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Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. Are You Alright? |
| 2. Mama You Sweet |
| 3. Learning How To Live |
| 4. Fancy Funeral |
| 5. Unsuffer Me |
| 6. Everything Has Changed |
| 7. Come On |
| 8. Where Is My Love? |
| 9. Rescue |
| 10. What If |
| 11. Wrap My Head Around That |
| 12. Words |
| 13. West |
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Though the arrangements stray from Lucinda Williams's motherlode blend of blues, country, and folk, West may well be her best album. It is easily her most musically adventurous, and often her most lyrically inspired. Williams's singing has never sounded better, from the aching tenderness of "Where Is My Love?" to the ravaged catharsis of "Unsuffer Me." New York producer Hal Willner, who has worked with artists such as Marianne Faithful and Lou Reed, enlists the support of eclectic progressives like guitarist Bill Frisell, keyboardist Bob Burger, and violinist Jenny Scheinman, along with harmonies from the Jayhawks' Gary Louris, to weave a subtly rich sonic tapestry. Much of the material was inspired by the death of Williams's beloved mother ("Mama You Sweet," "Fancy Funeral") and the bitter breakup of a relationship (the jagged-edged emasculation of "Come On," the repetitive incantation of "Wrap My Head Around That"), though "Are You Alright?," "Learning How to Live," and "Everything Has Changed" could reflect the aftermath of both. Other highlights include "Rescue," with a languid subtlety and ambient pulse reminiscent of Beth Orton, and the dreamy, wistful title track. Where Williams's music has long cut close to the bone, the best of West slices right through it. --Don McLeese
Review
If there was one thing that hampered Williams' work in the past it was the reliance on too many rockist tropes that allowed her to rail against former lovers and bad blood with a angry authenticity but little subtlety; especially in a live context. Like younger fellow-traveller, Ryan Adams, her heart-on-sleeve recounting of love's travails often sank too often into whisky-soaked self-indulgence, albeit wrapped in purest poetry. It seems that what she needed was a decent producer and on West, Hal Willner seems to be filling those shoes most adequately.
Apart from her awesome way with a lyric, Williams' main strength is her voice. Pitched somewhere between Tom Petty and Courtney Love - her fearlessness in presenting a mature woman's take on love and loss remains astounding; if somewhat uncomfortable for men of a certain age. Willner's genius has been to strip her original recordings back down to the bone with just her and guitarist Doug Pettibone, and then adding backing that focuses on rather than burying, the emotional tug of her words and voice.
Aiding Willner in this are luminaries such as the ubiquitous Bill Frisell (who seems equally at home these days in Nashville as in New York jazz clubs) and session drummer supreme - Jim Keltner. If some people may object to the smoothing of Williams' rougher edges, it still results in perhaps her most consistent album yet. Her vision is still as hard hitting as ever with subjects such as ex-lovers ('Learning How To Live', 'Come On'), death (Fancy Funeral) and the failings of men ('Rescue') and, of course, sexuality ('Words') all bleakly nailed. But somehow it's all more palatable with such sensitive support. It seems that Lucinda has finally made the 'mature but hip' album that we've all been waiting for. --Chris Jones
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
28 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Having heard a lot of these tracks at her recent gigs, I thought it was going to be easy to love this album. In fact I thought it was going to be her masterpiece, all catchy melodies and perfectly crafted lyrics. I nearly burst with anticipation waiting for the release date.
Multiple listenings later, I feel like a party pooper, because it all just sounds a bit lazy and plodding. The problem for me is the sub-Lanois production. Lucinda sounds just fine in a stripped-down band setting, but here she's treated with strings, atmosphere, and more twiddly bits than you might care to remember, and it all just gets in the way. Great musicians doing nothing special, slowly. As a result it all sounds the same with no natural dynamics or colour, and Lucinda sounds like she's on auto-pilot throughout. The best comparison I can think of is the mess Phil Spector made of Leonard Cohen on Death Of A Ladies Man.
The search for studio atmosphere seems to have had a negative impact on her song writing too, because a lot of the craft has been reduced to stream of consciousness repetition. And it's had the same effect on Doug Pettibone - I don't hear anything here to compare with his extraordinary playing on World Without Tears or Live at the Filmore. There are no songs here to lift your spirits in the way Ventura or Overtime can. It particularly irritates me that this production makes me focus on the shallow styling rather than the content of the songs, which is at the heart of Lucinda's appeal.
So that's it, ho hum. I'm glad she's tried something exploratory and different.I'm just really, really, disappointed it turned out so smooth and pleasant in all the worst kind of ways. I think its a wrong turn, let's hope a temporary one.
Multiple listenings later, I feel like a party pooper, because it all just sounds a bit lazy and plodding. The problem for me is the sub-Lanois production. Lucinda sounds just fine in a stripped-down band setting, but here she's treated with strings, atmosphere, and more twiddly bits than you might care to remember, and it all just gets in the way. Great musicians doing nothing special, slowly. As a result it all sounds the same with no natural dynamics or colour, and Lucinda sounds like she's on auto-pilot throughout. The best comparison I can think of is the mess Phil Spector made of Leonard Cohen on Death Of A Ladies Man.
The search for studio atmosphere seems to have had a negative impact on her song writing too, because a lot of the craft has been reduced to stream of consciousness repetition. And it's had the same effect on Doug Pettibone - I don't hear anything here to compare with his extraordinary playing on World Without Tears or Live at the Filmore. There are no songs here to lift your spirits in the way Ventura or Overtime can. It particularly irritates me that this production makes me focus on the shallow styling rather than the content of the songs, which is at the heart of Lucinda's appeal.
So that's it, ho hum. I'm glad she's tried something exploratory and different.I'm just really, really, disappointed it turned out so smooth and pleasant in all the worst kind of ways. I think its a wrong turn, let's hope a temporary one.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is a charming album of simple and heartfelt songs, mostly gentle but intimately powerful. I found the approach thoroughly engaging, with sparse production and instrumentation complementing the lyrics and Lucinda's vocals. The simplicity of 'Mama you Sweet' (with one very long verse) draws you in to the emotion of the song. 'Are You Alright' and 'Where is my Love' are great, beautiful songs and Jenny Scheinman's expressive violin adds a unique layer to the arrangements.
I thought some of the songs could have been shorter, and that the CD might have been better with a few tracks omitted. The album isn't full of instant hits but reveals itself over time, and is well worth taking the time to get to know it.
I thought some of the songs could have been shorter, and that the CD might have been better with a few tracks omitted. The album isn't full of instant hits but reveals itself over time, and is well worth taking the time to get to know it.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Lucinda offers her eighth piece of work after a very difficult period-including the death of her mother and the end of a long-term relationship.So she takes us along a journey through her soul occasionaly producing brilliant song like UNSUFFER ME (dark like coming from Nick Cave) and , my favorite, RESCUE, which drifts along like a river in the middle of the night.With almost 10minutes in duration WRAP MY HEART AROUND THAT is a proof of rhythmic pulses and liberating her conscience.
Maybe not her masterpiece but definetely confirming her remarkable talent.
Maybe not her masterpiece but definetely confirming her remarkable talent.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A GREAT ONE FROM LUCINDA
I REALLY ENJOYED THIS CD WEST BY LUCINDA SHE NEVER SOUNDED BETTER ITS FULL OF GREAT DEPRESSING BUT A THE SAME TIME WONEDRFUL SONGS- THE SONGS TEND TO BE SLOW AS WITH ALL... Read more
Published on 17 July 2009 by Mr. Nicholas R. Muller
Oh no!
Once upon a time I honestly thought that Lucinda Williams was going to take over the Country Universe. Read more
Published on 2 Feb 2009 by Mr. C. P. Stoll
Bold, concise, emotional - and exceptionally well produced
Lucinda uses her talents to perfection on this one. The songs about loss and lost love make this a true album effort. Read more
Published on 17 Nov 2008 by J. Eddelbuettel
Unbelievable!
I am amazed at the controversy this recording has produced. I first heard 'Learning how to live' on one of those Radio 4 programmes where celebrities play each other strange tunes,... Read more
Published on 11 Nov 2008 by J. Hextall
Not Her best
I was excited to see West come out and not too bothered when I didn't hear much I liked on first listen (if I love an album on first listen then I am disappointed because it always... Read more
Published on 11 April 2008 by Leven1
one of her best
Although esssence is my favourite, i think there are stronger tracks on this album. I just love the way she breaks down the barriers between rock.blues ,country and folk. Read more
Published on 24 Feb 2008 by Msp Khan
Has Lucinda gone west ?
I agree with Rachel - this is a great work and does deserve 5 stars.
But then again, I partly agree with Bud, it's not as good as World Without Tears,
but that deserved 6... Read more
But then again, I partly agree with Bud, it's not as good as World Without Tears,
but that deserved 6... Read more
Published on 14 Sep 2007 by M. P. Chambers
Totally worth the wait...
I really couldn't let this stick with so few stars as it is worth so much more. It's been hard moving on from Live at Filmore - which to my mind is the best Lucinda album as it's... Read more
Published on 20 Jun 2007 by Rachel
Not quite worth the wait?
It's almost 4 years since Lucinda's last studio album, World Without Tears, and West is certainly not up to that standard. Read more
Published on 31 May 2007 by Bud Staff
Hardly boring!!!!
I'm new to Lucinda Williams I'm afraid so I can't possibly comment on whether this is better or worse than any of her previous material. Read more
Published on 3 April 2007 by Mike J. Wheeler
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