I saw Lucinda Williams in concert the other day. She is currently my favorite musician. She reminds me very much of Joni Mitchell. Curious if anyone has any input about this artist?

I know that song "Can't Let Go"! That's really it.

I love that song!

lucinda williams kicks ass... she is easy one of the greatest songwriters around today, and makes great kick-ass rootsy & gutsy music... which is especially wonderful at a time when everybody is trying to keep everything over-polished and ultra-pop...

i first became aware of her on the steve earle cd, "feel alright"... and i fell in love with her music when "car wheels on a gravel road" came out...

btw, wrong forum...

EllisDee said:

Well before they move it, recommend some albums! Cause God knows I never leave the GD!

2the9s said:

buy "car wheels on a gravel" road... very bluesy and rock & roll folk... like a southern female stones... kinda... in a way... i don't know what you'd call that... americana..? roots rock..?

EllisDee said:

Will do, Nu!

Never heard of her.

I saw her in Santa Fe...!!!


she is awsome... and her father is rather interesting as well... she has been entertaining since pre-teen.


YAHHHOOO SOMEONE ELSE THAT LIKES HER...


WAY COOL..!!!

:WORSHIP:

"essence" is a bit more uneven and polished than "car wheels," but it's worth it for the title track alone... of course, there's more great music on it that just the title track, it's just the title track is so kick ass that i end up jamming it over and over again... very sexy slow blues-rocker chick stuff...

Baby, sweet baby, you're my drug
Come on and let me taste your stuff

Baby, sweet baby, bring me your gift
What surprise you gonna hit me with

I am waiting here for more
I am waiting by your door
I am waiting on your back steps
I am waiting in my car
I am waiting at this bar
I am waiting for your essence

Baby, sweet baby, whisper my name
Shoot your love into my vein

Baby, sweet baby, kiss me hard
Make me wonder who's in charge

I am waiting here for more
I am waiting by your door
I am waiting on your back steps
I am waiting in my car
I am waiting at this bar
I am waiting for your essence

Baby, sweet baby, I wanna feel your breath
Even though you like to flirt with death

Baby, sweet baby, can't get enough
Please come find me and help me get fucked up

I am waiting here for more
I am waiting by your door
I am waiting on your back steps
I am waiting in my car
I am waiting at this bar
I am waiting for your essence

Your eseence
Your essence

2the9s said:

...

and for the record, anyone who likes lucinda williams should check out steve earle... his music is much more eclectic and politically motivated (very leftist), but they are rooted in the same basic styles... steve rocks a bit harder, though... he also co-produced "car wheels on a gravel road"...

EllisDee said:

I HAVE JUST ARRIVED AT BIZZARO WORLD



and tell me Dee do ya like Kev Mo

and for those who do not know Lucinda


Cortney Love tries to copy her TWANG

DORA said:

yes, but not as much as i used to... when keb mo first came out, i loved him... he was taking blues back to an old-school style... really old school... like 20s and 30s, when it was just a guy and his acoustic guitar...

but with each subsequent record, he has been moving closer and closer to pop... but still, he sings and plays with passion, so i gots respect for the man...

DORA said:

the main difference being that lucinda is much more authentic... and not to bash courtney, because i am a fan of hole, but lucinda could write rings around courtney... even on her worst day, lucinda is the superior songwriter... and she doesn't need tons of co-writers to help her out either...

EllisDee said:

i totally agree...


FOR GODS SAKE LUCINDA'S FATHER WAS A MAJOR AUTHOR...

he was into lit for years and would always critique what she wrote... she not only has the DNA but she has the discipline to weave lyrics

DORA said:

and you can tell that there's a lot of discipline and whatnot going into the making of her music, because she's not one to just throw albums together... she puts time into her albums, which is why she only releases one every 3 years or so... then again, it also means that her albums are a lot stronger and don't have so much filler on them...

people could learn a lot about making records from her... who gives a shit if you can put out an album a year, if they're only half good... put more time between making albums... i don't give a shit if means more space between albums... don't put the damn thing out until you've actually got an album's worth of good songs...

EllisDee said:

however... she does not have to "live" of her recording money either.. and she is her own tortured soul...


check out PERMANENT MIDNIGHT written by Jerry Stahl

I feel decent (but not great) at the moment, so
I just popped up out of my sickbed to say:

Lucinda is the bomb. Yo.

2the9s said:

car wheels on a gravel road is her most polished album. and probably the favorite of her fans. i really am in love with her new album, world without tears. it is much grittier, more raw, and i think it captures her emotion better than car wheels. essence is good too but not as good as the other two that i mentioned.

prince is my favorite and everything, but while at the concert, i was just thinking, boy i wish prince's new stuff had this much emotion/feeling. it was the best concert that i have been to in a long time. oh, i see dee, wrong forum. right. sorry y'all.
[This message was edited Fri Oct 24 21:11:00 PDT 2003 by SaintPauli]

You say there's always gonna be this thing
Between us days are filled with dreams
Scorpions crawl across my screen
Make their home beneath my skin
Underneath my dress stick their tongues
Bite through the flesh down to the bone
And I have been so fuckin' alone
Since those three days

Did you only want me for those three days?
Did you only need me for those three days?
Did you love me forever
just for those three days?

You built a nest inside my soul
You rest your head on leaves of gold
You managed to crawl inside my brain
You found a hole and in you came
You sleep like a baby breathing
Comfortably between truth and pain
But the truth is nothing's been the same
Since those three days

Did you only want me for those three days?
Did you only need me for those three days?
Did you love me forever
just for those three days?

You say there's always gonna be this thing
Between us days are filled with dreams
Scorpions crawl across my screen
Make their home beneath my skin
Underneath my dress stick their tongues
Bite through the flesh down to the bone
And I have been so fuckin' alone
You built a nest inside my soul
You rest your head on leaves of gold
You managed to crawl inside my brain
You found a hole and in you came
You sleep like a baby breathing
Comfortably between truth and pain
But the truth is nothing's been the same
Since those three days

Did you only want me for those three days?
Did you only need me for those three days?
Did you love me forever
just for those three days, baby?

Did you only want me for those three days?
Did you only need me for those three days?
Did you love me forever
just for those three days?

For those three days

For those three days

lucinda williams has been something of a revelation for me over the past couple of years as I have explored country/ roots/ americana music. she's one of the great artists of our time and the consistent quality of her music is rare indeed.

i think i would go with "car wheels on a gravel road". it's pretty much flawless: so elegant and beautiful music from start to finish.

lucinda really reaches inside herself when she creates her music. she has a wonderful voice, but most importantly she wraps her soul around her lyrics and her delivery. from that point of view i think her latest album is almost her best. it's probably a bit less 'perfect' and coherent than her previous releases but it has amazing rawness and honesty. it winds itself inside your skin subtly like an obsession. the opening track, 'fruits of my labour' is possibly her best ever vocal, and i also particularly like 'those three days'

definitely an artist of great integrity

Recently, it occurred to me that there are a number of similarities between Lucinda Williams and Prince. A few are:

their music mixes lust, love and spirituality
both write great lyrics
thay are sexy well into their 5th decade of life
both have powerful voices that convey naked emotion
their music is not easily fit into one specific genre, despite attempts in the public mind to do so (Prince=funk or R+B; Lucinda=country)

manage to borrow from others and then transform everything into a unique sound
control freaks in the studio
have prickly relationships with the "suits" at record labels
have ties to Minneapolis (I love her song by that name onher new CD)
both are spellbinding live performers

Right now, with 3 strong albums in the last 5 years, she's probably at a stage similar to that of "1999" in Prince's career, so if you can see her on the current tour, don't miss out

Lucinda is incredible. I own everything she's done and seen her twice live. There is no one like her. I do believe all her albums are must haves...

She along with Emmylou Harris were trailblazers in going against 'Nashville' standards and simply doing their own thing. Both are amazingly talented and have been influenced by too many styles to just stick to one.

Though they have guested on each others albums and on various projects...I hope for the day Lu and Emmy do an entire album (or live show) together!!!

I could die after that.

Favorite Lucinda quote from "I Lost It"..

I dont want anything...if I have to fake it...

peace

___

That's what I said in a previous post...

I recommend you buy all of her albums in the following order...

1-CAR WHEELS ON A GRAVEL ROAD (1998)-Her hailed 'masterpiece'...there are no words...just BUY it and listen from front to back...

2-WORLD WITHOUT TEARS (2003)-Her current classic...you probably heard most of this album played at the show...great album...showcasing alot of her bluesy side...recorded in a studio with a small audience witnessing in Silver Lake, CA

3-LUCINDA WILLIAMS (1988)-Before 'Car Wheels' there was this album re-issued on Koch Records...this amazing country album set the standard for female-driven country music of the late 80's/early '90's...just about every song on this album was covered by someone else...(you might remember Mary Chapin-Carpenter's remake of 'Passionate Kisses')...

4-ESSENCE (2001)-The mellow follow-up to 'Car Wheels'...very beautiful arrangements and tender ballads...partnered up with the sexually charged title track that gives me goosebumps!

5-RAMBLIN (1978)-Her debut...all accoustic blues covers inspired by or written by Robert Johnson. This is Lu's foundation ...

6-SWEET OLD WORLD (1992)- A great contemporary country album...great writing and one of the most romantic songs I've ever heard.."Something about What Happens When We Talk"

7-HAPPY WOMAN BLUES (1979)-After her debut of vintage blues covers...Lu returns with a similar album of original songs...an earlier version of 'I Lost It' (also on 'Car Wheels') is featured here...Check it out!

And there you are...Run dont walk to the nearest record store a begin your collection! Have fun!

Further listening w/Lucinda or her songs featured:

VARIOUS-Lucinda Williams: Artist's Choice-You can buy this at Starbucks...hear her favorite records!
EMMYLOU HARRIS-Wrecking Ball ('Sweet Old World')
MARY CHAPIN-CARPENTER-Come On Come On ('Passionate Kisses')
VARIOUS-Return of the Grevious Angel-Tribute to Gram Parsons-Lucinda sings the title track with David Crosby.