No it wasn't me, I do listen to Sheryl Crow but never got a similarity from this album. On this nomination I hated Lucinda's voice except in some of the choruses. It felt like a 45rpm being played at 33 to me.Lucinda Williams has a great unconventional voice. @Citizen of Legoland said that it sounded like Sheryl Crow and he’s on the money in terms of the voice, because she does sound very much like her on a lot of tracks.
Nope, sorry but so far it's not for me. I really wanted to like this but just found it all a bit dull, nothing grabbed me, all run of the mill stuff but then I'm no expert on this genre although I will listen to Sheryl Crowe (is that the same genre, I don't know?).
Yes, I know you said you didn't like it, but you did mention Sheryl Crow, although re-reading your comment I accept that you didn't say anything about a similarity in voices.No it wasn't me, I do listen to Sheryl Crow but never got a similarity from this album. On this nomination I hated Lucinda's voice except in some of the choruses. It felt like a 45rpm being played at 33 to me.
I thought she sounded like Nena on one of the tracks, 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten or was it Drunken Angel?Yes, I know you said you didn't like it, but you did mention Sheryl Crow, although re-reading your comment I accept that you didn't say anything about a similarity in voices.
But for me there is definitely a similarity in voices, particularly across the first 6 tracks.
Probably "Drunken Angel" re-listening to the two tracks, but then I've only heard one Nena song :)I thought she sounded like Nena on one of the tracks, 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten or was it Drunken Angel?
Fantastic review. I love the dobro too! I’ve been getting into more bluegrass as I’ve aged. Banjos are fun as well.Car Wheels on a Gravel Road – Lucinda Williams
In a previous review I mentioned “grit” and subsequently struggled to explain exactly what I meant. Well, this album has it in spades: an unconventional voice, rustic instruments that sound real, a well-produced album that doesn’t sound like it’s been over-produced and lyrics that talk of people and places that you can picture, or at least imagine.
I made so many notes whilst listening to this that I’d bore you all to tears if I wrote it all here, so I’ll just give you the highlights.
“Car Wheels on a Gravel Road” – fantastic - the mandolin after each chorus gives it a great feel.
“2 Kool 2 be 4-Gotten” - Despite the awful title and worse syntax this is a nice spritely/poppy number, giving a real flavour of the South with its mention of “taking up serpents”, june bugs and hurricanes.
“Can’t Let Go” – superb song and blues guitar, but it’s a pity that it’s a cover version. I always feel a little cheated when I love a song that I hear for the first time and then find out it’s not the artist’s own. However, it is a great performance and one cover in a collection of otherwise original songs is fair enough.
“Joy” – I love the vocals and guitars. Listen carefully at the start of the song – you can hear the dobro in the left speaker and the electric guitar on the right.
There are a few songs on here that on my first listen, I thought sounded “a bit too country” even for me. But I was wrong, even these songs are elevated by the accordion, the dobro, the mandolin, Lucinda Williams’ voice or some other element that makes you sit up and take notice.
There are so many things that I love about this album because it’s right up my street. I love albums that make good use of accordion, mandolin and what is probably my favourite instrument in music: the resonator/dobro. It’s such an amazing sound that I could listen to it all day. Added to this “sonic pallette” is the lyrics, which mention people, places, travel, geography – again, all things that I love about good songs.
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Lucinda Williams has a great unconventional voice. @Citizen of Legoland said that it sounded like Sheryl Crow and he’s on the money in terms of the voice, because she does sound very much like her on a lot of tracks.
Having Roy Bittan (Springsteen’s long-time piano player) play Hammond and accordion on the album is another plus, as is having the great Steve Earle producing.
At first, I was thinking an 8 or a 9 for this, but even the songs that I thought were weaker grabbed me on the second and third listens. If I was weighing this against the very best albums in my collection, this would probably still be a 9, but I don’t think anybody could nominate a better album I haven’t heard before, so for the purposes of this thread, for the first time, I’ll go the full 10/10.
Well done @bennyboy, a superb choice (chef’s kiss).
Glad you have come across so to speak Fog and speaking of your name I would be staggered if you haven't listened to The Foggy Mountain Boys.Fantastic review. I love the dobro too! I’ve been getting into more bluegrass as I’ve aged. Banjos are fun as well.
It’s somewhat bewildering how this record is so championed — top 100 all-time Rolling Stone, winner of the year’s Pazz & Jop poll, Grammy-winner, universally-acclaimed by nearly every critic as meaningful. But then again, it isn’t. What marks records like this as special is how it defies characterization, and even on this thread no one can decide if this is country or pop or maybe even roots rock or Mississippi blues. Hell, it won a Grammy for FOLK. The reality is it’s all these things.
While I might argue LW’s voice is too far forward in the production, I’m okay with that, because that’s the unifier of the disparate threads of the music. That and her lyrics, which no one has mentioned, which are filled with some terrific imagery about longing and even lust (for a country singer). It’s also at least as much of a sparkling travelogue as Joni Mitchell’s Hejira, though it probably helps that I’ve been nearly everywhere LW references (my Granny was from Thibodaux, Louisiana). So I can see why critics loved this — it’s the total package: fresh but steeped in roots music, its own animal, sing by a fiercely independent but also vulnerable artist. And the hooks. Did I mention the hooks?
There isn’t a clunker on this record save for maybe Greenville, which ain’t bad but moves too slowly and pedestrian-ly for me. It’s missing the unifying instrument here, which isn’t “a guitar in your hand” but percussive. The beat and snap of the drums sure aren’t folk, are too fast/slow for country, but go deeper than traditional rock or pop. You layer on a lot of great chords confidently played and mix in a variety of other instruments and some very pleasing harmonic fills and that’s a good recipe for music I like.
LW sounds like she’s singing from a deeper place than traditional country singers, as if she’s really working, and as if her heart really does ache physically. I believe her. I absolutely love the opener where she describes in great detail how she gets ready to go to bed . . . alone. I love the title track too, and Lake Charles could be recommended to Donald Fagen or Dolly Parton in equal measure. Special mention to Joy too (note: she will find no joy in Slidell — I’ve been there), which kicks quite a bit of ass, and also whichever of those tunes had the ZZ Top reference. And Jackson brings the travelogue and the longing together. A perfect closer.
After three plays, I still find little bits of beauty or fun I missed across nearly every tune. I could see myself swaying along and singing at a show with her, or at home on the sofa with a whiskey relaxing, or driving on a long straight highway. Multiple applications appeal to me too.
It’s fair criticism of me to say music criticism matters to me. I’ve gotten into plenty of music because I heard about it from critics first. But I’m no slave — I still think Pavement is crap, and I’m still convinced Bob Dylan is overrated. In this case, because it’s (heavy quotes) “country”, I never would have picked this up despite its acclaim were it not for @bennyboy and this thread. And as with The Drive-By Truckers, he’s done it again — another triumph.
As it’s not necessarily my style, it’s an 8.5, but also because it’s not my style, it’s a 9/10. A great listen!
I appreciate that. Thanks mate.I have to say, while I thought what I thought of the album itself, and while I can't 'agee' with any of the above, I genuinely did thoroughly enjoy reading your review, and what you made of it all. Without a hint of sarcasm btw, just to be clear.
I appreciate that. Thanks mate.
I read your review too and I can totally see where you are coming from. It probably helps me having a bit of affinity for country/western at pace as I do (fast, and slow and mournful — but not in the middle) and also a lot of familiarity with the places she refers too, and the roads that go between them. I don’t hear Rob’s “grit” so much either, but he picked up a lot of instrumental insertions that I missed (and has has more familiarity with them than I do).
I think for me it really came down to enjoying each song on its own merits, with what I thought was only one soft spot. Records don’t need to be complex musically nor deep lyrically for me to like them — if they’re consistent song-for-song (I.e. they have lotsa hooks) then to me that’s a hell of an accomplishment, and a record I’ll want to hear again.
But plenty of others don’t feel that way (Bill e.g.) and I understand that too.
I can only agree with all of this. I struggled to get through one listen but the more I tried the more I got annoyed. I just couldn't do full second listens of any of the songs, I just got nothing. Even some of the lyrics annoy me, "I'm like a fish out of water, a cat in a tree" it makes no sense, fish don't like being out of water but cats like being in trees, so what is it you're saying? I just don't understand the praise being heaped on it.Based on the last few bewilderingly glowing reviews, I gave it another listen. Forced myself to do it in one go as a whole. Thought, I really must be missing something here.
Tell you what, it was borderline painful.
I just hear none of what anyone is talking about, no transcending genres, no 'grit', (which I half thought I got what Rob meant by, now I think otherwise), no hidden vocal qualities, and no groundbreaking song structures. Even the lyrics are plain. Just drawn out two three-chord pop by numbers with a bit of a lazy drawl.
Of all the albums to date, this has the biggest struggle for me. To get through initially, but also to see anything in. With others, even when not for me, I could with a bit of an open mind see things in them. Whether it is the 'concept' behind Heijra, the cultural impact, the instumental skill, the song arrangements, or even just what it meant to someone else. With this one, I just don't get anything at all. Other than utter indifference at best, mild irritation at worst.
I had refrained from scoring it, for that reason. Thought because it would be my lowest yet, it possibly was unnecessary.
An absolute mind blowing mystery for me this, which has thrown the whole thread up into the air a bit. So at least that's one thing I can give it, it has led to some highly surprising reactions that have rocked the predictability on here, and brought a bit of that 'we can't all hear music the same way' to life.
Same for yours. I didn't expect you to score it that highly, but I'm glad that you did. Fantastic that you have some connection with all those places. I haven't, but as I've said before, my first love is music that comes from "the sources" - i.e. blues/folk/bluegrass/whatever and I love albums that mention places in general. Travelogues really work for me - I don't know why, but they do. I have always been interested in maps and geography, maybe that's why.Fantastic review. I love the dobro too! I’ve been getting into more bluegrass as I’ve aged. Banjos are fun as well.
There's definitely some truth in that. However, the first year I started buying music, I bought Bruce Hornsby's The Way It Is, which is generally a pop album, but it does feature some interesting instruments such as the hammered dulcimer and mandolin. A year later, I bought John Mellencamp's The Lonesome Jubilee (my first selection on here and my favourite album of all time), which features an incredible array of Appalachian instrumentation.One of the great things about music is that when you were in school growing up the things you would be chastised and bullied for listening to from your school " buddies " that you secretly enjoyed but wouldn't dare tell them you still played at home alone , become more acceptable to all and sundry with age and wisdom.
The bottom line is we can't all like the same thing. I could see why Lucinda Williams voice would put some people off. Is it just the voice you don't like or all the instruments as well? As noted in my review, I found thee delivery of some of the songs a bit slow and ponderous, but there was so much going on with the dobro, accordion and guitar that there was always something worth listening to on every track.Based on the last few bewilderingly glowing reviews, I gave it another listen. Forced myself to do it in one go as a whole. Thought, I really must be missing something here.
Tell you what, it was borderline painful.
I just hear none of what anyone is talking about, no transcending genres, no 'grit', (which I half thought I got what Rob meant by, now I think otherwise), no hidden vocal qualities, and no groundbreaking song structures. Even the lyrics are plain. Just drawn out two three-chord pop by numbers with a bit of a lazy drawl.
Don't worry - somebody will come along and nominate a punk/new wave/Manchester band and everybody will be fawning over it, and I won't see what you're all raving about :)I can only agree with all of this. I struggled to get through one listen but the more I tried the more I got annoyed. I just couldn't do full second listens of any of the songs, I just got nothing. Even some of the lyrics annoy me, "I'm like a fish out of water, a cat in a tree" it makes no sense, fish don't like being out of water but cats like being in trees, so what is it you're saying? I just don't understand the praise being heaped on it.
I'd be with you there as well.Don't worry - somebody will come along and nominate a punk/new wave/Manchester band and everybody will be fawning over it, and I won't see what you're all raving about :)
I must agree with you that the mandolin is an instrument I like hearing and noticed early how quick the notes diminish to silence much quicker than most other plucked instruments which is a part of the appeal.Same for yours. I didn't expect you to score it that highly, but I'm glad that you did. Fantastic that you have some connection with all those places. I haven't, but as I've said before, my first love is music that comes from "the sources" - i.e. blues/folk/bluegrass/whatever and I love albums that mention places in general. Travelogues really work for me - I don't know why, but they do. I have always been interested in maps and geography, maybe that's why.
Banjos - yes, definitely banjos as well.
There's definitely some truth in that. However, the first year I started buying music, I bought Bruce Hornsby's The Way It Is, which is generally a pop album, but it does feature some interesting instruments such as the hammered dulcimer and mandolin. A year later, I bought John Mellencamp's The Lonesome Jubilee (my first selection on here and my favourite album of all time), which features an incredible array of Appalachian instrumentation.
So at the age of 19, whilst I started buying music for pop and rock like all other youngsters, I was very quickly into the Americana genre and in MOST cases, this sound works better for me than slick keyboards and OTT production. (Although i do like Rush, Van Halen, INXS and a few others!)
The bottom line is we can't all like the same thing. I could see why Lucinda Williams voice would put some people off. Is it just the voice you don't like or all the instruments as well? As noted in my review, I found thee delivery of some of the songs a bit slow and ponderous, but there was so much going on with the dobro, accordion and guitar that there was always something worth listening to on every track.
But, if you don't like those rustic/country instruments, you probably aren't going to like this sort of album.
I have to agree with you regarding the hooks or dare I say on this album the riffs in sync with the lyric its structured well and I noticed it straight away on each song.I appreciate that. Thanks mate.
I read your review too and I can totally see where you are coming from. It probably helps me having a bit of affinity for country/western at pace as I do (fast, and slow and mournful — but not in the middle) and also a lot of familiarity with the places she refers too, and the roads that go between them. I don’t hear Rob’s “grit” so much either, but he picked up a lot of instrumental insertions that I missed (and has has more familiarity with them than I do).
I think for me it really came down to enjoying each song on its own merits, with what I thought was only one soft spot. Records don’t need to be complex musically nor deep lyrically for me to like them — if they’re consistent song-for-song (I.e. they have lotsa hooks) then to me that’s a hell of an accomplishment, and a record I’ll want to hear again.
But plenty of others don’t feel that way (Bill e.g.) and I understand that too.