  
Lucinda Williams
 
Country of origin:
U.S. 
Type of music generally:
Blues, country rock 
Status:
Most recent album, It's Only Rock and Roll: A Tribute to The Rolling Stones (covers, 2020) 
See also:
The Official Lucinda Williams page
Wikipedia's entry on Lucinda Williams 
Lucinda Williams's Facebook page 
An Essence review at The War Against Silence  
Comparisons:
A grittier Bonnie Raitt. Also, after listening to these albums repeatedly for the last few months, I've come to realize that many of these songs could actually be Bruce Springsteen songs. (10/00, (neal) 
Covers/own material:
Own material on recent albums, covers on very old albums. 
General comments:
Blues country rock singer/songwriter with a lengthy career who has sparked ecto-interest. See album comments for more information. 
 
Comments about live performance:
Lucinda was wearing black pants, thriftstore-like western shirt and white vinyl jacket, and a kitschy white cowboy hat. Her band, including Lauderdale on rhythm guitar, backing vocals and harmonica, was very tight. 
     She ripped through an hour-or-so's worth of material. She was very warm, told funny stories between songs and explained what most of the songs were about. She was rather surprised at the large crowd on a Tuesday night (I'm guessing at least 400). She dawdled between songs and stories, though, so there was no real momentum during the concert. 
     My only complaint was that she played the new album almost in its entirety. It's great material, but she only did two of her older songs. And no cool covers—which I expected from a revered artist who has always hung with folks in that respected country/folk singer-songwriter group (you know, Nanci Griffith, the late Townes Van Zandt, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Emmylou Harris, Gram Parsons, Steve Earle, etc etc). 
     Still, it was a terrific show. The final song of the main set was "Joy", which is my fave track from Car Wheels. She went all out with an extended jam with the band. (12/98, Plasterofstevie@aol.com)
I saw Lucinda Williams at the Shepherds Bush Empire, London, this evening and she was, in a word, astounding. I wasn't a huge fan up until a few hours ago and wasn't going to go until I found that she doesn't like flying and that it's the first time she's been in the UK for 10 years. I only have two of her albums, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road and World Without Tears but will have to expand on that after tonight's performance. (5/7/03, garrick@area51.upsu.plym.ac.uk) 
I hadn't heard anything by her since 2003's World Without Tears and boy was I in for a surprise. Gone is the countrified singer songwriter (for the most part anyway), replaced with a heavy duty rocker. It was mostly amplified guitars and your basic rock drum kit. Maybe it was just a case of preconceived expectations but I just couldn't get into it. I thought of Neil Young in his Crazy Horse days but the music just wasn't nearly as compelling. But then again not many songwriters are. 
     The most surprising moment came during the encores. The first was a slow number requested by a couple who had met at the festival 3 years ago and then married there that morning. The second was a propulsive nicely percolating number which unlike most of her set, was not announced by name. The last was a cover of what she called one of the five greatest rock and roll songs ever written. I didn't know it. Turns out to be AC/DC's "it's a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll." Boring and generic. I don't remember who on this list said that all songs with the words rock and roll in them suck but this is one of the many (not all) that do.  
     I think that either Lucinda has drunk the rock and roll Kool Aid or sold out. If it was the latter, judging by the crowd response, it was a smart business move. (12/08, breinheimer@webtv.net)  
Recommended first album:
Car Wheels On A Gravel Road seems to be the ecto-favourite 
 
Recordings:
 
Release info:
1979—Smithsonian Folkways—CD SF 40042 (re-released in 1991) 
Availability:
Relatively hard to find, but always available directly from Folkways 
Ecto priority:
More for fans. (7/00, neal) 
Group members:
Lucinda Williams—vocal, 12-string guitar 
Guest artists:
John Grimaudo—6-string guitar 
Produced by:
Tom Royals 
Comments:
This is the roots of Lucinda's music. There is only one original song, with the rest of the album full of Robert Johnson covers (3), blues standards and traditional tunes. It doesn't have the desperate edge of stronger blues, but it makes for nice listening. Plus, you can hear more of Lucinda's guitar here than on most later albums, and it's definitely her voice doing the singing. While I prefer her later albums, I find this one to be fun to take out and listen to every once in a while. Recently, I've been doing that a lot, and it's starting to grow on me more. It's an album of quiet charms. (7/00, neal)  
 
Release info:
1980—Smithsonian Folkways—SF 40003 (also re-released in 1991) 
Availability:
Hard to find, but available from Folkways 
Ecto priority:
Unknown 
Comments:
This is supposed to be the album where she starts moving from traditional to modern songcraft. I've never heard it myself. (7/00, neal) 
 
Release info:
Recorded in 1988, released in 1992—Chameleon Records (distributed by Elektra)—61387-2 
Availability:
Wide 
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended, especially for fans of Car Wheels, gritty folk, blues and Americana. (8/00, neal) 
Group members:
Lucinda Williams—lead vocals, acoustic guitar 
Gurf Morlix—vocals, electric 6- &12-string guitars, acoustic guitar, mandolin, dobro, pedal steel, lap steel, 6-string bass 
Dr. John Ciambotti—Fender 3-string bass, stand-up bass, Kramer/Ferrington bass 
Donald Lindley—drums 
Guest artists:
Skip Edwards—keyboards 
Juke Logan—harmonica 
Doug Atwell—fiddle 
Steve Mugalian—washboard 
Chris Gaffney—accordion 
Jim Lauderdale—back-up vocals 
Pat Quinn—back-up vocals 
Produced by:
Lucinda Williams, Gurf Morlix, Dusty Wakeman 
Comments:
The entire blueprint for Car Wheels is evident on this album. It's amazing this album didn't garner the same kind of response, but I guess it's all a matter of timing. You can map the sensitive songs of love and longing ("I Just Want To See You So Bad," "Abandoned," "Passionate Kisses") straight into similar songs on Car Wheels. The rock abandon of Car Wheels' "Joy" is clearly evident in the bitter "Changed the Locks." There's also a cover of Chester Burnett's "I Asked For Water (He Gave Me Gasoline)" which harkens back to her rootsy origins. (8/00, neal) 
 
 
Release info:
1992—Chameleon Records—61351-2 (Chameleon is distributed by Elektra) 
Availability:
Wide 
Ecto priority:
Recommended 
Group members:
Lucinda Williams—lead vocals, acoustic guitar 
Gurf Morlix—electric and acoustic guitar, pedal steel, dobro, mandolin, lap steel, beer bottle and background vocals  
Duane Jarvis—electric guitar 
Dr. John Ciambotti—electric and upright bass 
Donald Lindley—drums and percussion 
Guest artists:
Doug Atwell—fiddle 
Byron Berline—fiddle and mandolin 
Skip Edwards—Hammond B-3 
Benmont Tench—Hammond B-3 
William "Smitty" Smith—Hammond B-3 
Gia Ciambotti—background vocals 
Jim Lauderdale—background vocals 
Dusty Wakeman—background vocals 
Produced by:
Lucinda Williams, Gurf Morlix, Dusty Wakeman 
Comments:
This was my introduction to Lucinda Williams, and I have a soft spot for it. It seems more in the rock side of folk/country rock. Probably the closest comparison that springs to mind is Scarecrow-era John Cougar Mellencamp. Everything that made Car Wheels so popular is evident on this album, just not as fully realized. You have rockers, you have ballads, and you've got Lucinda's great, world-weary voice. One day, it occurred to me that this could actually be a Bruce Springsteen album. (8/00, neal)
 
 
Release info:
1998—Mercury—314 558 338-2 
Availability:
Widely available 
Ecto priority:
Very high for fans of hard folk and blues. (neal) 
Guest artists:
Gurf Morlix 
John Ciambotti 
Donald Lindley 
Buddy Miller 
Ray Kennedy 
Greg Leisz 
Roy Bittan 
Jim Lauderdale 
Charlie Sexton 
Steve Earle 
Johnny Lee Schell 
Bo Ramsey 
Michael Smotherman 
Richard "Hombre" Price 
Emmylou Harris 
Produced by:
Roy Bittan, Lucinda Williams 
Comments:
This is definitely not your typical smarmy Nashville bullshit and hype—it's a gritty and rough-edged tour of the Deep South by a poetess who has been ignored for all of her lengthy career by the public and the critics. ...I honestly don't recall a CD since Fumbling Towards Ecstasy that has monopolized my stereo so totally—this from a guy who generally despises country music. Like I said, she's real. Far and away THE towering masterpiece of the year. (7/98, rkonrad@ibm.net)
I had hesitated to buy Lucinda's album because I had the idea that she was pretty much a country artist. But I finally decided to take a chance and was very pleasantly surprised that Car Wheels... is a good mix of country, folk, and rock. I even bought an extra copy to send to a friend who I thought would like it, and the album was a hit with my friend, too! (7/98, Riphug@aol.com) 
I haven't had Lucinda's new CD off the player since it came out. I've been a big fan of hers for many years. For those who like the new CD, you might also check out her previous release Sweet Old World. Many of the songs on this release were written in response to her brother's death after a very troubled life. It is a truly powerful work. (7/98, valerie@smoe.org) 
Car Wheels On a Gravel Road will probably go down as my favorite album of 1998. I know it'll be tops on a lot of other lists, but hey, it's an amazing piece of work. (12/98, Plasterofstevie@aol.com) 
Given my notorious love of Syd Straw's music, no one will be all that surprised that Lu's latest album has taken up residence in my stereo of late. Like Straw, Williams has a rootsy musical worldview, but where Syd's ambitious songs fly through the air propelled by the influence of both Henry Cow and Patsy Cline, Lucinda's four-on-the-floor country rockers are happy to chug forward, hugging the road with their rhythmic melodies and writerly lyrics. (Did that even make sense? Egads!) Lucinda's latest album has been hotly anticipated and could well be saddled with the sticker Straw's solo debut carried nearly a decade ago (cf., "Years in the making"), and the extensive production and overdubs has had many wondering if Car Wheels on a Gravel Roadwould indeed be worth the wait. Lo and behold, this release has the makings of one of the best albums to come out this year. Each song is solid, well-written, well-recorded and well-executed, the pacing is spot on, and the production isn't as bad as something with this reputation could be. And while Williams doesn't have a technically amazing voice—it's a bit thin and nasally in parts—the passion she imbues within it cuts you in two. Her presence, man, she really brings you into the out-of-the-way places she sings about and makes you feel the sun against your back and the cool of the shade. A veritable Carson McCullers of rock. (tugboat@channel1.com) 
despite the critical acclaim these albums just don't do much for me. I like Lucinda's self-titled album better—this one just seemed like she was trying to make a serious album—and to me lacks spontaneity and warmth. (jjhanson@att.net) 
i've played Car Wheels well over 20 times. I like it. I love "Joy." WXPN amazingly picked it for number one this year. But number ONE???? Ani came in at number 7 and is so much more original both in lyrics and music. Almost every cut on Car Wheels reminded me of many other country female artists and country songs. The words are straight red neck trailer park white trash pathos. But I like to watch Jerry Springer occasionally, and I will occasionally put Lucinda back on too. (FAMarcus@aol.com) 
I quite like Passionate Kisses (though I loathe the title song) for its three very intense acoustic blues; so I sampled Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, and can report that it's very good, and I don't like country at all. "Drunken Angel" is a dead-on "Neil Young song," down to the harmonica solo. (dgk@panix.com)
  
 
 
Release info:
2001—Lost Highway 
Availability:
Wide 
Ecto priority:
Recommended 
 
Group members:
Lucinda Williams—vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, resonator guitar 
 
Guest artists:
Ryan Adams—tremolo guitar 
Tony Garnier—bass, acoustic bass 
Jim Keltner—drums, percussion 
Jim Lauderdale—harmony vocals, backing vocals 
Gary Louris—backing vocals 
David Mansfield—viola, violin 
Bo Ramsey—electric guitar, slide guitar 
Charlie Sexton—drums, fuzz bass, 12-string acoustic guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, rhythm guitar, tremolo guitar, guitar loops, hand drums, harmony vocals, percussion, piano, slide guitar, vocals, backing vocals 
Joy Lynn White—harmony vocals, backing vocals 
Reese Wynans—organ, Hammond organ 
Produced by:
Bo Ramsey, Charlie Sexton, Tom Tucker, Lucinda Williams 
Comments:
I just like everything she's ever done, and this one is no exception. (dlw@sympatico.ca) 
 
Release info:
2003—Lost Highway Records—088 170 355-2 
Availability:
Wide 
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended 
Group members:
 Lucinda Williams—vocals, acoustic and electric guitars 
Guest artists:
Doug Pettibone—electric guitars, mandolin (10), harmonies 
Taras Prodaniuk—bass, stand up bass (13), harmonies 
Jim Christie—drums, Wurlitzer (11), Vox organ (3, 9) 
Produced by:
Mark Howard & Lucinda Williams 
Comments:
It seems, more than ever, Lucinda's made an album with a range of different styles—folk, country, rock, blues, and forays into spoken word—basically everything you'd expect from a Lucinda Williams album and more. More bite than Essence though not quite as cohesive as Car Wheels on a Gravel Road. (JoAnn Whetsell) 
 
Release info:
2005—Lost Highway Records—B0002368-02 
Availability:
Wide 
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended 
Group members:
Lucinda Williams—vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar 
Guest artists:
Doug Pettibone—guitar, lap steel guitar, pedal steel guitar, mandolin, harmonica, background vocals 
Jim Christie—keyboards, drums, percussion 
Taras Prodaniuk—bass guitar, background vocals 
Produced by:
Lucinda Williams, Taras Prodaniuk 
Comments:
I've never seen Lucinda Williams live, but this album really makes me hope I get the chance. It's a great selection of her catalog, all performed well. Some songs, especially the more rocking ones, are really outstanding. It amazes me how she can traverse such a range of styles (and change her voice to suit each one) so quickly. Highly recommended, probably essential, for fans. (JoAnn Whetsell) 
 
Release info:
2007—Lost Highway Records—B0006938-02 
Availability:
Wide 
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended 
Group members:
Lucinda Williams—lead vocals, acoustic guitar 
Guest artists:
Rob Burger—piano, prepared piano, Hammond, vox & field organs, Wurlitzer electric piano, accordion 
Doug Pettibone—acoustic, electric and baritone guitars 
Bill Frisell—acoustic and electric guitar 
Tony Garnier—electric bass and double bass 
Jim Keltner—drums and percussion 
Jenny Scheinman—violins 
Rob Brophy—viola 
Tim Loo—cello 
Hal Wilner—turntable and samples 
Gary Louris and Gia Ciambotti—background vocals 
Produced by:
Hal Wilner and Lucinda Williams 
Comments:
Country-folk, more laidback than her last 2 albums, but with a smoldering intensity, like the most ferocious purr you've ever heard. Definitely her best since Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, though it's not much like that album in style. (JoAnn Whetsell)
I'm still getting through my first listen of the Lucinda Williams. After the straight-ahead cookie-cutter predictability of the production on the second track, I was worried, but the rest is making a much better impression. (timjy@sbcglobal.net) 
Kind of a depressing album, but Lucinda really captures a mood—this album has been in constant play since I saw her last year, and is solid throughout. (jjhanson@att.net)  
 
Release info:
2008—Lost Highway Records—B0011434-02 
Availability:
Wide 
Ecto priority:
Recommended 
Group members:
Lucinda Williams—vocals, acoustic and electric guitar 
Guest artists:
Butch Norton (Buick 6)—drums, maracas, congas, tambourine, orchestral cymbals, chang chang, finger cymbals, bowed cymbals, washing machine, big ass drum, street gas hole cover, plastic sheet and drumhead stomp scrunch, bull rora and objects, Gon Kogi bell, rainstick 
David Sutton (Buick 6)—electric bass, cello, guitaron, double bass 
Chet Lyster (Buick 6)—electric guitars, saw and acoustic guitar, table steel 
Doug Pettibone (Buick 6)—electric 6- and 12-string guitars, electric guitars, electric slide guitar, acoustic 12-string guitar, acoustic guitar, dobro, backing vocals 
Rob Burger—Wurlitzer, Hammond organ, pump organ, piano, vibraphone, mellotron, accordion, Fender Rhodes 
Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs—backing vocals (1, 4, 11) 
Susan Marshall, Gia Ciambotti, Kristin Mooney—backing vocals (3, 8, 13) 
Charlie Louvin—backing vocals (6) 
Jim Lauderdale—backing vocals (6, 8) 
Elvis Costello—vocals (8) 
Tim Easton—backing vocals (13) 
Bruce Fowler—trombone, horn arrangements (9, 11) 
Walt Fowler—flugelhorn, trumpet 
Albert Wing—tenor saxophone 
Eric Liljestrand—horn arrangement (11)   
Produced by:
Eric Liljestrand and Tom Overby 
Comments:
I was originally rather disappointed by this album, but it's growing on me. The opening track "Real Love" was an instant hook from the first listen, and it's still my favorite track. I've figured out that I like the slower songs far more than the blues rock tracks. Interesting because that's not been the case with previous albums; I've always loved her gritty side as well as her softer side. But for some reason Little Honey's rock songs kind of grate on me. There's enough good material on here for me to recommend it to fans, but I don't think it's a good introduction to (or representation of) her work. (JoAnn Whetsell)  |