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
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.
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
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: 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]
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
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/
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
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
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 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
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]
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: 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
