MUSIC REVIEW : Williams honors her poet father, showcases voice
Posted on Saturday, September 22, 2007
FAYETTEVILLE — Lucinda Williams’ songs are deeply rooted in words and stories.
She reminded the audience of that during a 100-minute show Thursday night at the Walton Arts Center. The concert honored “the poet Miller Williams, who also happens to be my dad.”
Miller Williams has written more than 25 books, was the first director of the University of Arkansas Press and is a professor emeritus of literature at UA. Proceeds from the show will benefit the new Miller Williams Poetry Prize.
Lucinda Williams told the crowd she’d revisited old songs during five recent shows in Los Angeles, in which she played a different entire album each night. She’ll repeat that in New York later this month.
But in Fayetteville, she offered a mix from her own repertoire and others she likes. Songs came from six of her eight albums, including four songs off Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, which won a Grammy in 1998 for best contemporary folk album.
She started Thursday’s show with “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road” and ended with “Get Right With God,” which won her a best female rock vocal performance Grammy in 2001.
Williams said she chose songs she thought the audience would relate to, like “Pineola,” written about a Fayetteville poet who committed suicide years ago. As she belted out the song, Williams placed each word and pause with purpose, in its own place.
She often glanced at her thick, black binder of lyrics for words she’s sung hundreds of times. She’s that meticulous about getting it right.
She started “Fancy Funeral” singing with her guitar, but stopped after three lines. She asked her drummer, Butch Norton, to start her off; she knew it would make the song better. And it did. Doug Pettibone added a lovely electric guitar part.
Williams’ songs are often melancholy or bittersweet, but they are rich, vivid lyrics that take the listener on a journey. Her raw, sometimes gritty voice carries much emotion.
“The Night’s Too Long” and “Over Time” showcased her gentle but strong voice. For one of her catchier tunes, “Can’t Let Go,” she ended it softly, practically whispering. Her voice was perfectly suited to “Ode to Billy Joe,” the Bobbie Gentry classic.
A highlight of the night, Williams and Pettibone sang “Jailhouse Tears,” an old-style country duet that she hasn’t recorded yet.
Williams’ band, which included bassist David Sutton, shone on “Joy.” Chet Lyster and Pettibone played impressive dueling electric guitars before Williams ended softly with the last refrain.
She warned the crowd that “Honey Bee,” a new, “raucous” song might be loud. And it was — too loud.
A heavy, bluesy Fats Domino tune, “I Live My Life,” is one she recorded for a tribute album, Goin ’ Home, that’s set for release Tuesday.
Eighty-year-old Charlie Louvin, a country music legend, opened the show for Williams and joined her during her encore. He sang a great storytelling song, “Cash on the Barrelhead,” that set the scene for her set.
She dedicated “Words” to her dad and stepmom, her early and constant musical critics. And she seemed to really appreciate her audience.
“I always feel like I’m singing songs to people who know about words whenever I perform in Fayetteville, which isn’t often enough,” she said.
The audience couldn’t agree more.
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