NEW RECORD UPDATE – "BLESSED"

Just checked on my “Blessed” lp on amazon and it says shipping soon. The shipment must have came in.

okay so after absorbing the album here are my thoughts:

I haven’t devoured a LW record like this since WWT. As most here probably remember I was less than thrilled with West and Little Honey. Blessed is definitely a return to form and feels like the first time Lucinda has really nailed the style she’s been circling since West. One of the first things I noticed was the reliance on repetition that has always served her well. I’ve always felt her ability to say something so simply and imbue it with such subtleties on each repetition is part of her genius as an artist.

I Don’t Know How You’re Living has really struck a personal chords with me and the opening line to Seeing Black hit me like a sledgehammer upon first listen. I could have done without some of the production choices and Blessed doesn’t sound quite as lush as something like Essence or even my much maligned West. The Kitchen Tapes, however, are a masterwork and recall some of the simplicity of the self-titled album.

A very welcome return to form from one of my all-time favorite artists.

oh, one gripe: I’m really tired of these double vinyl LP’s. I don’t care if it’s 180 gram vinyl, whoever thought it would be a good idea to put only 3 tracks per side? There’s nothing I love more than having a beautiful album interrupted just as it begins to flow. terrible, terrible choice on the part of the vinyl market.

I know that for every critic there’ll be a 100 lovers, but there should be room here for adverse comment, so here goes anyway – my review on Amazon:
After that great run of albums from ‘Car Wheels’ to ‘West’ I’m afraid with the exception of a few tracks on ‘Little Honey’ and ‘Blessed’ its been a downhill slide for me. Lucinda found love and made that plain on ‘Little Honey, particularly with the extended tracks ‘Rarity’ and ‘Knowing’. On the latest we’ve got ‘Awakening’. Mixed up with all of these slower cuts she’s belting out over-heavy stuff like ‘Honey Bee’ and ‘It’s a Long Way to the Top’. I don’t quite know what it is, whether her voice ain’t what it used to be or that the quality of her songwriting has been affected by ‘Real Love!’ Too many (about 8) of them really drone on a bit I’m afraid. I’m a big fan and on this album I love ‘Copenhagen’, Seeing Black’ and ‘Awakening.’ Add these to ‘Best of Lucinda’ I guess.
There you go guys, get your teeth into that! 🙁

also, I am so glad they chose to include the solo version of Kiss Like Your Kiss on Blessed. I really don’t care for Costello’s voice and don’t feel it compliments Lucinda very well. I much prefer the solo version of Jailhouse Tears as well.

I wish she would have picked someone like Evan Dando who I think would blend very well with her.

I got this e-mail from Pandora Internet Radio tonight. I like their choice for the first song listed… 😉

Tom

Just a reply to the comments on Blessed. I think its is a very good album. In particular Seeing Black and Ugly Truth, both of which have inventive lyrics as well as being good songs. The only track I’m unsure about here is Sweet Love – it seems to personal a song for me to really connect with it. I disagree that any of the songs are dirges; Awakenings I like and I feel it is simply a track where Lu is not sticking to a strict template of most of her songs. As for Soldier’s song, this is an affecting track.

It seems to me this a tighter album lyrically and production-wize. Little Honey had, not dirges, but too may meandering tracks, and had the feel of a clearing the decks of old songs so Lu could move forward with the new stuff.

Very nearly a month now & I still can’t articulate my feelings for this record.
It makes my heart flail. I’m a cynic & must confess I bought into the whole tortured artist thing that the press often portray. Rather unfairly (as I obviously do not know Lucinda) I assumed her insight/vulnerability & ability to sear me with her lyrics came from a tortured soul. I worried that an obviously happy Lu would somehow damage her writing. Oh boy, was I wrong!
As I say early days but confident this will be become my favourite album(after Essence which is MY album). I can’t dissect each track – it’s still too raw & I’m too in love & still delighting in discovering each one anew.
But the guitars, gawd the guitars………

AND I still have Kitchen Tapes & 4 unreleased tracks to look forward too (could be some time til I get to them as still revelling in the beauty of the original Blessed.)

GOD BLESS LUCINDA WILLIAMS xx
( and Mr O)