So I started a new Lu tradition. I went back to the bar I first heard Lu at (as told earlier in this thread), and played my (so-far, it's still early) fave 3 songs on the jukebox. I chose "Real Love", "Circles and X's" and "Jailhouse Tears".
Got the new CD today. Finally. Crazy busy with work. The wait was awful. I agree with your verdict Lash. Lu always surrounds herself with outstanding musicians. She did it again. Some of the songs really rock, may be a little more upbeat but still has that unique Lucinda vision. Love the duet with Elvis. Their voices are great together.
Beauty's where you find it. Not just where you bump and grind it.
"Jailhouse Tears"... that song is hilarious! She sang it at the last show I went to a couple of Aprils ago, and I remembered it ever since. I was happy to see it on this cd.
After multiple listenings, I'd probably call "Circles and X's" and "If Wishes Were Horses" my favorites on this disc.
NEWS... "LITTLE HONEY" will debut at # 9 on Billboard's Albums charts. I know, this is the era of declining cd sales, but still, it's a milestone for Lu.
Saw Lu play last night for the 4th time. She rawked OUT. It was at a new venue called the MINGLETON. Real nice, general admission, free draft (until it ran out).
She opened with "I Just Wanted to See You So Bad".
From SWEET OLD WORLD, she sang "Pineoloa" and "Memphis Pearl".
From CAR WHEELS ON A... she sang "Drunken Angel", "Can't Let Go", "Lake Charles" (made me cry!), and "Joy".
From ESSENCE she sang "Out of Touch", "Are You Down", and "Essence".
From WORLD WITHOUT TEARS she sang "Righteously" and "Real Live Bleeding Fingers & Broken Guitar Strings".
From WEST she sang "Unsuffer Me".
From the new cd LITTLE HONEY she sang "Real Love", "Honey Bee" (which was undoubtably my favorite performance of the night!!) "Plan to Marry" (a cd recording doesn't do it justice; it's stunningly beautiful live) and "It's A Long Way to the Top".
An encore consisted of an old blues song I didn't know and a Fats Domino song I didn't know.
(there might have been more songs, but y'know, free draft...)
GREAT SHOW. Surprisingly lite on the sad songs... I really wanted to hear "Circles and Xs" and "If Wishes Were Horses" (the 2 sweet, pretty and sad songs) from LITTLE HONEY, but this night wasn't at all about that kinda thing.
Lu was obviously having a great time. I'm going to see if I can post any of these camera-phone pictures, if they look at all like they will show up.
Hi Jerry! I don't recall her mentioning her husband.
Her hair was black (it's been blonde/white every other time I've seen her perform). She was wearing these really bad red pants with a brown "Indian fringe" jacket!
Whoa! Last night, I was surfing music videos on youtube, and I saw Lucinda's name come up, so I came to this thread to see what songs Lash recommended. I listened to a couple of them and quite liked them, but I neglected to post here!
Then, tonight, I saw this thread bumped. I thought I did it!
Watching the news of the oil spill has made me ache for the Gulf states, which in turn has made me think of Lucinda. I heard on the news today that there is oil in Lake Ponchartrain, which she mentions in this song. So sad.
I finally got "Blessed" over the weekend. I think it is Lucinda William's best album since "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road". That's high praise, indeed, since I've loved everything she's put out since then. The new CD is very no frills. It's pretty much Lucinda's words, her voice, some guitar and drums. That's a formula that really works for her.
I'm experiencing this CD a bit differently, though. Lucinda's music is always raw and emotional with more than a touch of sadness. I typically put each new CD on and play it through all the way a few times to get a feel for it. After a few listens, the initial sadness that the songs evoke gives way to hope and wonder. I'm presently in a pretty emotional state and the songs on this CD are absolutely heart wrenching. I tried all weekend to listen to it all the way through, but became overwhelmed with emotion and just had to turn it off. I finally got all the way through it today on the long drive home from a work assignment. I made it through to the final track, "Kiss Like Your Kiss" before the tears came. It will probably take a few more listens before I can get through that one. Here's hoping that effect wears off quickly. I really need Lucinda's words and music in my life right now, but can't afford to be an emotional wreck. Got to be strong.
Each song is brilliant. "Seeing Black" is becoming my favorite. It's got that hard driving guitar that adds so much to this style of music. I haven't listened to the kitchen tapes CD yet. Maybe next weekend... I imagine it's even more raw than the studio version. That's hard to imagine...
Beauty's where you find it. Not just where you bump and grind it.
I know what you mean. I actually listened to this Lucinda cd in a different way, playing in my car on a loop at very low volume. I felt for a couple of days that no song would have me bawling like "Lake Charles", "Lonely Girls" and others have done...
But even at low volume, "The Ugly Truth" snuck up on me, kicked me in the nads, stole my wallet and laughed as it ran off. This woman can write the CRAP out of a meaningful song.
I too am wondering if it might even surpass ESSENCE for me (CAR WHEELS... is IMO unsurpassable even if ESSENCE is my favorite Lu CD).
I have fully absorbed disc 1 of Lu's DOWN WHERE THE SPIRIT MEETS THE BONE. I took my time with it and gave it much more attention than I did to WEST and BLESSED. It's a top-notch collection of tunes.
This became an instant favorite. A kiss-off song for adults who have truly been through the ringer. Taylor Swift need not apply.
My favorite Lu CDs alwyays have that song that bring me to tears on first listen. SWEET OLD WORLD had that title track, CAR WHEELS ON A GRAVEL ROAD had Greenville and Lake Charles, ESSENCE did it within the first minute with LONELY GIRLS.
DOWN WHERE THE SPIRIT MEETS THE BONE threatened to with Cold Day In Hell, but it was this that unleashed the floodgates: