In 1983, a man named Lewis recorded an album named L’Amour, which was released on the unknown label R.A.W. And that’s about all we know.
The record itself is a delicate, whispered album, reflecting the way the artist himself – spectral, movie star-like – almost disappears into the grey of the cover. It should come as no surprise that it failed to shout loudly enough to be noticed, another private press album that sank without trace.
The ingredients are simple: smooth synthesizers, feather-light piano, ethereal, occasionally inaudible vocals and the gentle plucking of acoustic guitars. But the effects are arresting: a spine-tingling, sombre album that echoes Springsteen’s Nebraska or Angelo Badalamenti’s atmospheric soundtracks. Later, Arthur Russell would grasp for something similar on the epochal World Of Echo LP.
L’Amour is a true discovery of the blog age, uncovered in an Edmonton flea-market by collector Jon Murphy, passed on to private press fanatic Aaron Levin, shared on the internet and speculated over by lovers of curious LPs. There’s almost no information about Lewis or the album on the internet. There’s precious little on the sleeve: a dedication to Sports Illustrated supermodel Christie Brinkley, a photo credit for Ed Colver, the noted L.A. punk rock photographer, and credits for engineer Bob Kinsey and synth player Philip Lees. All that was known of Lewis is conjecture: a rumor that he was a con artist who fled after not paying for L’Amour’s photo-shoot and a dubious theory that he was not actually of this earth.
When Light In The Attic looked to release the album, they set out to investigate the mystery. They found some answers, but more intrigue too. Colver was able to fill in some blanks. Firstly, Lewis is a pseudonym. The man the photographer met was named Randall Wulff. He stayed in the Beverley Hills Hilton, drove a white convertible Mercedes and dated a girl who looked like a model. He paid for his photo session with Colver with a $250 check, which bounced.
Eventually, the trail led to Alberta, Canada, where that first LP had been found. Liner notes writer Jack Fleischer along with master detective Markus Armstrong found Randall’s nephew, who remembered Randall as a stockbroker. His vague recollections include a visit to Randall’s apartment, with all-white furniture and that beautiful girlfriend in situ. Crucially, he offered another name – another of Randall’s pseudonyms – which led to a Vancouver studio and the revelation that Lewis had recorded three or four albums of “soft religious music” there. Alas, even the new nom de plume led only to dead ends.
Lewis remains a ghost, a total mystery, but the music will be heard. The album is being pressed for the first time in more than 30 years, and widely distributed for the first time ever. Lewis’s royalties will be placed in escrow until he makes himself known. Perhaps you know Lewis. Perhaps Lewis is you. The only certainty is this: Lewis is about to find a whole bunch of new fans.
The Path That Strays
Lewis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The opening line of Lewis's song The Path That Strays, "Chasing angels, you lose your way," sets the tone for the entire song. The singer starts off by exploring the idea of chasing after something higher, perhaps an ideal or a dream, but losing one's way in the process. The image of angels, typically seen as pure and holy beings, adds depth to the theme. The valley shadows that chase the singer represent the obstacles and hardships that come with pursuing something difficult or unattainable.
The singer then expresses a fear that the words lose meaning in this pursuit, suggesting that the journey may become disconnected from its original purpose. The verses that follow are full of vivid and abstract images, describing a chaotic scene where memories are fractured and scenes blur into each other. The use of violent imagery alongside "helium ease" highlights the idea of unpredictability and unbalance.
The second half of the song shifts towards a more introspective and reflective tone. The singer talks about overcoming the obstacles and finding meaning in the pieces left behind. Love and death are juxtaposed as two fundamental aspects of life, with order and line symbolizing the organized and structured side of things. The final line, "a little here, a little there," suggests that meaning can be found in snippets and fragments rather than in a complete whole.
Line by Line Meaning
Chasing angels, you lose your way, and through the valley shadows chase you.
By chasing perfection or idealized concepts, you can lose your sense of direction and find yourself in a place of darkness and uncertainty.
Here is where I fear the words lose meaning. This is where I fear the words, they leave me now.
In this place of confusion and disarray, communication becomes difficult and words fail to effectively convey the intended meaning.
Twisting scenes in and out of reach, blurring forms that bleed, melting into each.
The events or people encountered along the way are distorted, difficult to grasp, and seem to blend together.
Slow motion crash test, fractured memories, violence, all with helium ease...pieces. Pick up what you need.
Memories of the past resurface, bringing with them feelings of pain, destruction, and fragments of the self. The task at hand is to selectively learn from them and pick up what is needed for growth.
Overcome, spilling out and bursting at the seams. Spinning seconds, pick them up. Like dry leaves underneath your feet.
Despite the challenges faced, it is necessary to overcome difficulties and embrace the present moment with all its fleeting potential.
The ghost of a moon, shadows at your back. There you pause and hide underneath the leaves.
The past lingers and haunts, causing one to retreat and seek shelter in the present moment.
Branches broke and bleeding, birds that sing of feeling despite everything...pieces. Pick up what you need. Overcome, spilling out and bursting at the seams. Spinning seconds, pick them up, like dry leaves underneath your feet.
Despite the wounds inflicted by others or external circumstances, there is still beauty in emotion and the ability to heal. Continuously choose to learn from experiences, grow, and be present in life.
Love and death, a line on line, order on order, a little here, a little there.
Life is a delicate balance between experiencing love and life, and eventually, death. The journey is not straightforward and requires an acceptance of the ever-changing balance.
Contributed by Luke A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.