bonfire," Lamb seems to be addressing the struggles and difficulties of life, acknowledging that sometimes it feels like everything is working against us. Despite this, Lamb encourages listeners to keep pushing forward and to “burn like a good bonfire” in all that they do. The metaphor of the bonfire suggests a strong and steady source of burning, something that can withstand wind and rain and still burn bright. The song suggests that we can be like that bonfire, burning steadily in the face of adversity.
Lamb also acknowledges the complexity of our lives, saying that we can "get so complicated" that we forget how to simply be. The lyrics encourage listeners to focus on the present moment and to stay true to their chosen path. The repetition of the phrase "burn like a good bonfire" is meant to drive home the idea that we can overcome the challenges we face through perseverance and strength.
Overall, the lyrics are a call to action, an encouragement to keep fighting and to keep burning bright, even when things get tough. The song's message is one that many listeners can relate to, and the use of the bonfire metaphor is a powerful and memorable way to convey that message.
Line by Line Meaning
Have you ever wondered why those days exist
Have you ever found yourself feeling like the world is against you?
When life just seems to be the conspiracy against you
When every challenge feels like it's specifically designed to make your life harder.
I don't know where the answers lie
I may not know the solutions to these problems.
But I try not to get hung up on the questions
But I try to focus on moving forward instead of dwelling on my problems.
I burn like a good bonfire
I am passionate and dedicated in everything I do.
In whatever I do
No matter what I choose to focus on or pursue.
And I know I'll come through
I am confident that I will be successful in the end.
The time is long overdue for us
It is time for all of us to make a change.
As cleaving all of our souls
We need to focus on healing and repairing our damaged souls.
We all get so complicated in our lives
We all have a tendency to overthink and overcomplicate things.
When walking just walk, when sitting just sit when being just be
Sometimes, we just need to simplify our lives and focus on the present moment.
Above all don't stray from your chosen path
Above all, don't forget your purpose and stay true to yourself.
And may peace come to you
And may you find inner peace and contentment in your life.
In whatever you do
No matter what path you choose in life.
And I know you'll come through
And I am confident that you will find success and contentment in your life.
And may strength flow through you
And may you find the strength to overcome any challenges that come your way.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDREW JOHN BARLOW, LOUISE ANN RHODES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind