Lucinda more Neil than Norah

I made the journey to Nashville this weekend to see two of my special ladies. Heather, who I have written about before in this very blog and Lucinda Williams, one of my favorite singers.I'll be mostly writing about Lucinda here.

Now to start with I was a little worried about the show because her new album has really got me yet. Usually her music seeps into my consciousness and really fucks with me. She has a way with her simple songs and emotional poetry. Her Band and guitarist Doug Pettibone are the perfect scenery for her tales of human wreckage and redemption. The new album "West"
is sort of flat. I can tell there are good songs but it seems the edges have been sanded off. It seems like the album has been produced to give that sort of flat Norah
Jones or later Bonnie Raitt polished sound. It makes sense, people got mouths to feed, got to make the money but does it serve the music.

Last night, Heather and myself had great seats way down front in the already intimate Ryman Auditorium. It was such a great thrill to see Lucinda in her old hometown in the mothership of country music. The show was amazing. The crowd was a happy bunch and it made Lucinda and the band really relaxed and happy. They played plenty of old favorites and tried many of the new songs. They played for a couple hours and yet it seemed way too short. It could have gone all night as far as I'm concerned.

I guess the main point of my blog is that after the show thinking back to the new songs, I liked them all much better live because they were more real. Lucinda is real, her voice cracks, she dances awkwardly, has truckstop hair and looks like the road has been a long one. The band are real guys too. They are normal looking guys who could be playing in any bar across America. Yet they are on stage at the Ryman creating a beautiful, dirty and fragile sound that is very special. Lucinda and her band remind me so much of the special bond that Neil Young has with Crazy Horse. Seventies Rolling Stones also comes to mind. It's warts and all but it touches you real deep.

Come on Lucinda. We know you are more Neil than Norah. For your next record give us Real Live Bleeding Fingers And Broken Guitar Strings that's why we love you so.