Victoria Williams Albums (7)
'Sings Some Ol' Songs'
Release Date 8/6/2002
Tracks 11
Label Dualtone
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What The Critics Say
Victoria Williams is a storyteller of her own kind who possesses a matchless whimsicality. On her fifth album, Sings Some Ol' Songs, Williams' peculiar vocal beauty comes alive in an exciting collection of traditional standards. It's a great fit, too. Williams is delightfully intelligent in giving some of these songs new life, but doesn't miss out on the initial grace behind them all. Williams soaks herself in light jazz sounds on the blushing rendition of Henry Mancini's "Moon River." Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's classic "My Funny Valentine" is vocally sleek, while the old-timey good time of "Keep Sweeping Cobwebs Off the Moon" and the sassy salsa beats of "And Roses and Roses" are fashionably more her style. The obscuro fun of Eden Ahbez's "Mongoose" is equally playful. Sings Some Ol' Songs is essentially a reverie of traditional pop and its musical roots. The production is clear and concise, allowing the dreamlike quality of Sings Some Ol' Songs to simply arrive. Williams keeps things innocent in a natural way in keeping listeners interested. With this particular album, she's introducing swan songs of yesteryear to a new audience. It's absolutely lovely. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Williams is an innovative and adventurous songwriter and performer, but many find her folky antics and unique voice to be a bit much. Certainly Water to Drink, her first solo album since 1998's critically acclaimed Musings of a Creek Dipper, will add quite a few new souls to each camp. Here Williams stretches herself artistically and scores more than a few creative triumphs, but her personal mannerisms color their share of songs as well. The opening song swings along in somewhat self-indulgent ramblings about personal freedom, forgiveness, and her grandmother's hat pin, backed up by an instrumental soup of buzzy psychedelic guitars and Carole King-inspired piano. The result is a muddy mess that doesn't seem to go anywhere in particular. The rest of the album truly is a joy, however. The hippie vibe works better on "Joy of Love," where a breezy chorus seems more like a rallying cry than a repetitive drone. The title track "Water to Drink" is even better. An English version of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Agua de Beber," the song allows Williams a fun vehicle for her vocal creativity. Here her voice seems more in its element, gaining a kind of Betty Boop coy sexiness instead of the croony qualities that seem to pervade elsewhere. Indeed, two of the other strongest performances on the album, on "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" and "Young at Heart," are standards, proving that Williams may be strongest when interpreting the songs of other people. Perhaps her lyrical quirkiness and eccentric tone and phrasing is a little too much all at once and the constraints of performing another composer's songs tone down the blur of her ideas, giving her space where she can spread out and share her immense talent. ~ Stacia Proefrock, All Music Guide
'Musings of a Creek Dipper'
Release Date 1/13/1998
Tracks 12
Label Atlantic
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What The Critics Say
Abandoning the lush orchestral backdrops that dominated most of Loose, Victoria Williams expands her musical skills on Musings of a Creekdipper, finding an original, eclectically rural sound that enhances the off-center originality of her songs. Producing the album with Trina Shoemaker, Williams has found a collection of sounds and styles that makes the record her most ambitious so far. For the most part, her experiments work, whether it's the cellos and coronets of "Periwinkle Sky" or Wendy & Lisa's drum loops on "Train Song (Demise of the Caboose)." What really holds the album together is Williams' songwriting, which remains consistently impressive, both in lyrical and musical terms. There are a few numbers that don't quite work, but they only illustrate that Williams' best efforts are quirky but graceful folk-rock gems. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'This Moment: In Toronto With the Loose Band'
Release Date 11/7/1995
Tracks 16
Label Atlantic
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What The Critics Say
Victoria Williams' first international tour as a headliner -- supporting her 1994 release Loose -- yielded This Moment: In Toronto With the Loose Band, her first concert recording. Williams (guitar/vocals) is supported by a six-piece band centering around the Williams Brothers (no relation to Victoria), David (vocals) and Andrew (guitar), as well as Tim Ray (keyboards) -- all of whom had participated in the creation of Loose. Joining them are neo-folk session heavyweights Joey Burns (bass/vocals) and David Mansfield (violin/dobro/pedal steel guitar/mandolin). As an ensemble, they animate choice selections from Victoria's previous studio efforts -- Happy Come Home (1987) and Swing the Statue(1990) -- with an emphasis on material from Loose. As a songwriter, Victoria Williams conjures exquisite images weaved around an ethereal folk/jazz delivery -- which is more often than not also saturated in down-home psychedelia, examples of which abound throughout This Moment. Primary among them is "Graveyard," which was renamed "Blackbirds Rise" on her follow-up studio release Musings of a Creek Dipper (1998), as well as the achingly beautiful reading of the Jimmy Van Heusen/Johnny Burke pop standard "Imagination." The undemanding and comfortably intimate environs that Williams create during performance are punctuated by the spontaneous on-stage arrival of her traveling companion and puppy, Molly -- inspiring Victoria to ad-lib "Oh its good to have a dog. It's good to see their smile. It's good to have your arms around 'em when it's been a long while" -- during the opening to what develops into a rousing "Crazy Mary." Another endearing moment catches Victoria interacting with the audience and spontaneously performing requests -- most notably "TC." Although accompanied by her own solo piano, she lovingly re-creates Van Dyke Parks' breathtaking string arrangements. This Moment is a precious and rare gift from a flower to her audience. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Sometimes one has to wonder just where great records come from; when something comes out of the factory spotless, full of brightness, life and love, grit and suffering, all offered as a gift to the listener. Loose is Victoria Williams' comeback record after her two amazing but misunderstood Geffen records, Happy Come Home and Swing the Statue!. In the interim she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and had no health insurance. The Sweet Relief Foundation was set up and helped to take care of her -- and other uninsured musicians' -- expenses and restore her health. Loose is the evidence of that health and the final proof for all the naysayers that Williams is among the most gifted singers and songwriters of her generation. With a cast of musicians that includes the Jayhawks, Van Dyke Parks, the Tower of Power Horns, Tammy Rodgers, Dave Pirner, Greg Leisz, Don Heffington, Doug Wieselman, and a ton of others, the music ranges from the blue-eyed R&B of "You R Loved," with its punchy horns and passionate declaration of redemption, to the jazzy Ben Sidran-esque "Harry Went to Heaven," to the beautiful country duet "When We Sing Together" between Williams and soon-to-be husband Mark Olson that comes across as a Gram Parsons/Emmylou Harris duet. There is joy and more joy in the proceedings. But it is more than that. Inside the sound of Williams' unusual yet glorious voice is the sound of gratitude. In the musical accompaniment there is an excitement that something is unfolding here that will perhaps never be experienced again, that music is being made without ego, showcases, excesses, or even specific direction. Everything is spontaneously created and then disciplined in its final execution. Check out the loopy off-the-beat "Polish Those Shoes" with its orchestral accompaniment behind the beat of the rock band. Then there's Williams' absolutely astonishing read of "What a Wonderful World." Like Louis Armstrong's -- and this is not a comparison between versions but a likeness of emotional transference -- Williams expresses not only wonder but folksy wisdom in each line. Likewise, so does the cover of Spirit's "Nature's Way," a duet with Soul Asylum's Dave Pirner. The feeling is almost prayer-like, but it's a prayer of acceptance rather than one of supplication. But it is in Williams' own songs that the truth of her accomplishment lies, such as "Sunmshine Country," organic yet psychedelic yet as hooky as any fine pop song, the loopy "Happy to Have Known Pappy," the tender folk song "My Ally," the shambolic rock & roll of "Get Away," and the concluding gospel track, "Psalms," which with its tenderness and reverence, expresses a simple faith and profound dedication. Paul Fox's production is ingenious, culling virtually anything he could afford to make each song a piece in a lush yet easily accessible tapestry of texture, ambience, and pop majesty. This is a comeback record that brought an artist back into the public eye -- however briefly -- and created a masterpiece that transcends genre by blurring all the lines in the name of excellence, emotional honesty, and visionary creativity. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
It is indeed a rarity when a debut album is able to distil the essence of any artist. However, Victoria Williams is considerably more than just any artist and Happy Come Home is the personification of the word eclectic -- just like Williams herself. She wasn't alone in creating her eponymous masterpiece, either. A cavalcade of pop and rock music's elite congregated with Williams in the celebration of the varied music on the album. The simple folk tales, sage-like observations, and just plain good advice that she writes about are personified by an unbelievably delicious cast of characters both in the studio as well as in between the lines. There is an undeniable strength and maturity in Williams' songwriting. Like few artists or albums, Happy Come Home reveals an artist fully developed with a style and persona that is uniquely American and arguably irresistible. Another musician fitting that description is Van Dyke Parks -- whose contributions to this disc are almost immediately evident. His signature orchestral flourishes are unmistakable throughout the string arrangements for "TC," "Main Road," and the opening cut, "Shoes." Sonically, his pallet blends the humor and whimsy of Mark Twain with the noir romanticism of George Gershwin. These hues ideally suit Williams' folk-tinged songs. In the case of "TC" -- a legitimate pocket symphony -- there are also a few well-placed nods to Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf. The rock & roll pieces -- notably "Animal Wild" and the trippy "Merry Go Round" -- are best described as late-'80s alternative or college rock. A quick rundown of the personnel might best give an idea of the direction Williams found herself and her music in, as it was being somewhat moulded by producer Anton Fier. Among the luminaries are: Syd Straw, Bernie Worrell, T-Bone Burnett, Carla Bley, Peter Blegvad, and Hugh McCracken. Their various -- and unspecified -- contributions are at times typical, but never predictable. It would be futile to attempt a list of all the disparate musical styles that unify Happy Come Home. They range from gospel ("I Will Do His Will") to acoustic folk ("Happy Come Home" and "Lights") and hit upon more subtle influences such as jazz ("Big Fish") and even a sort of bayou travelogue "Opelousas." Concurrent with the release of the album, Williams was the subject of a 28-minute documentary by legendary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker. The video -- also titled Happy Come Home -- features nine of the 13 tracks from the disc, including a few performed spontaneously for the camera. Originally aired on MTV, it was briefly available on VHS at Williams' live shows. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
On the follow-up to her landmark debut, Happy Come Home (1987), Victoria Williams' skills as a multi-faceted songwriter become increasingly stronger and more distinct. The lack of aural opulence -- such as Van Dyke Parks' string arrangements -- reveal a less-forced approach, resulting in a giant leap forward in terms of the development of Williams' own voice. Likewise, her rich Louisiana bayou roots increasingly influence her music and act as a strong motif throughout not only Swing the Statue, but her future releases as well -- most notably her contributions to the Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers. Perhaps drawing upon her own experiences, Swing the Statue has an air of melancholia wafting throughout much of the album. Both "Boogieman" and "I Can't Cry Hard Enough" -- while divergent in terms of musical style -- speak directly to the feelings of loss and abandonment. These aptly juxtapose against the innocence and youthful awe of "Look at That Moon" and "Wobbling" as well as the spiritual guidance found in "Lift Him Up" and "Weeds." Unlike Happy Come Home, Swing the Statue is exceedingly more reserved and somewhat stark -- with an emphasis on acoustic instrumentation. These aptly inhabit Williams' remarkably jazzy arrangements. While examples are abundant, most specifically are the easy and lethargic "Clothesline," as well as the freewheeling "On Time" or "Vieux Amis" -- the latter of which is also sung in the French-derived Cajun dialect. The wholly diverse collection of sounds and styles explored on the disc would continue to inform Williams' work, although it would be another four years before her international breakthrough album, Loose (1994), would be released. While she would ultimately retain much of the momentum gained on Swing the Statue, the dissolution of her record label, Rough Trade, left Williams very little in the way of national or international publicity or promotion. A much more devastating blow was dealt while on the road supporting this album when Williams was diagnosed with the degenerative neurological disorder multiple sclerosis. Her ultimate triumph/co-existence with the disorder gave birth to much of the celebratory tone on her follow-up, Loose. ~ Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide
