Michael Landau

Michael Christopher Landau (born June 1, 1958) is an American musician, audio engineer, and record producer. He is a session musician and guitarist who has played on many albums since the early 1980s with Boz Scaggs, Minoru Niihara, Joni Mitchell, Rod Stewart, Seal, Michael Jackson, James Taylor, Helen Watson, Luis Miguel, Richard Marx, Steve Perry, Pink Floyd, Phil Collins on "Two Hearts" and "Loco in Acapulco", Roger Daltrey, Stevie Nicks, Glenn Frey, Eros Ramazzotti, Whitney Houston, and Miles Davis. Landau, along with fellow session guitarists Dean Parks, Steve Lukather, Michael Thompson and Dann Huff, played on many of the major label releases recorded in Los Angeles from the 1980s–1990s. He has released music with several record labels, including Ulftone Music and Tone Center Records, a member of Shrapnel Label Group.

In addition to his session work, Landau has led several bands, including Raging Honkies and Burning Water. In the early 1980s, he was in the band Maxus with Robbie Buchanan, Mark Leonard, Jay Gruska, and Doane Perry.

Biography

Landau was born and raised in Los Angeles, California.

At age 19, he was touring the globe with Boz Scaggs, and the following year, he began performing in studios on the recommendation of his friend Steve Lukather.

Landau cites influences including the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Cream, the Band, Weather Report, Pat Martino, and Jaco Pastorius.

Landau has a signature single coil guitar pickup with Suhr Guitars called the 'ML.' In 2013, Fender announced that they would be collaborating with Landau on a signature Stratocaster. In 2015, Fender released the Michael Landau Signature amplifier, a modified version of Hot Rod DeVille III.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Landau used a rack switching system made by Bob Bradshaw of Custom Audio Electronics. Other notable users of such systems were Steve Lukather and Eddie Van Halen.

Discography

Solo releases

• Tales from the Bulge (1990)
• The Star Spangled Banner (2001)
• Michael Landau Live 2000 (2001)
• The Michael Landau Group-Live (2006)
• Organic Instrumentals (2015)
• Rock Bottom (2018)
• Liquid Quartet Live (2020)

With Blue Horn

• Noise for Neighbors (2000)

With Renegade Creation

• Renegade Creation (2010)
• Bullet (2012)

With Hazey Jane

• Holy Ghost (2009)

With Stolen Fish

• Give Me A Ride (1999)
• Like I Said (2001)

With the Raging Honkies

• We Are The Best Band (1994)
• Boner (1996)

With Burning Water

• Burning Water (1991)
• Mood Elevator (1992)
• Live And Lit (1993)
• Abbandonato (1994)

With Rita Lee

• Bom Bom (1983)

With James Taylor

With Michael Bolton

• Soul Provider (1989)
• Time, Love & Tenderness (1991)
• Timeless: The Classics (1992)
• The One Thing (1993)
• All That Matters (1997)
• Only a Woman Like You (2002)

With Richard Marx

With Barry Manilow

• Barry (1980)
• Manilow (1985)

With Kenny Rogers

• Once Upon a Christmas, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton (1984)
• What About Me? (1984)
• The Heart of the Matter (1985)
• They Don't Make Them Like They Used To (1986)

With Tim McGraw

With Laura Branigan

• Branigan (1982)
• Branigan 2 (1983)
• Self Control (1984)
• Hold Me (1985)
• Touch (1987)

With Joni Mitchell

• Wild Things Run Fast (1982)
• Dog Eat Dog (1985)
• Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm (1988)
• Night Ride Home (1991)
• Turbulent Indigo (1994)
• Taming the Tiger (1998)

With Sheena Easton

• Best Kept Secret (1983)
• A Private Heaven (1984)
• My Cherie (1995)

With Faith Hill

• Breathe (1999)
• Cry (2002)
• The Rest of Our Life, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw (2017)

With Luis Miguel

• Aries (1993)
• Nada Es Igual (1996)
• Amarte Es Un Placer (1999)
• Mis Romances (2001)
• 33 (2003)

With Mari Hamada

With Miho Nakayama

• Wagamama na Actress (1993)
• Mid Blue (1995)

With others