Clip: Kelly Willis
From today's New York Times:
Kelly Willis: Refugee From the Nashville
Factory Finds Her Own Audience
By BEN RATLIFF
Country music often prides itself on how much it can say and still be
taken at face value, but there was a lot of subtext coursing through
Kelly Willis's show on Friday night at the Mercury Lounge. She delivered
a pointed introduction for each song -- from the fact that her current and
former husbands were co-writers of one of them ("that qualifies me to be
a country singer," she joked) to the pride she took in set-list
juxtapositions (placing a morose, oblique song by the English cult
songwriter Nick Drake before "Heaven's Just a Sin Away," the cheery
70's honky-tonk hit by the Kendalls.)
But the biggest subtext had to do with the current direction of her career:
like Steve Earle before her, she is a refugee from the Nashville factory,
giving voice to her own style by going the independent-label,
alternative-country route, and feeling better for it. Three weeks ago she
appeared on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry for the first time,
something she was never able to do while she was making records for
Nashville producers.
"What I Deserve" (Rykodisc), Ms. Willis's newest CD, is her fourth
full-length album in 10 years and her first since leaving MCA, where she
was remade from a teen-age rockabilly singer into a full-fledged but
failed country diva. (There was also a hard-to-find EP released by AM
in 1996 that began her crossover.) If the title sounds petulant, perhaps it
means to be: it can be read as a message from Ms. Willis to the world of
mainstream country that she has finally found her own audience without
their help.
On the title track's chorus, she sings: "Well, I have done/the best I
can/oh, but what I've done/it's not who I am."
Her performance at the Mercury could have been read that way too,
backed by a standard hard-country quartet of fiddle, bass, lead guitar
and drums, Ms. Willis sang with a thin, exact voice, as jolting as ice
water. It doesn't have a lot of weight to it, but it cut through the band
like
a laser, with ends of words curling upward and a taut, subtle vibrato
throughout. She's a good songwriter, too, as is her husband Bruce
Robison; together they wrote the bulk of the new record's songs, which
are several degrees darker, more honest and more searching about love
and self-fulfillment than the average commercial country record.
And yet it's still a modest record, not a knockout blow. The strength of
the long set was its overwhelming confidence; though she doesn't stretch
out and deviate from the arrangements and tempos of her recordings,
Ms. Willis does seem centered and on track.
RE: Clip: Kelly Willis
Three weeks ago she appeared on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry for the first time, something she was never able to do while she was making records for Nashville producers. [Matt Benz] Yeh, using those Nashville Producers generally keeps you off of the GOO stage
CST Clip - Kelly Willis/Bruce Robison at JD's Last Night
Hi folks, Here's what you missed if you weren't at JD's! Both were excellent, but, Bruce's songwriting and singing is killer. "Desperately" still being my favorite on "Wrapped." Kelly dipped back into her repertoire for "River of Love" (shout from moi!) which she said they hadn't been doing for a while and was her favorite by ex-h, Mas Palermo. Read on * Willis offers a deserving concert * Johnny D's, Somerville, Mass., April 21, 1999 By Jeffrey B. Remz SOMERVILLE, MA. - After years of languishing between record deals, has the time come for Kelly Willis? The Austinite is touring hot on the heels of "What I Deserve," her Rykodisc debut filled with country twang and softer sounds. Two months since its release, the disc has sold a very healthy 30,000 copies. She's been atop the Americana radio charts for several weeks running. And in concert before a packed house, Willis converted a strong album into a strong performance. That is underpinned by the voice of the diminutive singer. She used it to good effect throughout the 90-minute show, capably emoting passion and pain, often in love songs. Vulnerable, yet determined. whether on the title track or her previously recorded "Heaven's Just a Sin Away," a number one hit for The Kendalls in 1977. Willis has displayed a keen sense at picking solid material. One of her favorite songwriters is her husband, Bruce Robison. Willis even sang "Take It Out on You," which she described as "the pure definition of a country song" since Robison and her ex-husband combined forces to write the musically upbeat song. She sang a few songs from her extremely limited release (Texas only) of "Fading Fast," turning in a very solid performance on the title track, which also appears on "What I Deserve." Willis was backed by a generally solid band, especially fiddler and back-up singer Amy Tivnen. Guitarist Jerry Holmes added many tasty licks as well. At times, the drumming proved a bit too loud, but usually the quartet delivered. Robison opened with a solo acoustic 35-minute set comprised of a few new songs from his upcoming summer release and songs from his "Wrapped" disc of last year. In fact, Robison offered both his version of the title song as did Willis later in his set. Both worked. While a band may often add more punch to songs, Robison's warm voice was strong enough to overcome that obstacle. Willis certainly has not had a linear career, but she now may be on the upswing once again. CST link == http://countrystandardtime.com Kate
Re: CST Clip - Kelly Willis/Bruce Robison at JD's Last Night
Kate: Here's what you missed if you weren't at JD's! Both were excellent, but, Bruce's songwriting and singing is killer. "Desperately" still being my favorite on "Wrapped." Kelly dipped back into her repertoire for "River of Love" (shout from moi!) which she said they hadn't been doing for a while and was her favorite by ex-h, Mas Palermo. It was one of the best shows I've been to this past year...Bruce and Kelly were both in top form. Both have unbelievable pipes! Almost tempted to hike out to western Mass. tonight...hmmm. Morgan
Clip: Kelly Willis
Country flame After 10 years, Kelly Willis gets what she deserves By Donna Freydkin CNN Interactive Contributing Music Writer (CNN) -- Given country singer Kelly Willis' less-than-easy sojourn in the music business, she's probably earned a certain amount of bitterness. In less than a decade, the gifted vocalist has been given the proverbial boot by her first label, MCA Nashville; lost her second recording deal; and in the last five years has had to content herself with only one promotional EP to her name. But after years of such travail, Willis has released "What I Deserve," her critically lauded labor of love. The title might seem to be a statement of Willis' vindication. But this amazingly tranquil artist swears she's not bitter. She says she's just delighted and relieved that she's had the chance to release the record she's been hearing in her head for most of her adult life. "A lot of it was backbreaking, hard and discouraging, to where I thought maybe I wasn't cut out for this thing, maybe it's just too hard for me," says Willis. "But I thought, I have to make this record for my own personal wellbeing. Once I make this record, I can quit if I choose." For Willis, the album is a triumph, proof that she has what it takes to make it in country music -- while holding onto her artistic integrity. "What I Deserve" is moody, quiet, pensive -- more alt-country than much of what's coming out of Nashville. With her throaty voice and introspective lyrics, Willis most resembles a country version of Sarah McLachlan. The album, released on independent label Rykodisc in February, is already outselling her first three albums for MCA Nashville, released in the early 1990s. "This album is a soul-searching, self-redemption album that figures out where you're going and what you want to do with your life," says Willis. No hard feelings The Oklahoma native started out fronting a rockabilly band, Kelly and the Fireballs, at age 16. In the late '80s, Willis moved to Austin, Texas, where the band attracted the attention of country singer Nanci Griffith, who caught a performance and immediately alerted MCA. So at 19, the promising Willis got a deal with the same label that was home to Griffith, Lyle Lovett and Steve Earle. A few months later, she started working on her debut album, "Well Traveled Love." And that's when the problems started. In the early 1990s, the label wanted a cute country crooner, a photogenic media star, but Willis says she was just a timid, naïve, introverted kid who wanted to make music. After releasing three albums, which collectively sold fewer than 100,000 copies and registered only with critics -- MCA dropped her. "I was young and my music sounded young, but the sound wasn't right for the time," recalls Willis. "And I was a really awkward, shy person and was not capable of being the kind of performer they really wanted. And there were other creative differences as well. I wanted to take a little time, do some different songs, and be a little more creative with it -- and that got nixed pretty early on in the recording process. "I don't feel bad about it," she says, now 10 years wiser. "I was young and inexperienced. With the experience I have now, I would have said, 'Screw you, I'm going to take more time and do what I want.' Back then, I was really intimidated by the whole thing." Willis decided to reinvent herself, and focused on writing her music. After signing with AM in 1996, she released "Fading Fast," a four-song promotional EP which featured collaborations with alt-country performers Louris, Son Volt and 16 Horsepower. But again, Willis had the rug pulled out from under her when she lost the deal with AM in 1997. Willis says she talked to a number of labels, but most of them weren't sure what she'd sound like and didn't want to take a chance on her. So she struck out on her own, making a record and shopping the finished product around to various labels. Rykodisc released her album intact. "That was my dream -- there was no conflict or controversy. Everyone was happy with what was happening and that was ideal," Willis says. So far, the response has been staggeringly positive, earning Willis ink in Time, Spin and Rolling Stone. She says she's more surprised than anyone. "I didn't think about what people's reactions would be," she says. "In a small part of my mind, I did. But mostly, I was just desperate to get the record made. I never thought what would happen beyond that. I just knew I would move forward after it." The recognition couldn't have come at a better time for Willis, who says she was ready to abandon her lifelong dream of making music her way for a safer and steadier day job. Sweet victory A decade after being dropped by MCA Nashville, a jubilant Willis is in Atlanta, following a triumphant performance at Nashville'
yet another kelly willis story
if anyone is interested, this is from the CNN page, just behind the war news and a high school shooting story: http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/Music/9904/20/kelly.willis/index.html there's another story at about puff daddy beating up a record exec. -george
Re: Up for Kelly Willis Bruce Robison NYC?
Bob says: Amy gets my vote for P2 party animal of the year. But don't award it at Twangfest, since she'll have to be awakened to receive it... They've already awakened me at Twangfest once, although in my defense, that was at about 4:15 AM. And remember, I am the woman who says "Fun is overrated." g Any other members of the mostly rumored NYC contingent planning to go? To sleep on your couch? Would they fit? This may be much more interesting than Twangfest... Well, it is a big couch... --Amy
Re: Up for Kelly Willis Bruce Robison NYC?
At 1:13 AM -0400 on 4/10/99, Amy Haugesag wrote: I'm planning on going to the Saturday show, since on Friday nights I prefer to have a sleepfest--you know, that's when you come home, take a nap, wake up, have a glass of wine, and go back to sleep. Amy gets my vote for P2 party animal of the year. But don't award it at Twangfest, since she'll have to be awakened to receive it... Any other members of the mostly rumored NYC contingent planning to go? To sleep on your couch? Would they fit? This may be much more interesting than Twangfest... Bob
Up for Kelly Willis Bruce Robison NYC?
Well, I'm not only going to miss Merle Haggard Meets Mike Ireland while I'm out of town, I'll miss the Mike Ireland and Joe Pernice follow-up at the Mercury Lounge on the 20th too... On the other hand, Keely Willis Bruce Robison are at the Mercury Lounge NYC on Friday the 23rd AND Saturday the 24thI only saw enough of them at SXSW to want to see more. If others from these parts or elsewhere are planning to catch these one of those nights--let me know which! Barry M.
Re: Good covers (was: Kelly Willis calling the shots)
You know, I'm glad this came up because as we speak I'm taping some of the Pine Valley Cosmonauts LP. What strikes me is that the songs which fail do so because they spotlight vocalists who are weak singers. Or, maybe it's that they are trying to adopt the Wills arrangements too strictly, which were able to feature a singer as fitted for those arrangements as Tommy Duncan was. This is probably why Merle and Willie and George Strait can pull off Western Swing. It's not that their bands aren't all respectively brilliant, it's just that each of their voices is distinctively complementary. As Willie might say, they're aging with time like yesterday's wine. I hope some of these folks on the PVC do stick with the swing, maybe they'll have a great album before long. Or maybe someone should convince Dwight Yoakam to sing with the band. you are so right about the pine valley cd which i have tried to like but finally gave up on for that exact reasonmusically i like lots of and vocally some of but it just winds up a pale comparison to some really good weatern swingi am far from a purist on this but some folks just don't have the voice (or should i say phrasing) to pull off these songsoh well, i guess bob wills is still the king
Re: Good covers (was: Kelly Willis calling the shots)
This covers thread raised a question for me -- what's it called when an artist -- I'm thinking of Dave Alvin, specifically -- "covers" a tune that he wrote for a band that he played in, but didn't sing, and covers it in a wildly different (and better, in Alvin's case) fashion? Border Radio, Romeo's whatever, a few others. I'll try to think of some other artists who did this sort of thing. -- Terry Smith ps so when's mandy barnett's new one coming out?
Re: Good covers (was: Kelly Willis calling the shots)
At 4:39 PM -0400 4/4/99, Amy Haugesag wrote: Well, referencing Peggy Lee's "Fever" isn't going to win any points with me, as I don't love either the song or her toneless version of it. If this loses me major kitsch-cred points, that's fine with me. Well thanks, I guess, for pointing out to me that I'm just respondingly ironically to the faked sensations of artistic rubbish. How ever could I have thought I sincerely liked the song on its own merits? g But I used the word "rehash" advisedly. I think it's possible and even fairly common to do a note-for-note rendition of someone else's song and *still* bring something of oneself--usually having to do with the distinctive voice that Ross mentions--to it. A rehash, on the other hand, is nothing more than a carbon copy of a song, one that doesn't add any distinctiveness of voice or anything else. A talented artist can sing a note-for-note rendition of a song they didn't write and still make it their own, by virtue of having a) a distinctive voice and b) emotional honesty, and specifically the ability to give the listener a sense that the song resonates emotionally for the singer as it did for the writer or original performer. I certainly agree with all of that, but I don't think that's the same thing as saying "all good covers" should be "reinterpretations rather than rehashes". Unless you are saying that a note-for-note remake is a reinterpretation when you like it and a rehash when you don't like it. A note-for-note remake, I'd say, is almost always giving the song the same interpretation as the original, whether it works or not. Ross Whitwam[EMAIL PROTECTED] Molecular Pharmacology Therapeutics Program Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, NYC
Re: Good covers (was: Kelly Willis calling the shots)
This covers thread raised a question for me -- what's it called when an artist -- I'm thinking of Dave Alvin, specifically -- "covers" a tune that he wrote for a band that he played in, but didn't sing, and covers it in a wildly different (and better, in Alvin's case) fashion? Border Radio, Romeo's whatever, a few others. I'll try to think of some other artists who did this sort of thing. -- Terry Smith How about when Bob Dylan covers Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away," but the arrangement of the song adheres pretty closely to the Dead's version? Is there a name for that? Isn't it Harmolodic Bifurcation? OR maybe I'm thinking of Caesarean Retrofication? Yeah, that's it. Lance . . .
Re: Good covers (was: Kelly Willis calling the shots)
How about when Bob Dylan covers Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away," but the arrangement of the song adheres pretty closely to the Dead's version? Is there a name for that? Isn't it Harmolodic Bifurcation? OR maybe I'm thinking of Caesarean Retrofication? Yeah, that's it. Lance . . . Oh, that's called "copying"... Barry
Re: Good covers (was: Kelly Willis calling the shots)
At 4:39 PM -0400 4/4/99, Amy Haugesag wrote: Well, referencing Peggy Lee's "Fever" isn't going to win any points with me, as I don't love either the song or her toneless version of it. If this loses me major kitsch-cred points, that's fine with me. Well thanks, I guess, for pointing out to me that I'm just respondingly ironically to the faked sensations of artistic rubbish. How ever could I have thought I sincerely liked the song on its own merits? g Whoa there, Dr. Ross. I don't recall mentioning anything about irony, faked sensations, or artistic rubbish. All I said was that I don't like the song or Peggy Lee's voice, and I mentioned its kitsch appeal (which I think is undeniable). I've been known to rail against ironic detachment at the least provocation, but this wasn't one of those instances, and I wasn't commenting on your reaction to the song (about which I know nothing) at all. Sheesh. --Amy
Re: Good covers (was: Kelly Willis calling the shots)
Dr. Ross writes: I love the whole record, even the not-as-good-as-the-first-version "Fading Fast," and I'm especially impressed with the Nick Drake and Replacements covers, which are reinterpretations rather than rehashes, just like all good covers should be. Tsk tsk. So Peggy Lee's "Fever", Bob Dylan's "Broke Down Engine", and Merle's "San Antonio Rose" (to name just three rehashes that immediately came to mind) are not good covers? I'd say there are lots of way to make good covers. An artist with a strong, distinctive voice -- and I'd put all of the above in that category -- can make a note-for-note remake of a song and still make a recording I find valuable on the strength of the subtle variations that that distinctive voice brings to the song. Stepping up for Jon W. who is probably tired of making this point (except he probably would not require even subtle variations if the cover was performed with good grace and skill), Well, referencing Peggy Lee's "Fever" isn't going to win any points with me, as I don't love either the song or her toneless version of it. If this loses me major kitsch-cred points, that's fine with me. But I used the word "rehash" advisedly. I think it's possible and even fairly common to do a note-for-note rendition of someone else's song and *still* bring something of oneself--usually having to do with the distinctive voice that Ross mentions--to it. A rehash, on the other hand, is nothing more than a carbon copy of a song, one that doesn't add any distinctiveness of voice or anything else. A talented artist can sing a note-for-note rendition of a song they didn't write and still make it their own, by virtue of having a) a distinctive voice and b) emotional honesty, and specifically the ability to give the listener a sense that the song resonates emotionally for the singer as it did for the writer or original performer. In fact, radical reinterpretations tend not to work as well for me (for the most part--though I do like some complete overhauls, including the aforementioned punk rock version of "Pink Moon" that Sebadoh did) as do subtle reinterpretations like Kelly Willis does with the songs by Nick Drake and the Replacements. The songs are still recognizable (though "Time Has Told Me" may not be immediately so, at least on casual listen), and they don't stray all that far from the originals, but they're twangified enough to fit Kelly's style; hearing her do an English-folkie-style "Time Has Told Me" or an indie-rock "They're Blind" would have been weird. Way more detail than I wanted to get into. --Amy "Ain't no use in hanging around/Emptiness swallows its own path/I watch my weakness go down easy/And I pray it won't last..." (The Damnations TX)
RE: Good covers (was: Kelly Willis calling the shots)
Amy says: A talented artist can sing a note-for-note rendition of a song they didn't write and still make it their own, by virtue of having a) a distinctive voice and b) emotional honesty, and specifically the ability to give the listener a sense that the song resonates emotionally for the singer as it did for the writer or original performer. Exactly, and what's spooky, at least to me, is that while sometimes the emotional resonance is responsible for the "note-for-note" rendition, sometimes it's the other way around - that is, by concentrating fiercely on doing just what the original did, you achieve the emotional identification; by playing it, you become, for a moment, the original performer. I read a comment very much along these lines not too long ago from some performer or other, and now I can't find it; when I do, I'm going to post it, just to show that even if I'm crazy in looking at it this way, I'm not the only nut. Jon Weisberger Kenton County, KY [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://home.fuse.net/jonweisberger/
RE: Good covers (was: Kelly Willis calling the shots)
Any, then, Jon says the following, on covers: Exactly, and what's spooky, at least to me, is that while sometimes the emotional resonance is responsible for the "note-for-note" rendition, sometimes it's the other way around - that is, by concentrating fiercely on doing just what the original did, you achieve the emotional identification; by playing it, you become, for a moment, the original performer. I read a comment very much along these lines not too long ago from some performer or other, and now I can't find it; when I do, I'm going to post it, just to show that even if I'm crazy in looking at it this way, I'm not the only nut. You're not alone in this view at all, Jon. Don't have time for a detailed discussion, but I've never notice any pattern or rule to distinguishing "good" from "bad" covers. I don't consider a cover "secondary" to the "original," in fact. One could cite numerous covers that outdo the "originial" in various ways, or that work *even though* they're note-for-note copies, or work as completely reinterpretations. As best I can tell, there's just no rule. It's like for any kind of performance: some work, some don't I've never yet found a general rule to distinguish the succesful from the unsuccessful ones. If I had, I'd do all good covers g. -junior
Re: Good covers (was: Kelly Willis calling the shots)
You know, I'm glad this came up because as we speak I'm taping some of the Pine Valley Cosmonauts LP. What strikes me is that the songs which fail do so because they spotlight vocalists who are weak singers. Or, maybe it's that they are trying to adopt the Wills arrangements too strictly, which were able to feature a singer as fitted for those arrangements as Tommy Duncan was. Whatever the case, some of the vocalists on the PVC's album sure sound like they're used to singing rock 'n' roll songs, so they're unable to hide behind (or among) the band because the band is arranged around them. Their vocal "deficiencies" aren't as big a liability in most rock 'n' roll environments because they need only be tunefully enthusiastic, not sensitively collaborative. So, the PVCs band is shit-hot, but more than a few of the singers aren't up to the challenge. This is probably why Merle and Willie and George Strait can pull off Western Swing. It's not that their bands aren't all respectively brilliant, it's just that each of their voices is distinctively complementary. As Willie might say, they're aging with time like yesterday's wine. I hope some of these folks on the PVC do stick with the swing, maybe they'll have a great album before long. Or maybe someone should convince Dwight Yoakam to sing with the band. Lance, smoking T for Texas . . .
Re: Kelly Willis calling the shots
Bob Wray writes: I am somewhere in between of these two on my evalution of the entire album but I wanted to bop out of lurker land and say that Willis' cover of "Time Has Told Me" is just incredible to my ears. As a minor Drake fan(atic), I almost always prefer his originals to others but Willis' cover blew me away and made the purchase of an otherwise so-so album worthwhile. I can imagine this cover might contend for my song of the year, but the album will not. FWIW. I love the whole record, even the not-as-good-as-the-first-version "Fading Fast," and I'm especially impressed with the Nick Drake and Replacements covers, which are reinterpretations rather than rehashes, just like all good covers should be. When I first heard that Kelly was going to cover a Nick Drake song, before I actually heard the record, I had trepidations; Lucinda's fine rendition of "Which Will" Sebadoh's great version of "Pink Moon" notwithstanding, I've always seen Nick as one of those artists who just shouldn't be covered, because the originals are nearly impossible to improve upon. But by slightly reworking the tempo and phrasing of "Time Has Told Me," Kelly Willis makes the song fit the record's overall style and gives it an entirely new feel. It's nothing like Nick Drake's version, really, and that's why it works. And the choice of "They're Blind," much of which can serve as a metaphor for Kelly's whole career, is inspired too; with her heartfelt delivery, the song sounds convincingly wounded rather than just pissy (as the 'Mats version did). Definitely in my top 10 of the year and certain to stay there. --Amy
Re: Drake (Re: Kelly Willis calling the shots)
Neal: Which reminds me, any minor or major Drake fan want to offer up a good starting point into that artist's catalog? I need to go buy yet another CD that I've never gonna have enough time to appreciate to its fullest. Sigh... Neal, Neal, Neal. How can you call yourself a rock critic if you don't know and love Nick Drake? Don't you know that all rock critics are required to love Nick Drake, along with the rest of the "critics' darlings"? Does the Rock Critic Licensing Office know about this? We may have to turn you in. The sampler culled from the boxed set (I think it's called Way to Blue, but CRS syndrome is affecting me tonight) isn't a bad place to start, but I'll agree with Jim Roll and recommend just buying the boxed set. Once you fall in love with Nick Drake--and you will, Neal--you'll want to own all of his stuff anyway, and though buying a boxed set of an artist you're not familiar with may sound kind of drastic, there is virtually no risk that you won't be glad you bought it. Three equally gorgeous records, plus the four harrowing, beautiful posthumously released tracks--you really can't go wrong. If you insist on starting with a single record, though, Bryter Layter is the record that most people consider Nick's best. (I can't pick a favorite, myself.) --Amy
Re: Drake (Re: Kelly Willis calling the shots)
Which reminds me, any minor or major Drake fan want to offer up a good starting point into that artist's catalog? I need to go buy yet another CD that I've never gonna have enough time to appreciate to its fullest. Sigh... as a starting point and ending point i always turn to five leave left which will forever remind me of the dark brooding period of time when i discovered this dark brooding piece of workdrake is one of those artists that you tend to love or hate and i do love his work although he is one of those i listen to only when in a certain moodand usully that mood is dark when i dogive all his work a chance but i do suggest five leaves to begin with as for kelly willis and her versioni love her new record but her version of "time has told me" just doesn't quite work for methat is probably largely due to the fact that i enjoy the original so much but her version just doesn't capture the mood of drake'snow, if her cover opens some eyes and makes people wonder who nick drake is then ms. willis will have done a lot of good...i do hope more will check drake out and maybe this is a start of course lucinda williams did a very nice cover of drake's "which will" that is as brooding as drake so often was but then for some reason i believe drake and lucinda might have been able to relate on certain issuesthe woman knows how to brood pretty well as she has shown
Good covers (was: Kelly Willis calling the shots)
At 12:27 AM -0500 4/3/99, Amy Haugesag wrote: I love the whole record, even the not-as-good-as-the-first-version "Fading Fast," and I'm especially impressed with the Nick Drake and Replacements covers, which are reinterpretations rather than rehashes, just like all good covers should be. Tsk tsk. So Peggy Lee's "Fever", Bob Dylan's "Broke Down Engine", and Merle's "San Antonio Rose" (to name just three rehashes that immediately came to mind) are not good covers? I'd say there are lots of way to make good covers. An artist with a strong, distinctive voice -- and I'd put all of the above in that category -- can make a note-for-note remake of a song and still make a recording I find valuable on the strength of the subtle variations that that distinctive voice brings to the song. Stepping up for Jon W. who is probably tired of making this point (except he probably would not require even subtle variations if the cover was performed with good grace and skill), Ross Whitwam[EMAIL PROTECTED] Molecular Pharmacology Therapeutics Program Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, NYC
Re: Kelly Willis calling the shots
Excerpts from internet.listserv.postcard2: 1-Apr-99 Re: Kelly Willis calling th.. by Will [EMAIL PROTECTED] The song choices are often weak. A couple of the originals are good, but I get to wishing there was a producer there to separate the wheat from the chaff. I disagree. I think she does a great job of interpreting the Nick Drake song, brought a minor Replacements tune to life, and did yet another fine Paul Kelly cover. Add in fine guitar work by Chuck Prophet John Dee Graham and _What I Deserve_ is a lock for my year-end Top 10. Carl Z.
Re: Kelly Willis article in Nashville Scene
At 1:59 PM -0800 on 4/1/99, Don Yates wrote: At this point, Willis has left her early rockabilly influences behind. In search of a more mature sound, she has chosen to record songs about searching for love, for identity, for a reason for being. I'll heave a Tom Ekeberg Memorial Sigh here. Bob
Re: Kelly Willis calling the shots
Date: Fri, 2 Apr 1999 09:48:46 -0500 (EST) From: Carl Abraham Zimring [EMAIL PROTECTED] Excerpts from internet.listserv.postcard2: 1-Apr-99 Re: Kelly Willis calling th.. by Will [EMAIL PROTECTED] The song choices are often weak. A couple of the originals are good, but I get to wishing there was a producer there to separate the wheat from the chaff. I disagree. I think she does a great job of interpreting the Nick Drake song, brought a minor Replacements tune to life, and did yet another fine Paul Kelly cover. Add in fine guitar work by Chuck Prophet John Dee Graham and _What I Deserve_ is a lock for my year-end Top 10. I am somewhere in between of these two on my evalution of the entire album but I wanted to bop out of lurker land and say that Willis' cover of "Time Has Told Me" is just incredible to my ears. As a minor Drake fan(atic), I almost always prefer his originals to others but Willis' cover blew me away and made the purchase of an otherwise so-so album worthwhile. I can imagine this cover might contend for my song of the year, but the album will not. FWIW. Bob NP: WCBN (still homesick -- and hash bash is tomorrow)
Drake (Re: Kelly Willis calling the shots)
Soron writes: As a minor Drake fan(atic), Which reminds me, any minor or major Drake fan want to offer up a good starting point into that artist's catalog? I need to go buy yet another CD that I've never gonna have enough time to appreciate to its fullest. Sigh... Neal Weiss
Re: Drake (Re: Kelly Willis calling the shots)
On Fri, 2 Apr 1999 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Which reminds me, any minor or major Drake fan want to offer up a good starting point into that artist's catalog? I need to go buy yet another CD that I've never gonna have enough time to appreciate to its fullest. Sigh... Oh my fucking God does Nick Drake rule!! I would do the inevitable and buy the four CD box set. Personally Pink Moon and Bryter Later(sp?) are my favorites . . . but 5 Leaves Left has Cello Song (the prettiest song ever) and at least a couple of other essentials. And I am afraid I cannot listen to Kelly's cover of Nick knowing his version . . . just doesn't cut it, sorry. Just buy the box. And make sure you listen through a couple of times. The initial impressions are typically tame . . . but the payoff is one of the largest imaginable. My opinions of course . . . -jim
Re: Drake (Re: Kelly Willis calling the shots)
Neal Weiss writes: Which reminds me, any minor or major Drake fan want to offer up a good starting point into that artist's catalog? I need to go buy yet another CD that I've never gonna have enough time to appreciate to its fullest. Sigh... Yeah, there's a real nice single-disc best-of collection on Rykodisc that'll serve you in good stead. If you want one of the real albums, I'd probably start with "Five Leaves Left." --Jon Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] Wollaston, Massachusetts
Re: Drake (Re: Kelly Willis calling the shots)
Speaking of, has anyone read that biography of Drake that's around these days. Being cheap, I haven't bothered to skim one of those expensive-looking hardcovers I see everywhere. But I will probably consider it when remainder / paperback time rolls around... --junior
Re: Drake (Re: Kelly Willis calling the shots)
James Roll wrote: On Fri, 2 Apr 1999 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Which reminds me, any minor or major Drake fan want to offer up a good starting point into that artist's catalog? I need to go buy yet another CD that I've never gonna have enough time to appreciate to its fullest. Sigh... Oh my fucking God does Nick Drake rule!! I would do the inevitable and buy the four CD box set. Personally Pink Moon and Bryter Later(sp?) are my favorites . . . but 5 Leaves Left has Cello Song (the prettiest song ever) and at least a couple of other essentials. And I am afraid I cannot listen to Kelly's cover of Nick knowing his version . . . just doesn't cut it, sorry. I was in Neal's boat awhile back and asked a couple of Drake fanatics (the fan abbreviation does seem inappropriate here) and they both gave me, more or less, Jim's answer, per the box set. But as Jim said, it's not gonna grab you right away and takes some aural marination, so sounds like you're just outta luck Neal. g Nah, I bought FIVE LEAVES LEFT and I like it, but the corner hasn't been turned into fanaticism yet. b.s. n.p. Roger Miller box, disc1
Re: Drake (Re: Kelly Willis calling the shots)
Ahhh . . . a chance to wax on the wonderful work of Nick Drake. None captures the twisted personal beauty of despair quite like him. You can truly hear him sinking into the end of his life on record. You can't go wrong with any of the discs. The compilation, "Way to Blue", is a great and representative sampling. The other extreme is just to buy the box set of 4 CDs . . . almost every track is great. The individual albums rank like this for me: Five Leaves Left - gorgeous stuff, a real competitor of "Astral Weeks" Bryter Layter - a more English folk-rock feel, great if you are a Fairport Convention et al. fan (some of those musicians appear) Pink Moon - wacked-out, sometimes abstract, largely solo, a great but somewhat slight record By the way, I'm fairly thumbs-down on the Kelly Willis cover. She's a little too sweet for the song. "A troubled cure/ for a troubled mind" just doesn't sit right unless sung by the spooked Mr. Drake. "Cradle of Love" is much better for her approach. JJM -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: passenger side [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Friday, April 02, 1999 3:38 PM Subject: Drake (Re: Kelly Willis calling the shots) Soron writes: As a minor Drake fan(atic), Which reminds me, any minor or major Drake fan want to offer up a good starting point into that artist's catalog? I need to go buy yet another CD that I've never gonna have enough time to appreciate to its fullest. Sigh... Neal Weiss
Re: Drake (Re: Kelly Willis calling the shots)
On Fri, 2 Apr 1999, William F. Silvers wrote: Nah, I bought FIVE LEAVES LEFT and I like it, but the corner hasn't been turned into fanaticism yet. I don't think I would have turned the corner ever with Five Leaves Left. Definitely either Bryter Layter (orchestrated) or Pink Moon (solo). I'm tellin' ya . . . -jim
Re: Drake (Re: Kelly Willis calling the shots)
On Fri, 2 Apr 1999, John Magee wrote: sweet for the song. "A troubled cure/ for a troubled mind" just doesn't sit right unless sung by the spooked Mr. Drake. "Time has told me you're a rare rare find a troubled cure for a troubled mind" fully agree. This is among my top two or three lines ever BTW. -jim
Re: Drake (Re: Kelly Willis calling the shots)
On the "me too" front, all Nick Drake is good. My favorite is the very spare _Pink Moon_, but _Way to Blue_ is an ideal introduction. Carl Z.
Kelly Willis article in Nashville Scene
Sense of Self
Deserving singer finally comes into her own
By Michael McCall
After nearly a decade in the music business, Kelly Willis is finally
hitting her stride. The Austin, Texas-based singer has always made good
records, but it's only recently that she has been able to determine her
own musical identity. As she intones pointedly on the title track of her
new album, What I Deserve, "I have done the best I can, but what I've done
is not who I am."
Those lines pretty much sum up Willis' experience on Music Row in the
early '90s, when over the course of three critically lauded albums for MCA
Records, she failed to score a single country radio hit. Listening again
to those albums, it's evident that Willis was an unusually capable country
vocalist, and that the work she created ranks among the most interesting
Nashville records of the period. But in retrospect, it's clear that she
never settled into a style that was completely her own.
At their best, Willis' MCA releases displayed her knack for putting a
souped-up twang into rockabilly tunes and for summoning complex emotions
on certain ballads. But these albums ultimately came off as failed
attempts at finding a middle ground between the songs she wanted to do and
the songs that might get her airplay on country radio.
Truth is, Willis isn't the kind of singer modern country radio likes;
she's far too complicated for that. Unlike straight-ahead belters Trisha
Yearwood and Martina McBride, she owns a vinegary, twangy voice that needs
room to slur words and slide delicately through its range. Hers isn't a
voice meant for putting across clear-spoken emotions or fist-pumping
anthems; Willis is better at expressing hidden things.
That's why What I Deserve ranks as the first true Kelly Willis album of
her career--or at least the first record that capitalizes on her strengths
rather than compromising them. The new collection completes a journey that
Willis started in 1993, when MCA cut her from its roster, just as it had
released her third album. "It was a real blow," she says. "I was real
hurt. I wasn't prepared for the timing of it. I was so attached to
everyone there, and suddenly it was like we weren't family anymore."
Eventually, she saw her severance as a blessing. "I was feeling lost
musically, says the soft-spoken Willis, whose youthful shyness of a decade
ago has evolved into a kind of quiet, reserved strength. "So I thought the
best thing to do was just start over, as if I had never had a career,
hadn't put any records out, and had the freedom to be whoever I want to
be."
She spent a couple of years writing songs, letting her feelings lead her
to new musical ground. Signed by AM Records, she spent time in the studio
with several leaders of the mid-'90s alternative country movement,
recording songs backed by Son Volt, Sixteen Horsepower, and members of the
Jayhawks. "For the first time, I didn't feel any pressure in the studio,"
Willis says. "I experimented with different elements and got to figure out
how I wanted to sound."
Those sessions led to the release of a striking four-song sampler, Fading
Fast. Before she got to release a complete album, however, AM underwent
the first of many corporate shakeups. Teresa Ensenat, the executive
guiding Willis' career, left the company. The singer was cut soon
afterward.
"I didn't feel as scared as you might think," she says of losing her
second record contract. "I had kind of dealt with it before, and I wasn't
as freaked out about it. Besides, I figured I would land on my feet."
She did. Quickly snatched up by Rykodisc, a leading independent record
company, Willis revisited the tapes she'd created for AM. She retooled a
few songs and recorded several more with a hand-picked group of musicians,
including guitarists Mark Spencer, Chuck Prophet, John Dee Graham, and
Lloyd Maines. The result is What I Deserve.
"I found out that I can be myself and still make a record," she says. "For
the first time, I'm not pretending to be anything I'm not. I found out
that I can be completely in control of my own recording, and I never had
to do that before. Now that I know I can do that, I feel really
comfortable with it."
At this point, Willis has left her early rockabilly influences behind. In
search of a more mature sound, she has chosen to record songs about
searching for love, for identity, for a reason for being. "I'm 30 years
old now, and I feel real good about presenting these songs at this time in
my life. I feel like they're songs you can grow old with."
They include an ambitious range of covers, including songs by Nick Drake
("Time Has Told Me"), Dan Penn ("Real Deep Feeling"), Paul Kelly ("Cradle
of Love"), and Paul Westerberg (The Replacements' "They're Blind"). But
the most memorable work comes from closer to home: Two of the best
Kelly Willis, for a mere $112.50
Could someone explain why the first Kelly Willis record has a high bid of $112.50 in this ebay auction? http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=80858721 TWM np: Prairie Home Companion -- Tom Mohr usually here: [EMAIL PROTECTED] sometimes here: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Kelly Willis, for a mere $112.50
In a message dated 3/27/99 5:59:13 PM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Could someone explain why the first Kelly Willis record has a high bid of $112.50 in this ebay auction? Because she is so dang cute? Slim
Kelly Willis
Last Summer when I was in St. Louis for Twangfest I heard a CD compilation in a local record store that included Kelly Willis and Robbie Fulks. Could anyone tell me the title of this? Thanks.
Re: Kelly Willis
Tom writes: Last Summer when I was in St. Louis for Twangfest I heard a CD compilation in a local record store that included Kelly Willis and Robbie Fulks. Could anyone tell me the title of this? Uprooted on Shanachie. JC
RE: Tweedy @ Salon, Kelly Willis
At 1:40 PM -0500 on 3/17/99, Matt Benz wrote: I'm also kinda disappointed with Kelly Willis' release. I guess I was hoping for something more along the lines of "Kelly Willis," a harder country sound. This is too ...erm.americana for my tastes, at least some of it. Still, it is her voice, so I'll live and still play it. Saw an old video of heres from the "Bang Bang" days in which she fully participates in one of them modern country videos. Yowza. Yeah. I bought it because it was $9 at Borders -- if you're going to patronize evil places, at least don't give 'em much -- and it struck me as a $9 record. Not that good, not that bad. I'm looking forward to seeing her in a couple of weeks, but I doubt the CD will go into any sort of rotation here. Maybe it'll grow on me... but probably not. And I damn near needed a crowbar to get it out of the damn plastic case. The reason those Rykodisc tines break is that they aren't made to move when you take out the CD. np - Bruce Robison, Wrapped, and maybe he should've had more influence on her CD, since this one's mighty fine... Bob
RE: Tweedy @ Salon, Kelly Willis
[Matt Benz] Well, in many ways, I identify with Tweedy, since I grew up with much the same musical influences, I suspect, and hell, I jump around myself musically. But then, no one asks me about that, nor do I have an adoring audience following my every move. Well, I do, but a court order should take care of that problem. Anyhoo, what I mean to say is I understand what he wants to do musically, and again, I'm not one of them ND purists. But like Purcell, I haven't really got into Wilco that much. Not sure why, but it isn't cause of betrayal or anything. Just don'tlike it...much. I'm also kinda disappointed with Kelly Willis' release. I guess I was hoping for something more along the lines of "Kelly Willis," a harder country sound. This is too ...erm.americana for my tastes, at least some of it. Still, it is her voice, so I'll live and still play it. Saw an old video of heres from the "Bang Bang" days in which she fully participates in one of them modern country videos. Yowza.
RE: Tweedy @ Salon, Kelly Willis
was: gimmackry sp should have been: gimmickry...previous post...was:here sp should have been: hear. my brain...it is not letting my finger's work properly today...plus I'm very related to several english teachers. g BTW, Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all!
RE: Tweedy @ Salon, Kelly Willis
At 01:40 PM 3/17/99 -0500, you wrote: [Matt Benz] Well, in many ways, I identify with Tweedy, since I grew up with much the same musical influences, I suspect, and hell, I jump around myself musically. But then, no one asks me about that, nor do I have an adoring audience following my every move. Well, I do, but a court order should take care of that problem. Anyhoo, what I mean to say is I understand what he wants to do musically, and again, I'm not one of them ND purists. But like Purcell, I haven't really got into Wilco that much. Not sure why, but it isn't cause of betrayal or anything. Just don'tlike it...much. You've got the right perspective... You understand where he's coming from, yet you don't like it 'cause it just doesn't resonate with you... That's cool... Personally I think this a really good/interesting record (time will tell if it stays on my repeat listens list). I don't know if its the unabashed Brian Wilson influence or what? Maybe it's just that I'm a hopeless popster myself...g Ultimately, I think it's that he's written some strong tunes once again and they're to be found beneath the studio gimmackry... I'm also kinda disappointed with Kelly Willis' release. I guess I was hoping for something more along the lines of "Kelly Willis," a harder country sound. This is too ...erm.americana for my tastes, at least some of it. Still, it is her voice, so I'll live and still play it. Saw an old video of heres from the "Bang Bang" days in which she fully participates in one of them modern country videos. Yowza. I'm actually new to Kelly Willis. I just picked up the record and really like it. Yes indeed, her voice is very beautiful and that carries me through alot of it. I also like the fact that she chose a few choice covers (Drake and Westerberg respectively)... Louris' contribututions are great to boot, particularly "Happy with that". "Not Long for this World" is a fine closer... Not sure if it's been discussed? The new Paul Westerberg Record...Best post Replacements release... Agree? Disagree? Discuss. g morgan
Re: Tweedy @ Salon, Kelly Willis
Check out the Time magazine this week. Richard Corless -- one hell of a reviewer, but mainly movies -- drools over Kelly Willis new one. I'll confess, though, I couldn't figure out what the hell he was trying to say, and moreover missed anything about the way the record "sounds," other than a bunch of vagaries about the feel, versus the sound, of Willis' voice. -- Terry Smith
Re: Kelly Willis (was Re: The Mountain (LONG w/1999 Reviews)
One more Kelly Willis note. If you have a copy of the Fading Fast ep that you're willing to part with, it's been going for over thirty bucks on ebay recently. http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=75030986 -- Tom Mohr at the office: [EMAIL PROTECTED] at the home: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Kelly Willis (was Re: The Mountain (LONG w/1999 Reviews)
(i.e. Real: Tom T. Hall Project and Rig Rock Deluxe) and her duet w/ Farrar on Rex's Blues on the Red Hot Bothered. It is weird, she must be the single greatest compilations-related artist of all time, all 3 of those songs are just incredible. dan
Re: Kelly Willis (was Re: The Mountain (LONG w/1999 Reviews)
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: (i.e. Real: Tom T. Hall Project and Rig Rock Deluxe) and her duet w/ Farrar on Rex's Blues on the Red Hot Bothered. It is weird, she must be the single greatest compilations-related artist of all time, all 3 of those songs are just incredible. dan Perhaps someone's already mentioned this, but her "Me and Mr. Jones" on _Wandering Eyes_ is just incredible too. -- Tom Mohr at the office: [EMAIL PROTECTED] at the home: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Kelly Willis (was Re: The Mountain (LONG w/1999 Reviews)
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: (i.e. Real: Tom T. Hall Project and Rig Rock Deluxe) and her duet w/ Farrar on Rex's Blues on the Red Hot Bothered. It is weird, she must be the single greatest compilations-related artist of all time, all 3 of those songs are just incredible. dan It's a real shame we never got to hear more of Farrar and Willis working together. Their voices work really well together. Both Rex's Blues and Truckstop Girl are incredible. I have an interview somewhere where the interviewer describes them sitting around in the studio, just pickin old chestnuts and enjoying feeling their voices wrap around each other. Stevie
Re: Kelly Willis song comments
Excerpts from internet.listserv.postcard2: 10-Mar-99 RE: Kelly Willis song comments by "Jon Weisberger"@fuse.ne Amen. I think if she covered (You Can Put Your) Shoes Under My Bed... OK, I'm bettin' this is a different song than the great Johnny Duncan hit, "She Can Put Her Shoes Under My Bed," right? Yep. A Paul Kelly original, first recorded on his acoustic record _Post_ (1984), later done with a full band on _Comedy_ (1991). The latter record also features an enjoyable rewrite of "Dallas From a DC-9" entitled "Sydney From a 707". Carl Z.
Re: Kelly Willis song comments
At 04:25 PM 3/10/99 -0600, you wrote: Stuart asks: Who is Damon Bramblett? He's an Austin based singer/songwriter. Good friends with Kelly and Bruce. He's supposedly got a record in the can that was supposed to come out on Watermelon (ha!). I've seen him play a couple of times and he's pretty entertaining. Jim, smilin' He is very influenced by Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan (who isn't but you can really hear those people in his songs). He has a song on Charlie Robison's latest cd and Sara Hickman also covered him on one of her cds. Jerald
Kelly Willis song comments
If anyone's interested - I got these off the Ryko press promo for Kelly's
new album. I find behind-the-scenes info extremely interesting.
Several things -
"Got A Feelin' For Ya" is a retitling of the song
"Real Deep Feeling" (as she calls it in the notes).
And an album of Paul Kelly covers? Bring it on!
Any mistypings are likely mine.
Chris
--
Take Me Down (KW/Gary Louris)
One of several songs I've written with him. This song was inspired by a very
bad boyfriend.
What I Deserve (KW/Gary Louris)
I started this song in a hotel room when I was extremely lonely. Chuck's phase
shifted guitar is my favorite part of this recording.
Heaven Bound (Damon Bramblett)
Damon Bramblett has a very unique style and you should hear him sometime. I
think I know what this song's about but he's not telling.
Talk Like That (KW)
I did a press conference in Mexico with Ricky Skaggs once and the way he
spoke sounded like family to me. Being an army brat, I've never felt like I
had a place to call home but I came to realize I was from a time and people,
more than a place.
Not Forgotten You (Bruce Robison)
Wrapped (Bruce Robison)
Bruce has a gift for melody, but not only that his lyrics are natural. I'm
drawn into his songs emotionally and not just because I hope they're about
me.
Cradle of Love (Paul Kelly)
This is the second Paul Kelly song I've recorded. Maybe I'll do an entire
album someday! I started working this song with the band before it even
occured to me that there might be something sexy going on here.
Got A Feelin' For Ya ("Real Deep Feeling" - (Dan Penn/Chuck Prophet))
I had so much fun recording with Chuck Prophet. He played this song for
me and all I wanted to do was sing just like him. So I got him to sing
it with me. Everyone had fun making this record!
Time Has Told Me (Nick Drake)
This may be the most beautiful love song I've ever heard. And it's a
contender for my favorite recording on the album.
Fading Fast (KW/John Leventhal)
This song was on a promotional EP of demos I made at AM Records. I was
afraid it would never get heard so I recorded it again.
Happy With That(KW/Gary Louris)
Amy Farris is a show stealer. She may have stolen this recording too.
They're Blind (Paul Westerberg)
Westerberg lyrics of course appealed to the "under-appreciated artist" in
me! If someone can help you romanticize your plight in life, more power
to them. I thought it would be great to do a country version of thsi song.
We didn't really do that, but it's countrier than his version.
Not Long for This World (KW/John Leventhal)
You can usually tell when your life is about to change dramatically, but
you ignore it, thinking it might go away. This is about that moment of
acknowledgement.
Re: Kelly Willis song comments
Excerpts from internet.listserv.postcard2: 10-Mar-99 Kelly Willis song comments by Hill, Christopher J@PSS. And an album of Paul Kelly covers? Bring it on! Amen. I think if she covered (You Can Put Your) Shoes Under My Bed, she'd score a very large hit. Carl Z.
Re: Kelly Willis song comments
Thanks for this, Chris
Chuck Prophet is just such a effing STAR. It's a crime that this man is not as big
as, I dunno, Tom Petty...
Stevie
What I Deserve (KW/Gary Louris)
I started this song in a hotel room when I was extremely lonely. Chuck's phase
shifted guitar is my favorite part of this recording.
Got A Feelin' For Ya ("Real Deep Feeling" - (Dan Penn/Chuck Prophet))
I had so much fun recording with Chuck Prophet. He played this song for
me and all I wanted to do was sing just like him. So I got him to sing
it with me. Everyone had fun making this record!
Re: Kelly Willis song comments
Hill, Christopher J wrote: If anyone's interested - I got these off the Ryko press promo for Kelly's new album. I find behind-the-scenes info extremely interesting. Heaven Bound (Damon Bramblett) Damon Bramblett has a very unique style and you should hear him sometime. I think I know what this song's about but he's not telling. Ive been wondering about this song myself. Anyone got any insights? I like it alot. Who is Damon Bramblett?
Re: Kelly Willis song comments
Stuart asks: Who is Damon Bramblett? He's an Austin based singer/songwriter. Good friends with Kelly and Bruce. He's supposedly got a record in the can that was supposed to come out on Watermelon (ha!). I've seen him play a couple of times and he's pretty entertaining. Jim, smilin'
Re: Kelly Willis song comments
On Wed, 10 Mar 1999 16:23:24 -0800 stuart said: Hill, Christopher J wrote: If anyone's interested - I got these off the Ryko press promo for Kelly's new album. I find behind-the-scenes info extremely interesting. Heaven Bound (Damon Bramblett) Damon Bramblett has a very unique style and you should hear him sometime. I think I know what this song's about but he's not telling. Ive been wondering about this song myself. Anyone got any insights? I like it alot. Who is Damon Bramblett? I've been trying to figure this song out too. Is the singer sympathetic to the protagonist of the song? Is it a putdown of an old flame? Come on, this list hasn't had a good debate about the meaning of a song since the infamous "Radar Gun" wars. Evan Cooper p.s. I saw Damon Bramblett last year at SXSW and thought he was right up there with sliced bread. Reminded me a lot of Johnny Cash. Same rumbling voice and a very compelling stage presence to boot.
Re: Kelly Willis song comments
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: On Wed, 10 Mar 1999 16:23:24 -0800 stuart said: Hill, Christopher J wrote: If anyone's interested - I got these off the Ryko press promo for Kelly's new album. I find behind-the-scenes info extremely interesting. Heaven Bound (Damon Bramblett) Damon Bramblett has a very unique style and you should hear him sometime. I think I know what this song's about but he's not telling. Ive been wondering about this song myself. Anyone got any insights? I like it alot. Who is Damon Bramblett? I've been trying to figure this song out too. Is the singer sympathetic to the protagonist of the song? Is it a putdown of an old flame? Come on, this list hasn't had a good debate about the meaning of a song since the infamous "Radar Gun" wars. Evan Cooper p.s. I saw Damon Bramblett last year at SXSW and thought he was right up there with sliced bread. Reminded me a lot of Johnny Cash. Same rumbling voice and a very compelling stage presence to boot. Well at first it reminded me of kind of a Band/Dylan/late Beatles kind of vibe about leaving the scene. Now I think its a kind of epitaph about someone who fatally overdosed. Maybe both
RE: Kelly Willis song comments
And an album of Paul Kelly covers? Bring it on! Amen. I think if she covered (You Can Put Your) Shoes Under My Bed... OK, I'm bettin' this is a different song than the great Johnny Duncan hit, "She Can Put Her Shoes Under My Bed," right? Jon Weisberger Kenton County, KY [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://home.fuse.net/jonweisberger/
Playlist: Fringe featuring Kelly Willis, 03/06/1999
Howdy, Mrs. Robison, are you trying to seduce me? Tonight's extended tour to the Fringe featured Kelly Willis' new disc, What I Deserve. In addition to fine cuts from that disc, the following artists made their Fringe debut: Aunt Pat, Neil Diamond, The Gourds, Julie Miller, Old Dogs, Red Clay Ramblers, Paul Weller, Robin and Linda Williams. That's some list. Here's how it all came together... Fringe -- Episode #25 -- 9 PM to Midnight WDVX- FM -- Clinton/Knoxville, TN -- March 6, 1999 After Midnight -- The Seldom Scene -- After Midnight -- Sugar Hill Don't Forget the Coffee Billy Joe -- R.B. Morris -- Real: The Tom T. Hall Project -- Sire Johnny 99 -- Bruce Springsteen -- Nebraska -- CBS Time Has Told Me -- Kelly Willis -- What I Deserve -- Rykodisc Cottonbelt -- Lone Justice -- This World Is Not My Home -- Geffen Rock Star -- The Ditchdiggers -- Cow Patty Bingo -- Go Kat Go Fall on Me -- Cry, Cry, Cry -- Cry, Cry, Cry -- Razor Tie Not Forgotten -- Kelly Willis -- What I Deserve -- Rykodisc I Wish You Would -- The Blasters -- American Music -- Hightone 1968 -- Dave Alvin -- Blackjack David -- Hightone Take Me Down -- Kelly Willis -- What I Deserve -- Rykodisc Bean Bowl -- The Gourds -- Ghosts of Hallelujah -- Munich Cherry, Cherry -- Neil Diamond -- The Greatest Hits, 1966-1992 -- Columbia Oscar -- Aunt Pat -- Patoo -- IOU (was scheduled to appear live in-studio tonight, but had to cancel) Harlan Man -- Steve Earle and the Del McCoury Band -- The Mountain -- E-Squared (3/5@Tennessee Theater, Knoxville) She Always Lands on Her Feet -- The Bystanders (3/6@WDVX [Tennessee Saturday Night] and the Tomato Head, Knoxville) Rolling and Rambling -- Robin and Linda Williams -- Devil of a Dream -- Sugar Hill (3/6@Down Home, Johnson City) Fading Fast -- Kelly Willis -- What I Deserve -- Rykodisc All My Love Is Gone -- Lyle Lovett -- Joshua Judges Ruth -- MCA/Curb Anthracite -- The Deliberate Strangers -- Mood Music for Snake Handlers -- Payday Wrapped -- Kelly Willis -- What I Deserve -- Rykodisc Ellen -- The Derailers -- Reverb Deluxe -- Watermelon Goodnight Loser -- The V-Roys -- Just Add Ice -- E-Squared Positively 4th Street -- Jimmy LaFave -- Trail -- Bohemia Beat What I Deserve -- Kelly Willis -- What I Deserve -- Rykodisc A Little Bit of Bad -- NRBQ -- New Music -- CMJ Your Memory Won't Die in My Grave -- Willie Nelson -- Spirit -- Island Breaking Glass -- Nick Lowe -- Basher: The Best of Nick Lowe -- Columbia Instant Love -- The Countrypolitans -- Tired of Drowning -- Ultrapolitan Hey Joe -- Jerry Douglas -- Slide Rule -- Sugar Hill Happy With That -- Kelly Willis -- What I Deserve -- Rykodisc Roses in the Snow -- Emmylou Harris -- Roses in the Snow -- Warner Brothers Patty McBride -- Bare Jr. -- Boo-Tay -- Immortal Hot Lunch -- Asylum Street Spankers -- Hot Lunch -- Cold Spring Cradle of Love -- Kelly Willis -- What I Deserve -- Rykodisc You Do Something To Me -- Paul Weller -- New Music, October 1995 -- CMJ Young Man's Job -- Old Dogs -- Old Dogs -- Atlantic Heaven Bound -- Kelly Willis -- What I Deserve -- Rykodisc Sideways -- The Cheeksters -- Hey, What's Your Style -- Caterina Sounds I Call On You -- Julie Miller -- Blue Pony -- Hightone Hello in There -- John Prine -- John Prine -- Atlantic (3/25@Paramount, Bristol) Carrie Brown -- Steve Earle and the Del McCoury Band -- The Mountain -- E-Squared Merchants Lunch -- Red Clay Ramblers -- 20th Anniversary Sampler -- Flying Fish Hotel Arizona -- Wilco -- Being There -- Reprise They're Blind -- Kelly Willis -- What I Deserve -- Rykodisc Keys to the Highway -- Jimmy LaFave -- Trail -- Bohemia Beat ...and as the ride comes to a halt, thanks for taking a trip to the Fringe. Please keep the automatic seat bar closed until the car has totally stopped moving and exit to your left... Next week, the Fringe features Jimmy LaFave and his new disc, Trail. Coming soon: a Fringe web site... In the meantime, keep the cards, letters, ant farms, and CDs coming to: Shane Rhyne 208 W. Glenwood Avenue, #2 Knoxville, TN 37917 Take care, Shane Rhyne Knoxville, TN [EMAIL PROTECTED] NP: something I don't recognize...
Re: Kelly Willis Michael Been?
Slonedog wrote: > On first glance, Been, while a great bass player, doesn't seem a > likely choice to play bass on an alt-country album. So my question > is this: how did he hook up with Kelly? Is he spending his > post-Call days as a session player? Is he a friend of hers or > what? Any other fans of the Call out there know the story? Is Kelly Willis is an active Christian? It might make sense from that angle. Been is outwardly Christian, and I know he's done stuff with Mark Heard, Bruce Cockburn, and, I think, Vigilantes of Love and T- Bone Burnett. Despite some of the keyboard sounds being somewhat dated, The Call's best efforts still rock. I saw them do an outdoor show on the riverfront in Cinti. Just as they kicked into The Walls Came Down, a big ol' thunderstorm came rolling up the river. The band kicked into double-time and did a fiery, almost-punk version of their hit, it was awesome. Dave np: John Anderson - Greatest Hits (speaking of covers and such, he covers "Keep Your Hands To Yourself") here *** Dave Purcell, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Northern Ky Roots Music: http://w3.one.net/~newport Twangfest: http://www.twangfest.com
Re: Kelly Willis Michael Been?
Oh, Purcell's back. It's just old home week around here, n'est-ce-pas (as they say down on the bayou). Millenial anxiety, sheer coincidence, or the inescapable lure of twang subculture? You decide. --junior
Re: Kelly Willis Michael Been?
Excerpts from internet.listserv.postcard2: 3-Mar-99 Kelly Willis Michael Been? by [EMAIL PROTECTED] how did he hook up with Kelly? Is he spending his post-Call days as a session player? Is he a friend of hers or what? Any other fans of the Call out there know the story? I don't know exactly how he KW hooked up, but he's still in the Bay Area and has worked with Chuck Prophet, so that may teh the connection. Carl Z. saddened over the Dusty Springfield news
RE: Kelly Willis Michael WHERE YA Been PURCELL?
I was thinking it must be time for the annual "Name Dave Purcell's latest band" contest, but I hear he already -yes, that's right- already has come up with a name. Unfortunately, it's not "Cakehole." -Original Message- From: Ph. Barnard [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Wednesday, March 03, 1999 5:07 AM To: passenger side Subject: Re: Kelly Willis Michael Been? Oh, Purcell's back. It's just old home week around here, n'est-ce-pas (as they say down on the bayou). Millenial anxiety, sheer coincidence, or the inescapable lure of twang subculture? You decide. --junior
RE: Kelly Willis Michael WHERE YA Been PURCELL?
Darn, I'd been saving up band names. "We are not the undead but merely indulge in ironic covers..." was a leading contender this year. --junior
RE: Kelly Willis Michael WHERE YA Been PURCELL?
Matt wrote: I was thinking it must be time for the annual "Name Dave Purcell's latest band" contest, but I hear he already -yes, that's right- already has come up with a name. Unfortunately, it's not "Cakehole." Yep, we do. We're Holsum (like the bread company). Our drummer saw it on a thrift-store delivery shirt I wore to practice. We're not really wholesome, so I guess that makes us ironic. Geddit? At any rate, it beat the hell out of the name we'd tentatively booked a couple shows under, which was the Factory Girls (after the Stones song of the same name). Dave np: Mark Lanegan - Scraps at Midnight *** Dave Purcell, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Northern Ky Roots Music: http://w3.one.net/~newport Twangfest: http://www.twangfest.com
RE: Kelly Willis Michael WHERE YA Been PURCELL?
On Wed, 3 Mar 1999, Dave Purcell wrote: Yep, we do. We're Holsum (like the bread company). Our drummer saw it on a thrift-store delivery shirt I wore to practice. Is this shirt kinda like a Hawaiian shirt, with the logo all over it? Or is it more of a traditional delivery kinda shirt? I used to own one of the former kind, bought, ironically enough, at a thrift store. -- Geff King * [EMAIL PROTECTED] * http://www2.ari.net/gking/ "Don't let me catch you laughin' when the jukebox cries" - Kinky Friedman, "Sold American"
RE: Kelly Willis Michael WHERE YA Been PURCELL?
Geff King wrote: Is this shirt kinda like a Hawaiian shirt, with the logo all over it? Or is it more of a traditional delivery kinda shirt? It's the latter, but I've seen the former on Ebay. They're sweet. Dave *** Dave Purcell, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Northern Ky Roots Music: http://w3.one.net/~newport Twangfest: http://www.twangfest.com
RE: Kelly Willis Michael WHERE YA Been PURCELL?
On Wed, 3 Mar 1999, Matt Benz wrote: I was thinking it must be time for the annual "Name Dave Purcell's latest band" contest, but I hear he already -yes, that's right- already has come up with a name. Unfortunately, it's not "Cakehole." No, it's not Cakehole but something kinda white bready, kinda all-American, Wholesome/Holsum.something like that! Big G! Best of luck to that hairband in any case. Hey, if Purcell's in the band they have to qualify as a hairband, don't they? NP: Kelly Willis JC
RE: Kelly Willis Michael WHERE YA Been PURCELL?
Boy don't you hate it when people take your original subject line and go off on some weird tangent. Just kidding, Slonedog -Original Message- From: Jerry Curry To: passenger side Sent: 3/3/99 1:29 PM Subject: RE: Kelly Willis Michael WHERE YA Been PURCELL? On Wed, 3 Mar 1999, Matt Benz wrote: I was thinking it must be time for the annual "Name Dave Purcell's latest band" contest, but I hear he already -yes, that's right- already has come up with a name. Unfortunately, it's not "Cakehole." No, it's not Cakehole but something kinda white bready, kinda all-American, Wholesome/Holsum.something like that! Big G! Best of luck to that hairband in any case. Hey, if Purcell's in the band they have to qualify as a hairband, don't they? NP: Kelly Willis JC
Kelly Willis
I picked up What I Deserve yesterday, and from the first couple of spins I like it at least as much as Bang Bang (up til now my favorite of her records). It's more uptempo than I'd been led to expect, and the record sounds like it should get played all over the radio. All this and some tasty Chuck Prophet guitar work to boot. Color me impressed. Anyone have tour dates for her? Carl Z.
Re: Kelly Willis
At 12:39 AM 3/2/1999 Carl Z. wrote: Anyone have tour dates for her? Yup. Sorry for the ugly formatting, off Pollstar. Now I gotta figure out which show to travel to... 03/06/99 Houston TX Mucky Duck 03/09/99 Davis CA Palms Playhouse 03/10/99 Monterey CA Doc's Nightclub 03/11/99 San Francisco CA Slim's 03/13/99 Hollywood CA Jack's Sugar Shack 03/20/99 Austin TX SxSW Convention 03/31/99 St. Louis MO Side Door 04/01/99 Chicago IL Schuba's 04/02/99 Chicago IL Schuba's 04/03/99 Minneapolis MN Lee's Liquor Lounge 04/06/99 Pittsburgh PA Graffiti Showcase 04/07/99 Columbus OH Little Brother's 04/08/99 Lexington KY Lynagh's 04/09/99 Nashville TN Exit / In 04/10/99 Memphis TN Newby's 04/11/99 Atlanta GA Smith's Olde Bar 04/16/99 Philadelphia PA Tin Angel 04/17/99 Alexandria VA Birchmere 04/21/99 Somerville MA Johnny D's 04/22/99 Northampton MA Iron Horse Music Hall 04/23/99 New York NY Mercury Lounge 04/24/99 New York NY Mercury Lounge 05/06/99 Austin TX Carlos' N Charlie's Bar Grill 05/07/99 Fort Worth TX Billy Bob's "The truth ain't always what we need, sometimes we need to hear a beautiful lie." -Bill Lloyd
Kelly Willis Tour Dates
Kelly's web site kellywillis.com currently has dates for March and April. She will be touring w/ a new band (Amy Farris, Rafael Goyel and Jerry Holmes) and all April dates have Bruce Robison opening (how convenient). A bunch of us NY P2'ers are already warming up the car for our April 22 road trip to see her play Northampton Mass. Jeff
Re: Kelly Willis Tour Dates
Jeff Sohn wrote: Kelly's web site kellywillis.com currently has dates for March and April. When she was on Crook Chase (what a goofy-ass show) last week, she said she was going to be touring Europe later in the spring. -- Tom Mohr at the office: [EMAIL PROTECTED] at the home: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Kelly Willis Tour Dates
Howdy, Arrgh. Bill Silvers posted Kelly Willis' latest tour schedule which includes, in part... 04/08/99--Lexington KY-- Lynagh's 04/09/99--Nashville TN-- Exit / In 04/10/99--Memphis TN-- Newby's 04/11/99--Atlanta GA-- Smith's Olde Bar No. No. No. This is geographically non-efficient. A *much* better schedule would go like this... Lexington, Nashville, ***Knoxville***, Atlanta. Memphis can be added on the way to that second Texas leg of the concert series. Look at map. See? I'm right. I'm only looking out for Ms. Willis' best interests here. The Nashville-Knoxville-Atlanta drive is a lot less grueling and perilous than the Nashville-Memphis-Atlanta drive. I wonder if I can get them to reconsider? Take care, Shane Rhyne Knoxville, TN [EMAIL PROTECTED] NP: Rural String Bands of Tennessee
Martina (was Re: Kelly Willis Review from Salon)
Louise said: I can never understand the popularity of Martina McBride. To me she is blandness personified. Maybe that's the answer. I don't think Martina McBride is bland. She always seems lively. She has done some bland songs, but blandness personified? That would be, um, Mindy McCready, I think. Martina has done some good songs over the years. Some that I like from her 1995 "Wild Angels" album are her versions of "Two More Bottles of Wine", "Swingin' Doors" (not the Haggard song, though--the one that Molly the Heymakers recorded a few years ago) and "Cry On the Shoulder of the Road" (Levon Helm contributed to this one--I saw him sing it with her on a TV show--ugh, I think the G-man was her other guest). I think many people here would like Martina's 1992 album, "The Time Has Come" very much--full of steel, fiddle, some yodeling, some killer country weepers, and in general very traditional sounds. I really like "Cheap Whiskey" even though it's got bombastic drums. (I'm glad that I'm unable to tell the GB is doing background vocals on this.) Dina
Re: Kelly Willis Review from Salon
First of all, the guy puts this in print not bothering to get Trisha Yearwood's name spelled correctly. Secondly, he hasn't paid attention to those who have said and proven that they wanted to "get back to basics" and make "real country records" or the labels who have signed artists having a more "country" feel. Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, LeeAnn Womack, Patty Loveless, the return to form of Dwight Yoakam, a hearty welcome back to Randy Travis, Alan Jackson still cranking out country, Steve Wariner getting some due; or does this guy just judge his country music by the crossover appeal of the likes of Rimes, Twain, Brooks, McBride, Yearwood? He may not be wrong with McBride though who has had some very good country moments and who does have a gorgeous voice. "Evolution" is probably her most pop-type record to date. "The Way That I Am" is a pretty good example of her skills as a country singer. Maybe the pop/rock influence combined with the vocal theatrics we've seen of late with mostly female country singers is what his real gripe is. "Trampoline" with its latin rhythms and that one twenties-vaudeville-sung-through-a-megaphone-type-song may never have made a big dent in the country charts, even a few years ago. Quite frankly, the album is more of an alternative output than any other recording The Mavericks have ever done. Alison Krauss - may not be so much as a "barb" against her as trying to prove his point - again a critic citing that production points toward the "realness" of an artist. Real by whose standards? Is it by the production quality which existed in the forties, fifities or sixties? Or is he saying that a more pared-down accompaniment is crucial to "keeping it country". Is country music really how many instruments one can bring to the recording studio or is it really about feeling? Is this reviewer hearing lush accompaniment and likens all such recordings to the bargain basement of music or is he listening with an open mind. Is he wishing to jump on a bandwagon of those critics who state everything which is wrong with country music and glamorize their "hip" knowledge by refusing to glamorize the "what's right" . Tera Kelly Willis "What I Deserve" Rykodisc Flesh and blood KELLY WILLIS' NEW ALBUM, "WHAT I DESERVE," IS AN ANTIDOTE TO THE SLICKNESS THAT'S RUINED COUNTRY MUSIC. BY CHARLES TAYLOR | A few years ago, without really intending to, I stopped listening to most new country music. When the most enthusiasm I could muster for certain new records was, "Well, it's not as slick as it might be," I realized that I had simply stopped expecting the genre to produce anything much of interest. The slicking up of country music was nothing new; it had been going on at least since the countrypolitan sound of the '60s. But in the last few years that slickness has felt like a stake through the heart. I suppose I could learn to tell Shania's voice from Tricia's from Deana's from Mindy's if I put my mind to it. But nothing I've heard has made the trouble it would take seem worth it. More popular than ever, country music is also -- as a form -- more debased than ever. Turn to your local country station or switch on TNN and what you hear is less the country sound than representations of that sound, voices and guitars that twang as if they'd been programmed, everything stripped of the dirt of experience. The truth is that the themes country music has traditionally dealt with -- sin, loss and its acceptance, redemption or the refusal of it -- have no place in a genre that has been reduced to the manufactured emotion of party songs, empowerment songs (for the women singers), MOR ballads. The sort of schlocky material done by the singers that people in their 40s and late 30s grew up seeing on talk shows -- the likes of Jerry Vale, Sandler and Young, Vic Damone -- is now being churned out in a country idiom. The "rock" side of country is no less safe. For aging rock audiences, the flashy stage shows of performers like Garth Brooks or Shania Twain are a sort of security blanket, allowing people who long ago stopped paying attention to rock 'n' roll to feel as if they're still in the fold. The bright spots have been sparse. I continue listening to Martina McBride because, despite all the second-rate material and musicianship she settles for, I still hear a real person when she sings. (And I'm not ready to give up on anyone who delivered as powerful a performance as "Independence Day," perhaps the greatest single of the decade, certainly the most subversive.) But McBride's success is not likely to encourage her to take on the material or sidemen that would challenge her. And I don't know when we're likely to hear another album from Bobbie Cryner, whose 1995 "Girl of Your Dreams," the toughest set of marriage songs since Ric
Re: Martina (was Re: Kelly Willis Review from Salon)
Howdy, You know, I've already taken some ribbing on P2 for it and it makes poor ol' Slim nearly gag to death when I say it, but count me as a fan of Martina McBride. I don't catch the "blandness" label that folks seem to put on her. Of course, I also happen to believe that "Independence Day" is one of the best songs of the decade (since folks seem to be in a mood to compile such data). And, I'd happily count "Cheap Whiskey," as one of my personal favorites as well. (For that matter, I think y'all might benefit from a listen to her debut album, The Time Has Come, which features "Cheap Whiskey" and other tunes that make for a pretty solid debut performance. The album also includes backing support from Carl Jackson and Kathy Chiavola, an overlooked voice in her own right.) I find that McBride is capable of using her talent to deliver a country-pop tune, a ballad, or what you guys sometimes refer to as a "real" country song. Regardless of what type of song she's performing, I generally have no trouble finding the country-influence in it, unlike (to pick on an easy target) some of Shania's most recent efforts (although, Twain does carry a definite country influence in earlier works. She will, I imagine, eventually jump with both feet onto the pop side of the fence, as Mr. Weisberger suggested earlier.) Here's the part that'll probably make Slim choke on his tongue... I have no qualms about placing McBride among some of the notable other female country singers who mixed a sometimes "pop-oriented" sound with country-rooted ballads and "down home" finger poppin' music. One that comes to mind pretty quickly in that group is Jeannie C. Riley, but others who fit that description pretty well include Tammy Wynette and Donna Fargo. At least, that's how my ears hear it. Take care, Shane Rhyne Knoxville, TN [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Kelly Willis Review from Salon
http://www.salonmagazine.com/ent/music/feature/ Kelly Willis "What I Deserve" Rykodisc Flesh and blood KELLY WILLIS' NEW ALBUM, "WHAT I DESERVE," IS AN ANTIDOTE TO THE SLICKNESS THAT'S RUINED COUNTRY MUSIC. BY CHARLES TAYLOR | A few years ago, without really intending to, I stopped listening to most new country music. When the most enthusiasm I could muster for certain new records was, "Well, it's not as slick as it might be," I realized that I had simply stopped expecting the genre to produce anything much of interest. The slicking up of country music was nothing new; it had been going on at least since the countrypolitan sound of the '60s. But in the last few years that slickness has felt like a stake through the heart. I suppose I could learn to tell Shania's voice from Tricia's from Deana's from Mindy's if I put my mind to it. But nothing I've heard has made the trouble it would take seem worth it. More popular than ever, country music is also -- as a form -- more debased than ever. Turn to your local country station or switch on TNN and what you hear is less the country sound than representations of that sound, voices and guitars that twang as if they'd been programmed, everything stripped of the dirt of experience. The truth is that the themes country music has traditionally dealt with -- sin, loss and its acceptance, redemption or the refusal of it -- have no place in a genre that has been reduced to the manufactured emotion of party songs, empowerment songs (for the women singers), MOR ballads. The sort of schlocky material done by the singers that people in their 40s and late 30s grew up seeing on talk shows -- the likes of Jerry Vale, Sandler and Young, Vic Damone -- is now being churned out in a country idiom. The "rock" side of country is no less safe. For aging rock audiences, the flashy stage shows of performers like Garth Brooks or Shania Twain are a sort of security blanket, allowing people who long ago stopped paying attention to rock 'n' roll to feel as if they're still in the fold. The bright spots have been sparse. I continue listening to Martina McBride because, despite all the second-rate material and musicianship she settles for, I still hear a real person when she sings. (And I'm not ready to give up on anyone who delivered as powerful a performance as "Independence Day," perhaps the greatest single of the decade, certainly the most subversive.) But McBride's success is not likely to encourage her to take on the material or sidemen that would challenge her. And I don't know when we're likely to hear another album from Bobbie Cryner, whose 1995 "Girl of Your Dreams," the toughest set of marriage songs since Richard and Linda Thompson's "Shoot Out the Lights," showed how real feeling might be possible in the slick country mainstream. Country radio has become so rigidly formatted that a few years ago the Mavericks' last album, "Trampoline," which you might have expected to spawn hit after hit, was ignored as too rock 'n' roll (and ignored as too country by rock stations). After his last album, "Unchained," which got no airplay, won a Grammy, Johnny Cash took out ads in the industry trade publications in which he expressed thanks "to the Nashville music establishment and country radio for your support" -- alongside a 1969 picture of him giving the finger to the camera. There's no better example of what's wrong with country radio than the fact that you won't hear artists like Shaver (whose "Tramp on Your Street" may be the finest country album of the decade) or Alison Krauss, perhaps the purest voice in country right now. The bits of slickness that crept into "So Long, So Wrong," the last album from Krauss and her band, Union Station, suggested she was in for a long, uncertain fight to continue playing her music the way she wanted. All this is by way of breathing a sigh of relief that Kelly Willis' new album, "What I Deserve," a title that seems both boastful and ironic, is a sure sign that she has rejected the mainstreaming moves of her last album, 1993's "Kelly Willis." Willis has sacrificed some of the rockabilly flavor of her first two albums, 1990's "Well Traveled Love" and 1991's "Bang Bang." "What I Deserve" is a darker piece of work, and a more coherent one. The emotions and playing on the album are all of a piece, a darker piece. Which is why you're not likely to hear anything from "What I Deserve" on any airwaves near you. "No, you don't get off easy," Willis sings toward the end of the record, and the line sticks because it comes at a time when country music is all about getting off easy, about disposable emotion. "What I Deserve" is about being in the grip of emotions so big they seem not as if they started inside the singer, but as if they were w
RE: Kelly Willis Review from Salon
Flesh and blood KELLY WILLIS' NEW ALBUM, "WHAT I DESERVE," IS AN ANTIDOTE TO THE SLICKNESS THAT'S RUINED COUNTRY MUSIC. BY CHARLES TAYLOR | A few years ago, without really intending to, I stopped listening to most new country music. When the most enthusiasm I could muster for certain new records was, "Well, it's not as slick as it might be," I realized that I had simply stopped expecting the genre to produce anything much of interest. Am I the only person who thinks that that was the point at which Mr. Taylor should have considered not writing about new country music? And then to single out Martina McBride as a noble exception, while backhanding Alison... What a maroon. Sorry, Neal. Jon Weisberger Kenton County, KY [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://home.fuse.net/jonweisberger/
Re: Kelly Willis Review from Salon
BY CHARLES TAYLOR | A few years ago, without really intending to, I stopped listening to most new country music. When the most enthusiasm I could muster for certain new records was, "Well, it's not as slick as it might be," I realized that I had simply stopped expecting the genre to produce anything much of interest. Am I the only person who thinks that that was the point at which Mr. Taylor should have considered not writing about new country music? And then to single out Martina McBride as a noble exception, while backhanding Alison... What a maroon. Sorry, Neal. No prob here, Jon. I agree with you. Taylor instantly ruins his cred by saying he hasn't paid attention to the genre for X number of years. But worse, to me, is that he makes himself the star of the review. I can't stand that. Leave the "I" out of it. Neal Weiss
Re: Kelly Willis Review from Salon
Jon Weisberger wrote: Am I the only person who thinks that that was the point at which Mr. Taylor should have considered not writing about new country music? And then to single out Martina McBride as a noble exception, while backhanding Alison... What a maroon I can never understand the popularity of Martina McBride. To me she is blandness personified. Maybe that's the answer. I happen to think that Kelly Willis' Nashville stuff is pretty exceptional. Bang Bang, I'll Try Again, Shadows Of Love, Sincerely, World Without You. You have to say that Nashville had a hand in creating some pretty amazing music here. If you look at select parts of Nashville output you can get a pretty good selection of music. How about 455 Rocket or A Lover Is Forever? I'll never write off Nashville as being a place that can put out something to knock your socks off every now and then. I mean it's not like I like *all* alt.country. Nashville gets a lot of criticisms around here, so I thought I'd add my 'friendly' opinion. The Alison Krauss comment was pathetic. Louise np Fading Fast (again) --- If you like rocking country music, check out the Okeh Wranglers web site at: http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/bluesmoke
Re: Kelly Willis on CD TV
Jeff Sohn wrote: KW will be on Crook Chase this Thursday, February 25. Original broadcast that day w/ repeat next morning. According to the Chicago Tribune's online tv listings, she'll be on Thursday at 2 p.m. and Friday at 9 a.m. That's Central Standard Time. Tried to confirm by checking TNN's online listings but they're kinda clunky. -- Tom Mohr at the office: [EMAIL PROTECTED] at the home: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: Paul Kelly? RE: Kelly Willis on CD TV
Excerpts from internet.listserv.postcard2: 23-Feb-99 Paul Kelly? RE: Kelly Will.. by Hill, Christopher J@PSS. her cover of Paul Kelly's "Cradle of Love" is outstanding. The Australian Paul Kelly? I can't find "Cradle of Love" anywhere on his discography. Is it the Kelly of Paul K the Weathermen? It's him; dunno when he wrote the song, or if he'll release it someday. Willis also covered his Hidden Things about eight years ago. Carl Z. fave PK records: Comedy Gossip
Paul Kelly? RE: Kelly Willis on CD TV
her cover of Paul Kelly's "Cradle of Love" is outstanding. The Australian Paul Kelly? I can't find "Cradle of Love" anywhere on his discography. Is it the Kelly of Paul K the Weathermen? Chris
RE: Paul Kelly? RE: Kelly Willis on CD TV
AUSTRIAN??!!!
Surely you mean AUSTRALIAN!!!
Pulllaase!
Junior Walker
--
From: Jeff Sohn[SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Reply To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Wednesday, 24 February 1999 5:06
To: passenger side
Subject: Re: Paul Kelly? RE: Kelly Willis on CD TV
I don't think Paul Kelly ever recorded this song ("Cradle of Love")
himself. It was previously covered by Anne Kirkpatrick- I suspect another
Austrian artist.
"Hidden Things" is on KW's BANG BANG cd and is the title track of Paul
Kelly's 1992 cd.
Jeff Sohn
Re: Steve Earle/Kelly Willis - Britain's Daily Telegraph
At 06:02 AM 2/20/99 -0800, you wrote: Musician magazine reviews the Kelly Willis in its March issue. The review is glowing. I think the record is very strong as well. ALSO, Westerberg interviewed in same issue. I heard Musician folded.. Anyone? Jeff Miles of Music mail order http://www.milesofmusic.com FREE printed Catalog: (818) 883-9975 fax: (818) 992-8302, [EMAIL PROTECTED] Alt-Country, rockabilly, bluegrass, folk, power pop and tons more.
Steve Earle/Kelly Willis - Britain's Daily Telegraph
Here's a couple of reviews in today's Daily Telegraph. Don't think much of the Kelly Willis one, although she had a picture with it. -- Steve Earle and the Del McCoury Band The Mountain (E2/Grapevine) Few albums make such a good first impression as Steve Earle's new disc. It's like an infectious rash you can't leave alone. In contrast to the tracks on El Corazon - his maudlin, though terrific previous album -The Mountain is a collection of catchy bluegrass songs written by Earle in homage to master bluegrassman Bill Monroe. Each tune, brilliantly performed by the Texan Del McCoury Band, is a gem, combining the pacy, individual melodies of banjo, mandolin and fiddle. This deceptively simple music is the sound of hillbillies at play, the sound of pure, genuine country and, as such, finds little favour with Nashville's rhinestones sophisticates. None of this will bother Earle, who has spent a lifetime upsetting people. Run-ins with authority - from his schoolboy days when he brandished a sawn-off shotgun in class to the time he was jailed for assaulting a policeman - have often been reflected in the angry, rock-tinged songs about the plight of working men. Behind all this is the pain of songwriting, which he has likened to living with a wild animal: "It's that unexplainable force that causes you to be depressed. As long as the Beast is there, I know I will always write." He's still writing, better than ever, and, in shifting from blue-collar to bluegrass with these cheery, hand-clapping songs, it appears he's tamed that Beast. Kelly Willis What I deserve (Rykodisc) Kelly Willis's voice is described as "mellow" by her publicists, and it is true that on the weaker tracks here she lives down to this uninspiring tag. Her voice is soothing, but also bland and soporific on the below-average love songs written by her husband, Bruce Robison. Elsewhere, though, it is throaty, raw and full of character. On tracks such as Take Me Down, about a lousy boyfriend, and Dan Penn's Real Deep Feeling, the singing is strong enough to stand comparison with the muscular performance of someone such as Wynonna. In the five years since her previous full-length album, the Austin-based singer writer and guitarist has changed styles. On this, her forth record, she's ditched the honky tonk and the Texas rockabilly and blues in favour of more mainstream material. The best track is her own Talk Like That, a nostalgic look back at family ties. It is a wistful reminder of what a good country song is meant to be: a poignant story well told. --- Louise -- If you like rocking country music, check out the Okeh Wranglers web site at: http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/bluesmoke
Re: Steve Earle/Kelly Willis - Britain's Daily Telegraph
Musician magazine reviews the Kelly Willis in its March issue. The review is glowing. I think the record is very strong as well. ALSO, Westerberg interviewed in same issue. ---Louise Kyme [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Here's a couple of reviews in today's Daily Telegraph. Don't think much of the Kelly Willis one, although she had a picture with it. -- Steve Earle and the Del McCoury Band The Mountain (E2/Grapevine) Few albums make such a good first impression as Steve Earle's new disc. It's like an infectious rash you can't leave alone. In contrast to the tracks on El Corazon - his maudlin, though terrific previous album -The Mountain is a collection of catchy bluegrass songs written by Earle in homage to master bluegrassman Bill Monroe. Each tune, brilliantly performed by the Texan Del McCoury Band, is a gem, combining the pacy, individual melodies of banjo, mandolin and fiddle. This deceptively simple music is the sound of hillbillies at play, the sound of pure, genuine country and, as such, finds little favour with Nashville's rhinestones sophisticates. None of this will bother Earle, who has spent a lifetime upsetting people. Run-ins with authority - from his schoolboy days when he brandished a sawn-off shotgun in class to the time he was jailed for assaulting a policeman - have often been reflected in the angry, rock-tinged songs about the plight of working men. Behind all this is the pain of songwriting, which he has likened to living with a wild animal: "It's that unexplainable force that causes you to be depressed. As long as the Beast is there, I know I will always write." He's still writing, better than ever, and, in shifting from blue-collar to bluegrass with these cheery, hand-clapping songs, it appears he's tamed that Beast. Kelly Willis What I deserve (Rykodisc) Kelly Willis's voice is described as "mellow" by her publicists, and it is true that on the weaker tracks here she lives down to this uninspiring tag. Her voice is soothing, but also bland and soporific on the below-average love songs written by her husband, Bruce Robison. Elsewhere, though, it is throaty, raw and full of character. On tracks such as Take Me Down, about a lousy boyfriend, and Dan Penn's Real Deep Feeling, the singing is strong enough to stand comparison with the muscular performance of someone such as Wynonna. In the five years since her previous full-length album, the Austin-based singer writer and guitarist has changed styles. On this, her forth record, she's ditched the honky tonk and the Texas rockabilly and blues in favour of more mainstream material. The best track is her own Talk Like That, a nostalgic look back at family ties. It is a wistful reminder of what a good country song is meant to be: a poignant story well told. --- Louise -- If you like rocking country music, check out the Okeh Wranglers web site at: http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/bluesmoke _ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
Re: Kelly Willis??
the new Kelly Willis release? Album title, label, release date, etc. What I Deserve, Rykodisc, Feb 23. It roools!
Re: Kelly Willis??
John Kinnamon wrote: Can someone give me the scoop on the new Kelly Willis release? Album title, label, release date, etc.I can't seem to find any record of it in the pipeline and I've been waiting wy too long for this one John,Check out: http://www.rykodisc.com/RykoInternal/Features/420/default.htm I did the other day, and preordered *two* copies, just so's I could get the autographed picture with the disc... shameless KW slut, b.s.
Re: Kelly Willis - Europe
Stevie Simkin wrote: Louise Kyme wrote: Acoording to www.kelly.willis.com, Kelly is planning on coming to Europe in February. Does anyone know anything about this? Is she touring or just on holiday? Goodness. Tell me NOW. Kelly Player? you still out there? Stevie I emailed Kelly Player and this was the reply I got: --- Kelly will be in the UK as part of her European trip, but it will be an interviewing trip only. The band is not making the trip with Kelly this time. I do not know of any European dates scheduled, but hopefully the CD will do well and she will be able to expand the touring to outside the US. --- So, anyone here have a press pass they can lend me? Louise - If you like rocking country music, check out the Okeh Wranglers web site at: http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/bluesmoke
Kelly Willis - Europe
Acoording to www.kelly.willis.com, Kelly is planning on coming to Europe in February. Does anyone know anything about this? Is she touring or just on holiday? Thanks, Louise -- If you like rocking country music, check out the Okeh Wranglers web site at: http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/bluesmoke
