Lucinda Williams
Studio album by
Lucinda Williams
Released1988
RecordedJune 1988
StudioMad Dog Studios in Venice, California
GenreAlternative country, Americana, Blues, roots rock
Length38:35
LabelRough Trade
ProducerGurf Morlix, Dusty Wakeman, Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams chronology
Happy Woman Blues
(1980)		 Lucinda Williams
(1988)		 Sweet Old World
(1992)

Lucinda Williams is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, released in 1988, by Rough Trade Records.

An alternative country and roots rock record about the complexities of romantic relationships, Lucinda Williams was met with widespread critical acclaim upon release and has since been viewed as a leading work in the development of the Americana movement. The album was produced by Williams, with Dusty Wakeman and Gurf Morlix, and features the first appearance of "Passionate Kisses", a song later recorded by Mary Chapin Carpenter for her album Come On Come On (1992), which garnered Williams her first Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 1994.[1]

Music and lyrics

Before Williams was signed by Rough Trade Records, she had struggled shopping her demo of the album: "The L.A. people said, 'It's too country for rock.' The Nashville people said, 'It's too rock for country.'" Rough Trade founder Geoff Travis said of signing Williams in 1987, "We were big fans of the Southern literary tradition. We recognized that Lucinda was writing serious songs, but with the wit and humor of real rock'n'roll."[2]

According to Spin magazine's Keith Harris, Lucinda Williams has since been classified as alternative country,[2] while WFUV's Claudia Marshall called it a roots rock record that fuses country, blues, folk, and rock music.[3] With its synthesis of folk, rock, country blues, and Cajun music, Nigel Williamson of Uncut said it may be seen as one of the earliest records in the alternative country scene.[4] Robert Christgau, writing in The Village Voice, called it a blues record and remarked that Williams plays "joyously uncountrypolitan blues".[5] Greg Kot wrote in the Chicago Tribune, "like the music, which drifts between the lonesome worlds of country and blues, the lyrics can't be pinned down: They speak of the ambivalence that shades love and loss."[6]

Release and reception

Retrospective professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic97/100[7]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[8]
American Songwriter[9]
The Austin Chronicle[10]
Christgau's Record GuideA[11]
The Guardian[12]
Mojo[13]
Rolling Stone[14]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[15]
Spin Alternative Record Guide10/10[16]
Uncut9/10[4]

Lucinda Williams was released by Rough Trade in 1988 to rave reviews from critics.[17] It was voted the 16th best album of the year in The Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop critics poll.[18] In a review for the newspaper, Christgau, giving the album an "A−" grade, called Williams a passionate but grounded songwriter and wrote that, apart from the great "I Just Wanted to See You So Bad" and "Passionate Kisses", the rest of the album is good and relies on "a big not enormous, handsome not beautiful voice that's every bit as strong as the will of this singer-by-nature and writer-by-nurture".[19] He ranked the album sixth-best in his list for the poll.[20] Rolling Stone magazine's Steve Pond gave Lucinda Williams three-and-a-half out of five stars in a contemporary review and felt the unadorned musical approach occasionally exposes some unpleasant lyrics and hesitant singing, but it also makes Williams sound like an honest narrator to listeners as she avoids clichés and evasive language in her songwriting.[21] Rating the album seven out of ten in NME, Stuart Bailie deemed it an "encouraging" work whose "bluesy and countrified" material shows that Williams is skilled at interpreting traditional musical styles with "a bright, often contemporary swing".[22] After the mainstream success of Williams' fifth album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, Lucinda Williams was reissued with bonus tracks in 1998,[8] and by January 2000, it had sold 100,000 copies in the United States.[23]

According to AllMusic's Vik Iyengar, Lucinda Williams has been "recognized as a classic" since it was first released. Iyengar saw Williams as a meticulous composer whose voice and tough perspective work well with her music's mix of country, blues, folk, and rock styles on the album: "In addition to writing strong melodies, Williams is an amazing songwriter with a knack for writing a lyric that acknowledges the complicated nature of relationships while cutting right to the heart of the matter."[8] In The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), David McGee and Milo Miles said she had progressed astonishingly over her previous work, transitioned confidently into rock music, and made her songs more interesting with darker lyrics: "There's not a false step, and the depth of feeling is powerful."[15] In 2005, Spin ranked Lucinda Williams at No. 39 on its list of the 100 greatest albums from 1985 to 2005.[2] Upon the album's 25th anniversary rerelease in 2014, Will Hermes of Rolling Stone credited it for being at the forefront of the Americana movement,[14] and Robin Denselow called it "an Americana classic" in The Guardian,[12] while Stephen M. Deusner wrote for CMT that it is "a roots-rock landmark, ground zero for today's burgeoning Americana movement".[24] Lucinda Williams was ranked No. 426 in Rolling Stone's 2020 edition of its "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list.[25]

Track listing

All tracks written by Lucinda Williams, except where noted.[26]

  1. "I Just Wanted to See You So Bad" – 2:25
  2. "The Night's Too Long" – 4:15
  3. "Abandoned" – 3:45
  4. "Big Red Sun Blues" – 3:27
  5. "Like a Rose" – 2:37
  6. "Changed the Locks" – 3:39
  7. "Passionate Kisses" – 2:35
  8. "Am I Too Blue" – 2:55
  9. "Crescent City" – 3:01
  10. "Side of the Road" – 3:27
  11. "Price to Pay" – 2:46
  12. "I Asked for Water (He Gave Me Gasoline)" (Chester Burnett) – 3:43

Additional live bonus tracks on 1998 reissue

  1. "Nothing in Rambling" (Live at KPFK) (Memphis Minnie) – 3:14
  2. "Disgusted" (Live at KPFK) (Lil' Son Jackson) – 3:09
  3. "Side of the Road" (Live at KPFK) – 3:54
  4. "Goin’ Back Home" (traditional) (Live at NOISE) – 3:22
  5. "Something About What Happens When We Talk" (Live at KCRW) – 3:21
  6. "Sundays" (Live at KCRW) – 3:23

25th anniversary re-issue

On January 14, 2014, the album was re-issued on Lucinda Williams' own label. It includes the original 12-track album, and a bonus disc featuring a live concert from the Netherlands, recorded on May 19, 1989, and six additional live tracks. All songs are by Lucinda Williams unless noted otherwise.[27]

Live at Effenaar, Eindhoven, Netherlands, May 19, 1989

  1. "I Just Wanted to See You So Bad" – 2:33
  2. "Big Red Sun Blues" – 3:31
  3. "Am I Too Blue" – 3:16
  4. "Crescent City" – 3:36
  5. "The Night’s Too Long" – 4:38
  6. "Something About What Happens When We Talk" – 4:14
  7. "Factory Blues" – 2:59
  8. "Happy Woman Blues" – 3:46
  9. "Abandoned" – 4:11
  10. "Wild and Blue" (John Scott Sherrill) – 3:21
  11. "Passionate Kisses" – 2:32
  12. "Changed the Locks" – 4:28
  13. "Nothing in Rambling" (Kansas Joe McCoy) – 4:45
  14. "Sundays" – 3:34

Additional live bonus tracks

  1. "Nothing in Rambling" (Live at KPFK) (Memphis Minnie) – 3:14
  2. "Disgusted" (Live at KPFK) (Lil' Son Jackson) – 3:09
  3. "Side of the Road" (Live at KPFK) – 3:54
  4. "Goin’ Back Home" (traditional) (Live at NOISE) – 3:22
  5. "Something About What Happens When We Talk" (Live at KCRW) – 3:21
  6. "Sundays" (Live at KCRW) – 3:23

Personnel

  • Lucinda Williams – lead vocals, acoustic guitar
  • Gurf Morlix – vocals, electric 6- and 12-string guitars, acoustic guitar, mandolin, Dobro, pedal steel, lap steel, 6-string bass
  • Dr. Johnny Ciambotti – Fender three-string bass, stand-up bass, Kramer-Ferrington bass
  • Donald Lindley – drums
Additional musicians
Technical
  • Joanna Spock Dean - executive producer
  • Joanna Spock Dean, Lucinda Williams - artwork concept
  • Greg Allen - photography

Charts

Chart performance for Lucinda Williams
Chart (1989) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[28] 117
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[29] 49
Chart (2014)A Peak
position
US Billboard 200[30] 39
US Catalog Albums (Billboard)[31] 1
US Tastemakers (Billboard)[32] 4
  • A Did not chart in US when first released in 1988. Chart performance when reissued in 2014.

References

  1. ↑ "Artist: Lucinda Williams". www.grammy.com. Recording Academy. 2021. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "100 Greatest Albums 1985–2005". Spin. Vol. 21, no. 7. New York. July 2005. p. 82. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  3. ↑ Marshall, Claudia (August 30, 2007). "Lucinda Williams: Roots-Rock and Raw Nerves". NPR. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  4. 1 2 Williamson, Nigel (February 2014). "Lucinda Williams: Lucinda Williams". Uncut. No. 201. London. p. 97.
  5. ↑ Christgau, Robert (February 28, 1989). "Dancing on a Logjam: Singles Rool in a World Up for Grabs". The Village Voice. New York. Archived from the original on August 4, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  6. ↑ Kot, Greg (April 6, 1989). "Lucinda Williams: Lucinda Williams (Rough Trade)". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on March 9, 2021. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Lucinda Williams [Reissue] by Lucinda Williams Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Archived from the original on August 9, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  8. 1 2 3 Iyengar, Vik. "Lucinda Williams – Lucinda Williams". AllMusic. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved August 10, 2005.
  9. ↑ Horowitz, Hal (January 6, 2014). "Lucinda Williams: Lucinda Williams". American Songwriter. Nashville. Archived from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  10. ↑ Caligiuri, Jim (January 24, 2014). "Lucinda Williams". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  11. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1990). "Lucinda Williams: Lucinda Williams". Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s. Pantheon Books. pp. 439–440. ISBN 0-679-73015-X. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  12. 1 2 Denselow, Robin (January 16, 2014). "Lucinda Williams: Lucinda Williams 25th Anniversary Edition – review". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  13. ↑ Simmons, Sylvie (March 2014). "Lucinda Williams: Lucinda Williams". Mojo. No. 244. London. p. 105.
  14. 1 2 Hermes, Will (January 16, 2014). "Lucinda Williams". Rolling Stone. No. 1200. New York. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  15. 1 2 McGee, David; Miles, Milo (2004). "Lucinda Williams". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 875–876. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  16. ↑ Marks, Craig (1995). "Lucinda Williams". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 432–433. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  17. ↑ France, Kim (December 1992). "Lucy in the Sky". Spin. Vol. 8, no. 9. New York. p. 26. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  18. ↑ "The 1988 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll". The Village Voice. New York. February 28, 1989. Archived from the original on December 24, 2016. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  19. ↑ Christgau, Robert (November 22, 1988). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Archived from the original on April 29, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  20. ↑ Christgau, Robert (February 28, 1989). "Pazz & Jop 1988: Dean's List". The Village Voice. New York. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  21. ↑ Pond, Steve (January 26, 1989). "Lucinda Williams". Rolling Stone. No. 544. New York. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2007.
  22. ↑ Bailie, Stuart (February 25, 1989). "Lucinda Williams: Lucinda Williams". NME. London. p. 32.
  23. ↑ Bukowski, Elizabeth (January 11, 2000). "Lucinda Williams". Salon. Archived from the original on December 4, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2008.
  24. ↑ Deusner, Stephen M. (January 20, 2014). "Lucinda Williams Looks Back at Her Breakthrough". CMT Edge. Archived from the original on March 12, 2014. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  25. ↑ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. New York. September 22, 2020. Archived from the original on October 5, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  26. ↑ Lucinda Williams (booklet). Lucinda Williams. Rough Trade. 1988.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  27. ↑ Williams, Lucinda (November 19, 2013). "Lucinda Williams track listing". PledgeMusic. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
  28. ↑ "Lucinda Williams chart history". imgur.com. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
  29. ↑ "Charts.nz – Lucinda Williams – Lucinda Williams". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2022-12-14.
  30. ↑ "Billboard 200 > Lucinda Williams". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
  31. ↑ "Billboard Catalog Albums > Lucinda Williams". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
  32. ↑ "Billboard Tastemakers > Lucinda Williams". Billboard. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
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