Ray

in another thread (about that infamous bill buford new yorker profile, which describes Frank Stanford’s influence), Rachel posted the following:

I heard an early, early version of ‘Pineola’ from about 1985 or thereabouts, and there’s a verse she left out of the version we all know, which really blew my mind when I heard it. By now, the general consensus is that she was, in fact, dating Frank Stafford at the time he took his life, and he was messing around on his wife with several women, including Lucinda, while telling all of them that he wanted to be with them, so none of them actually thought they were doing anything wrong, since he was telling the women on the side that he was divorcing his wife, while telling his wife that he only loved her:

With a wife and a lover and another on the side
His world fell apart around him
On the last day before he died
They all three threatened to leave him
Some say he lied himself to death
How was I to know it?
He was a fool to pull that trigger
But he sure was a damn good poet.

I don’t think i’ll ever be able to pick Lucinda’s “best” song, but Pineola is definitely rotating around up there at the top of my list, too.

Stella is right about generalizations. It’s not all black and white for everybody. My own comment in the LH thread was that Elvis is not the best fit for this duet because, imho, he doesn’t have the lifestyle cred that a Steve Earle, for example, does. I like Elvis and, actually like hearing him duet with Lu. It’s just that the lyrics — the story in this song — make me aware of who is singing it. I will say I did get beyond that, listening the the entire CD uninterrupted in a rental car a few times last week, and honestly enjoyed the song without thinking about it. (I know, the problem is the thinking! 😆 )

PS: Stevarino – I’m also checking out Mia Doi Todd. That’s a great thing about this site — discoveries!

@Disco Stu wrote:

it really feels like anything’s possible and Lucinda could break out songs that haven’t been played in a long time.

Wow. What a great setlist. I’d love to have been at this show (standing, of course 😮 ). The setlist is almost shocking — not even 2 weeks after the release of her new album, and Lu plays only 4 songs from that album — at the end of the show, no less! — and one at the end of the encore. Maybe there is nothing to read into this “special setlist,” but it is certainly interesting. Thanks for the reports and observations Stoger and Stu. You are lucky to have been there.

An opening act is not going to make the difference for me. I’d go regardless, new material or old.

But I haven’t gone lately, and I can’t answer the poll because my obstacle is not one of the choices. The problem is all too common: Life gets in the way. For a lot of us, somewhere between our early 20s and enjoying our 401k’s (haha), making the time for a sometimes distant show is increasingly difficult. It’s not the cost of a ticket and gas, but the time and everything else. It’s a big deal. When did things change so that I can’t drop everything, and just go?! 🙁 Even making plans isn’t a guarantee: This summer I had purchased tickets for her show headlining the Finger Lakes festival, but an ailing family member sent me to Florida instead. In other words: Life got in the way. Similar story for the madison sq. garden show a few weeks ago. Same deal for the early summer PNC arts center show with Mellencamp — family and work obligations made that night impossible.

It sucks, but I know where I need to be. I don’t think I’m any less dedicated a fan for my absence. And I am sure there are a lot here like me, in the same position, dying to go but stuck without a babysitter or not able to leave work or attending to loved one, disappointed but realizing that something else takes priority at the time.

Those who are able to attend so many of shows are very fortunate, and I attend vicariously by reading their posts. Thanks to all for sharing! And thanks to Lucinda for continuing to play all these shows. I’ll be at a show next year. I promise. 8)

I’ve had the CD for 5 days now, enough time to avoid making a totally instant judgment. (I said in Gretschman’s “Living in the Past” thread, I’d give it time!) So, that’s long enough… What better place to jump right in than with my thoughts on the Jailhouse Tears duet, the hot topic. I have to agree with Stu, Ripley, TonyG and others that Elvis Costello is the wrong choice for this duet.

I don’t have a problem with Elvis’s voice, or “style”. I’ve always been a fan of his early stuff. (He can play “Alison” and “Watching the Detectives” till the end of time and I’d listen happily. 8) ) But I understand what TonyG is saying about “too much Elvis.” I think it’s kind of like a movie where the presence of a big name actor overpowers the film, and the story doesn’t benefit because of the star power.

On the other hand, I’ve seen Elvis sing with Lu in a show, and it was good. I think in some cases they could make a fine duet — I think those two distinctive voices can play nicely off of each other. But I think with this particular song there is another problem. I’d call it a problem of cred. Lucinda’s stock in trade is authenticity. She has genuine credibility with every song she sings. And on Jailhouse Tears, she has cred. I believe her. But I just can’t suspend disbelief enough to hear Elvis and think he tried to steal her truck, if you know what i mean. I’m not saying I’d take this song literally if Doug were given this part, or Jim Lauderdale — who I’ve heard is great on this song — or Charlie Louvin (!!), but I think this song calls out for a guy who is not, well, Elvis Costello.

Elvis makes you take the song too seriously, I think. It’s supposed to be a light, humorous duet, and the song is very funny in a live show. (I heard Lu perform this during the second set at the self-titled album night in nyc with David Johansen, and it was just great — hilarious and fun.) But I don’t think that humor gets very well transmitted in this recording, imo.

Maybe this is just a problem of perception, but it’s hard to get beyond that. Other than this mild objection, I really do like Little Honey. I had to get the Elvis thoughts out of my head, though — so will make a separate post about the rest of the album….

Newsday review:

“In case there was any doubt left, Lucinda Williams is now a rocker. “

http://weblogs.newsday.com/entertainment/music/blog/2008/10/lucinda_williams_wamu_theater.html

good to see that this big venue didn’t overwhelm her. Thanks for the reports….

You gotta love it: the artist’s manager chiming in so that a fan can make babysitter arrangements! Seriously, that’s great. 8)

PS: I’ll bet Paul_from_LA very stealthily appears at many shows that we don’t hear about…. 8) 8)

Distraction — been there often. And it’s still a pleasant drive, Lefty! 8)

from a Florida weekly….
The 10 best protest songs inspired by the Bush administration
Published 09.24.08
By Wade Tatangelo

The Bush administration orchestrated a dubious war in Iraq that has resulted in more U.S. deaths than the 9/11 attacks. The president then responded carelessly to Hurricane Katrina while the nation watched in horror. The White House’s tax cuts for the wealthiest have produced what sure feels like a recession — plus record budget deficits. Then there’s the whole perversion of the U.S. Constitution and a slew of other cruel blunders (vetoing State Children’s Health Insurance Program, anyone?) too numerous to mention.

It’s been a rough eight years, to say the least. The upside? Well, Bush has inspired some of the best protest songs in decades.

Everyone from Norah Jones to Young Jeezy has taken a swipe at the draft-dodging commander in chief. Here are my 10 favorites:

1. “A Few Words in Defense of Our Country, Randy Newman
Over gorgeous Dixieland piano, subtle horns, pedal steel, and stately strings, pop’s king of satire sends up the Bush Administration by calling its actions mild compared to those of the Caesars, the Spanish Inquisition, Hitler, Stalin and King Leopold. The song plays for laughs while addressing a sad scenario that gains traction every day: “This empire is ending.”
Killer line(s): “We don’t want your love/ And respect at this point is pretty much out of the question/ But times like these/ We sure could use a friend.”

2. “Worldwide Suicide,” Pearl Jam
Knee-deep in Bush’s second term, grunge survivors Pearl Jam issued a self-titled album featuring the band’s choicest material since 1991’s Ten. A scorching rocker, “Worldwide Suicide” finds the singer reading about the death of a young soldier he knows in the morning papers, an occurrence that has become all too commonplace in recent years.
Killer line(s): “Medals on a wooden mantle/ Next to a handsome face/ That the president took for granted/ Writing checks that others pay.”

3. “When the President Talks to God,” Bright Eyes
No artist has done a better job than Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst of capturing the hypocrisy of a Born Again Christian who is a big fan of the death penalty and proudly campaigned as the “bring ’em on” war president. Connor Oberst smartly avoids his trademark simile, metaphor and surrealism for straightforward zingers that connect like smart bombs.
Killer line(s): “When the President talks to God/ Does he fake that drawl or merely nod?/ Agree which convicts should be killed?/ Where prisons should be built and filled?”

4. “How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live,” Bruce Springsteen
The Boss revived (and rewrote several verses) of this Great Depression-era folk song specifically for his triumphant performance at the 2006 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. I was there, and still get chills as I recall Springsteen delivering a stirring intro and then belting out this song with an army of guitars, keyboards, horns and gospel singers behind him. He dedicated it to “President Bystander.”
Killer line(s): “There’s bodies floatin’ on Canal and the levees gone to Hell/ Martha, get me my 16 gauge and some dry shells/ Them who’s got, got out of town/ And them who ain’t, got left to drown.”

5. “The Revolution Starts…,” Steve Earle
Released in the summer of 2004 in hope of thwarting Bush’s reelection campaign, the title track of alt-country hero Steve Earle’s The Revolution Starts … Now rolls down the track with all the roots-rock force of past hits like “Copperhead Road.”
Killer line(s): “The revolution starts now/ When you rise above your fear.”

6. “White People for Peace,” Against Me!
Gainesville punks are outspoken anti-Bushites, but on this song they flip the script, questioning the value of “protest songs in response to military aggression.”
Killer line(s): “Bureaucrats engaged in debate to try and reach a resolution/ The people sang protest songs to try and stop the soldier’s gun.”

7. “Mosh,” Eminem
The most intense and best-realized track on Eminem’s uneven 2004 (released in November) album Encore, the song’s finest verse finds Marshall Mathers spitting vitriol directly at Dubya.
Killer line(s): “Look in his eyes, its all lies/ The stars and stripes, they’ve been swiped, washed out and wiped/ And replaced with his own face.”

8. “That’s the News,” Merle Haggard
The country star who spoke for the silent majority on his signature 1969 hit “Okie From Muskogee” changes his tune on 2003’s “That’s the News,” an indictment of both the war in Iraq and the media’s coverage of it.
Killer line(s): “Suddenly the cost of war is somethin’ out of sight/ Lost a lotta heroes in the fight/ Politicians do all the talkin’, soldiers pay the dues/ Suddenly the war is over, that’s the news.”

9. “Living with War,” Neil Young
Granted, Young overdid it a bit with his 2006 protest album Living with War, clobbering listeners with tuneless slogans like “Let’s Impeach the President.” The title track, however, is vintage Young, with the fury offset by humanity and empathy for those suffering from the administration’s unwise decisions.
Killer line(s): “And when the dawn breaks I see my fellow man/ And on the flat-screen we kill and we’re killed again/ And when the night falls, I pray for peace.”

10. “Not Ready to Make Nice,” Dixie Chicks
No music act has paid more dearly for speaking out against Bush than the Dixie Chicks. On their first album after the debacle that witnessed the band’s CDs being burned outside redneck radio stations, the women remained strong, especially on the self-explanatory single “Not Ready to Make Nice.”
Killer line(s): “I’m through with doubt/ There’s nothing left for me to figure out/ I’ve paid a price/ And I’ll keep paying.”

http://sarasota.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/the_10_best_protest_songs_inspired_by_the_bush_administration/Content?oid=190660