Lucinda Williams

Certain Songs #2473: Steve Earle with Lucinda Williams – “You’re Still Standing There”

October 27, 2022 by Jim Connelly

Album: I Feel Alright
Year: 1996

. . .

I Feel Alright wasn’t all tough-guy posturing and addiction breakdown songs. In fact the very last song on the record was a harmonica-driven pop song that always felt like it should have been a single, even if it wasn’t.

“You’re Still Standing There” opens with Earle’s utterly cheerful harmonica hook, blasting out over a bright accompaniment of guitars, organ, bass and drums. leading into an opening verse that where, like Desmond in Lost, he realizes that he has a constant.

Certain Songs #1042: Lucinda Williams – “People Talkin'”

November 11, 2017 by Jim Connelly

Album: World Without Tears
Year: 2003

Probably my favorite Lucinda Williams song, the preternaturally gorgeous “People Talkin'” is all smokey atmosphere and sad vocals; a groovy late night country torch song.

But, like a lot of the songs on World Without Tears, “People Talkin'” brings the pain in the lyrics, as Lucinda describes a relationship under siege.

Certain Songs #1041: Lucinda Williams – “Sweet Side”

November 10, 2017 by Jim Connelly

Album: World Without Tears
Year: 2003

Her album release cadence picking up as she got deeper into her career, Lucinda Williams followed up Car Wheels on a Gravel Road in 2001 with the too-quiet-by-half Essence, and then bounced back with 2003’s World Without Tears.

Only two years later! And it kinda showed, as World Without Tears featured some of her most imperfect, raggedly songs. Which, naturally, I loved. As if I could ever dislike a song inspired by Paul Westerberg called “Real-Life Bleeding Fingers and Broken Guitar Strings.”

Certain Songs #1040: Lucinda Williams – “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road”

November 9, 2017 by Jim Connelly

Album: Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
Year: 1998

And another long wait. This time, six years.

But at the end of it, her acknowledged masterpiece. Car Wheels on a Gravel Road topped the Village Voices’ 1998 Pazz & Jop critics poll, won a Grammy and went gold, to boot.

And for all that, I’ve never fell completely in love with it: it’s obviously an incredibly strong and consistent record, but outside of the title track and maybe “Joy,” doesn’t have any tracks that I truly love in practice as much as I know I should love in theory.

Certain Songs #1039: Lucinda Williams – “Something About What Happens When We Talk”

November 8, 2017 by Jim Connelly

Album: Sweet Old World
Year: 1992

Released four long years after she found her groove with Lucinda Williams, the follow-up Sweet Old World established once and for all that — like, say, Bruce Springsteen — Lucinda Williams was going to release albums when she was damn well ready, not a moment sooner.

So in the 21 years before the turn of the century, she released five studio albums, though in the 17 years since, she’s released seven, which is opposite of the normal pattern, and probably spurred by her sense of mortality. Or something.

Certain Songs #1001: Lucinda Williams – “Changed The Locks”

October 1, 2017 by Jim Connelly

Album: Lucinda Williams
Year: 1988

Like Tom Waits or Katy Perry, the album where Lucinda Williams became Lucinda Williams wasn’t her debut album.

Prior to 1988’s Lucinda Williams, she had two previous albums, 1979’s all covers Rambling and 1980’s Happy Woman Blues, neither of which I’ve ever heard, though I’m guessing that some of you probably have and will tell me that I’m missing some great stuff.