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Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. I Worship You |
| 2. Remember Me |
| 3. Diesel Smoke, Dangerous Curves |
| 4. Lovesick Blues |
| 5. Tommy Rockwood |
| 6. Fist City |
| 7. Permanently Lonely |
| 8. Foul Owl On The Prowl |
| 9. Wide Open Road |
| 10. For The Good Times |
| 11. If You've Got The Money I've Got The Time |
| 12. Jolene |
Product Description
Review
Two albums in eight years might not sound like a particularly great level of productivity – but The Little Willies are no ordinary band. A collective ostensibly fronted by Norah Jones, albeit with ample vocal support from Arden-born folk singer Richard Julian, this outfit came together in 2003 to jam out some much-loved country cuts at New York’s Living Room venue. A debut, self-titled album emerged in 2006, featuring tracks penned by the likes of Kris Kristofferson (Best of All Possible Worlds), Townes Van Zandt (No Place to Fall) and, perhaps inevitably given their chosen moniker, Willie Nelson (I Gotta Get Drunk). For the Good Times follows the formula of its predecessor, offering up a selection of the band’s favourite numbers as well as a jaunty original, the near-instrumental Tommy Rockwood, written by gifted guitarist Jim Campilongo.
There’s plenty of care taken with these covers, the players evidently keen to not tarnish their own memories of the songs in question. Lovesick Blues, the Cliff Friend and Irving Mills show tune that Hank Williams made his own in 1949 when it topped the stateside country chart, is beautifully delivered by Jones and Julian, whose vocals intertwine atop a sparse acoustic backdrop, percussion minimal but just powerful enough to drive the piece forwards. Johnny Cash’s Wide Open Road is given a rather sunnier disposition than the 1950s original, more suited to a swinging barroom than any backwater barn dance. And Jones shines on Loretta Lynn’s 1968 chart-topper Fist City, making it clear that she’s as comfortable with this style as the softer-edged output she’s collected so many Grammy Awards with.
While not all of these selections are familiar to the fair-weather country listener, the closer certainly will be. Dolly Parton’s Jolene was a major international hit in 1973, and appears at number 217 on Rolling Stone’s top 500 songs of all time list. With Jones on vocals and piano, and little else imposing itself prominently onto the mix, the version here is a striking take that swells like a persistent lump in the throat until it’s guided to a close by Campilongo’s gently sighing, delicately twanged guitar work. It’s a downbeat end to what is, predominantly, a wonderfully rousing collection; but it’s an end that, one hopes, points the way to a third instalment of The Little Willies’ refined reinterpretations.
--Mike Diver
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
Product Description
File: NORAH JONES : 2nd album of choice country music covers from the sublime singer & talented friends
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
After a gap of six years since the first Little Willies album they are back for more straight ahead country covers and one original instrumental. The sound and playing is again excellent and Norah Jones' voice is in good form - both on her usual mid-tempo ballads such as "Remember Me" and also on the faster numbers like Loretta Lynn's "Fist City". There is a nice restrained version of Dolly Parton's much-covered "Jolene" and even the novelty number "Foul owl on the prowl" by Boomer and Travis (as featured in the film 'In the heat of the night') comes out sounding very good and giving guitarist Jim Campilongo a chance to play a nice solo.
I found many of the album's other songs a bit average, I'm sure that the band really enjoy doing well-known country songs like Willie Nelson's "For the good times" but I'd prefer to hear things with a bit more of a twist. For me I tend to loose interest when Norah isn't singing lead and I'm not really convinced that her and Richard Julian singing together works. For example the tune of Hank Williams' classic "Lovesick Blues" gets lost in tricky harmonies and super-slick guitar runs. I'm afraid that all-in-all I did prefer the first album which had a more interesting collection of songs and more variety of sounds and styles.
I found many of the album's other songs a bit average, I'm sure that the band really enjoy doing well-known country songs like Willie Nelson's "For the good times" but I'd prefer to hear things with a bit more of a twist. For me I tend to loose interest when Norah isn't singing lead and I'm not really convinced that her and Richard Julian singing together works. For example the tune of Hank Williams' classic "Lovesick Blues" gets lost in tricky harmonies and super-slick guitar runs. I'm afraid that all-in-all I did prefer the first album which had a more interesting collection of songs and more variety of sounds and styles.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Excellent music, but packaging is woeful. No notes at all about the songs or their composers except in minute difficult to read on the rear of the CD holder. I know some of the songs and where they originated but not all of them. This has been a serious problem since the demise of Vinyl, very limited information on many CD's. I also purchased Leonard Cohens' Old Timers, excellent sleeve notes in a booklet with complete lyrics, recording information etc. The way it should be done.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Last year's release Featuring Norah Jones confirmed that she is a most versatile performer, very much at ease with a variety of musical styles and in particular with country music. She performed duets with Dolly Parton, Ryan Adams, Gillian Welch and Willie Nelson after whom, it is said, The Little Willies are named.
She had already shown that she was an accomplished country artist with the Little Willies debut album in 2006, her collaboration with four other New York based musicians. Now, six years later, they are back with another collection of eleven country covers and an original instrumental by guitarist Jim Campilongo.
While not as immediately appealing as the debut album there are solid performances of some fine songs. In particular, Norah's bluesy and heartfelt reading of Scotty Wiseman's beautiful ballad, "Remember Me" with its spare piano accompaniment, is worthy of special mention.
She doesn't disappoint either with Kris Kristofferson's evocative "For The Good Times" as she squeezes every ounce of emotion from the lyrics. Meanwhile Richard Julian contributes lump in the throat vocals to a fine reading of the Willie Nelson penned "Permanently Lonely" and a spirited performance of the Johnny Cash number "Wide Open Road".
The Hank Williams signature song, "Lovesick Blues" is performed impeccably with Jones and Julian combining beautifully against a sparse acoustic background. The album finishes with Norah singing a slow but inspired version of Dolly Parton's "Jolene" with Campilongo's gentle guitar ushering in the end of the piece. Simply gorgeous.
I'm not sure about the Willies version of Ralph Stanley's "I Worship You" or the Campilongo instrumental "Tommy Rockwood". I think, too, that Norah's smoky, blues infused voice is better suited to emotive country ballads rather than the rollicking sounds of Loretta Lynn's "Fist City" or Lefty Frizzel's "If You've Got The Money" but that is a minor quibble. What is undeniable is the artistry and enthusiasm of the group and the obvious enjoyment that the members derive from playing and singing together.
She had already shown that she was an accomplished country artist with the Little Willies debut album in 2006, her collaboration with four other New York based musicians. Now, six years later, they are back with another collection of eleven country covers and an original instrumental by guitarist Jim Campilongo.
While not as immediately appealing as the debut album there are solid performances of some fine songs. In particular, Norah's bluesy and heartfelt reading of Scotty Wiseman's beautiful ballad, "Remember Me" with its spare piano accompaniment, is worthy of special mention.
She doesn't disappoint either with Kris Kristofferson's evocative "For The Good Times" as she squeezes every ounce of emotion from the lyrics. Meanwhile Richard Julian contributes lump in the throat vocals to a fine reading of the Willie Nelson penned "Permanently Lonely" and a spirited performance of the Johnny Cash number "Wide Open Road".
The Hank Williams signature song, "Lovesick Blues" is performed impeccably with Jones and Julian combining beautifully against a sparse acoustic background. The album finishes with Norah singing a slow but inspired version of Dolly Parton's "Jolene" with Campilongo's gentle guitar ushering in the end of the piece. Simply gorgeous.
I'm not sure about the Willies version of Ralph Stanley's "I Worship You" or the Campilongo instrumental "Tommy Rockwood". I think, too, that Norah's smoky, blues infused voice is better suited to emotive country ballads rather than the rollicking sounds of Loretta Lynn's "Fist City" or Lefty Frizzel's "If You've Got The Money" but that is a minor quibble. What is undeniable is the artistry and enthusiasm of the group and the obvious enjoyment that the members derive from playing and singing together.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Why 'the Little Willies' ???
I love original and neo-original Country Music, and this CD is nowhere like it; it sounds like a 'let's have fun session' recorded... Read more
Published 2 months ago by dekker kees
Buy it, you'll love it!
This is one of the best albums I have listened to for many a long year. It was the featured album of the week on Ken Bruce's show on Radio 2, and I purchased it on the strength of... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mensalady
old friends should stay that way
This album is just so disappointing after Norah Jones' excellent "Fall" set. The band are stuck where they were all those years ago. Read more
Published 4 months ago by D'Arcy
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