Lucinda Williams - Little Honey
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Free Music Notes for Little Honey
Free Music Review: Uneven album leaves me wondering
Hit: 3 Stars
Lucinda Williams has been on an incredible creative spurt in this decade. After releasing only 5 albums in 20 years (1979-1998), this is Lucinda's 4th studio album in just this decade (5 albums altogether when you include the "Fillmore" live album from 2005). In early 2007 Lucinda released the devastating "West" album, dealing with the passing away of her mother and relationships gone south (a common theme to many of her albums). About 18 months later, Lucinda comes back with this release.
"Little Honey" (13 tracks; 64 min.) brings a more uplifting mood of Lucinda, now apparently in a happy relationship (her producer). The album starts off with a rousing "Real Love" but after that, it becomes a very uneven affair, regretfully. Case in point is "Tears of Love", a lazy song that goes nowhere, as is the case with "Jailhouse Tears", which sounds like a throwaway song. The acoustic-driven "Little Rock Star" shines, though. The standout track on here is the 8+ min. slow-burner "Rarity", which reminds me of Lucinda of old. The album closes with a curious (and ineffective) cover of AC/DC's "It's a Long Way to the Top", it's not bad as such but it just makes me wanna reach back to the original AC/DC song.
In all, this is a very uneven album. For one, its running time is way too long. Cut out about 3-4 of the least effective songs and instead you'd have a much stronger set. That said, Lucinda Williams is a fabulous live act. I've seen her in concert before and I can only hope that I'll have a chance to see her on the tour supporting this album.
Free Music Review: Interesting
Hit: 3 Stars
The first thing you notice with this recording is the clarity of sound with Lucinda's vocal mixed right up front. The band sounds live as if you were sitting there in the recording studio watching them play. There are times when the band sounds like a good sixties country rock band. This is an interesting collection of songs. There are several songs that acknowlege the power of love, three songs that are odes to musicians/music business, two songs about love's regrets, a couple poetic/introspective songs, one song about depression, another about being or not being f...ked up, and one about god/heaven. Though there is a freshness in sound and style on this album...there are no super great songs lyrically. Songs that stand out altogether are: Honey Bee (my favorite), Tears of Joy, Little Rock Star, Well Well Well, and If Wishes Were Horses. Heaven Blues sounds like a slower tempo "Gotta Get Right w/God", Rarity is slow and boring, Knowing sounds like current Van Morrison, Its a Long Way to The Top lacks gusto,Jail House Tears would have sounded better without Elvis Costello. If I had my druthers, I would have wanted this album to stick with rock and country rock songs. Saying all that, it's worth buying.Free Music Review: A Mixed Bag
Hit: 3 Stars
The good news is that Lucinda seems upbeat again a little over a year after the dirge that was "West". The rockers and honky-tonk tunes are a pleasure to hear. My favorite kind of Lucinda song would be "If Wishes Were Horses". It's the most direct link to the albums that made her a legend and would fit easily on her eponymous 1988 set or "Car Wheels On A Gravel Road". The duet with Elvis Costello seems like a love it or hate it deal. I love it for carrying on the tradition of Johnny and June's "Jackson" and even Shane and Kirsty's "Fairytale of New York". The clunkers here would be "Little Rock Star" and the insufferable "Rarity". Lucinda's too talented to muck things up with this kind of overindulgence. Lately she's taken to profanity as well and she phrases it like it's a really big deal. It works on "Jailhouse Tears". I cringe to hear her drop "F--k your respect" on "Rarity". Basically, "Little Honey" has a handful of good songs, a great one or two, and a new sense of adventure that might explain some of the uneven moments. Lucinda can and will do much better work, but even on a bad day, she's better than most.Free Music Review: Enjoyable
Hit: 3 Stars
Quite a good album from Lucinda, the first track 'Real Love' I found a bit tedious, but the rest of the tracks are ok, a big improvement over 'West' which made me want to end it all. I have all her albums, 'Car Wheels' 'Sweet Old World' and 'Essence' being her best. My main problem with 'Little Honey' is Amazon offered a free download of 'Bone of Contention' when i purchased the cd from them early in October. They said the download would be available at the end of October, which was delayed and delayed, and when I finally got them to agree to letting me have it they said they had given me a refund credit to my account and i could go ahead as long as I downloaded it by November 30th, this they told me on December 11th. So I groaned and I went to download it and pay my 99c, only to find because I live in Ireland, outside USA, I am not allowed to download the song. All in all I have lost faith in Amazon.com My hope is there I will get to hear it one of these days from some kind soul. If there is anyone out there who has this track maybe you would be kind enough to let me have a listen.
John
Free Music Review: Drowned Out
Hit: 3 Stars
I have everything she has done and I love every bit of it. I had earlier heard a few of these songs from this album from a live recording done by "All Music Considered" produced by NPR at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. The songs were more simple, less orchestration, better guitar, better vocals and you could hear her unusual but excellent voice without the over-dubbing. This album took some pretty fantastic songs and ruined them in a sea of noise.
Get on the web, listen to that concert at the 9:30 club, and you'll really notice the difference. The CD was a little disheartening for me. I've only listened to it once, though, so here's hoping it gets better and grows on me the more I listen to it.