Search - Lucinda Williams :: Essence

Essence
Lucinda Williams
Essence
Genres: Country, Alternative Rock, Blues, Folk, Pop, Rock
 
  •  Track Listings (11) - Disc #1

Few artists in recent memory have been able to wring more from less than Lucinda Williams. The hauntingly beautiful, wistful, and often breathtaking Essence is another case in point of how far raw emotion and honesty can c...  more »

     

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CD Details

All Artists: Lucinda Williams
Title: Essence
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Lost Highway
Original Release Date: 1/1/2001
Re-Release Date: 6/5/2001
Genres: Country, Alternative Rock, Blues, Folk, Pop, Rock
Styles: Americana, Contemporary Blues, Acoustic Blues, Contemporary Folk, Singer-Songwriters, Folk Rock
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPCs: 008817019727, 0008817019727, 008817019741

Synopsis

Amazon.com's Best of 2001
Few artists in recent memory have been able to wring more from less than Lucinda Williams. The hauntingly beautiful, wistful, and often breathtaking Essence is another case in point of how far raw emotion and honesty can carry an artist. Williams's singing is at its paralyzing best throughout 11 bare originals, an incredibly affecting vocal performance by a woman who was not blessed with exceptional tone, range, or pitch. Throughout, her voice is incredibly naked, vulnerable, and wrought with feeling. "Blue" and "Broken Butterflies" are gorgeous anti-lullabies whose simple melodies belie their poignant ruminations. The title track is a sultry and susceptible sex-as-drug come-on while "Reason to Cry" has all the hallmarks of a classic country lament. The only departure from the subdued mood is "Get Right with God," a rousing gospel tune that practically begs for salvation through punishment and is the rare acknowledgement of a world beyond Williams's own fears and desires. More meditative than the personal narratives found on Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, Essence is ultimately more powerful. Williams wallows in sorrow and weakness, and the result is moving and disarming. --Marc Greilsamer

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Member CD Reviews

Pam M. from MANCHESTER, CT
Reviewed on 2/12/2013...
A Gem!
Steven B. (stevenmbell) from ONEKAMA, MI
Reviewed on 6/9/2010...
Lucinda at the Top of Her Game!Honest songwritting with lirics that make you cry or Make you Open a Can of Whuppazz.Makes me think of home and how good or bad I can have it.She is a True American Icon.The kinda girl to take home to momma!She is a fairly accomplished Musician also.
Jim D. (JayDee) from ORLANDO, FL
Reviewed on 9/23/2009...
Its a nice departure from the releases that preceded it, and one that I highly recommend.
0 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.
Sonoko F. from MONTCLAIR, NJ
Reviewed on 1/31/2007...
Lucinda Williams delivers another brilliant cd. From Amazon.com:
"Amazon.com's Best of 2001. Few artists in recent memory have been able to wring more from less than Lucinda Williams. The hauntingly beautiful, wistful, and often breathtaking Essence is another case in point of how far raw emotion and honesty can carry an artist. Williams's singing is at its paralyzing best throughout 11 bare originals, an incredibly affecting vocal performance by a woman who was not blessed with exceptional tone, range, or pitch. Throughout, her voice is incredibly naked, vulnerable, and wrought with feeling. "Blue" and "Broken Butterflies" are gorgeous anti-lullabies whose simple melodies belie their poignant ruminations. The title track is a sultry and susceptible sex-as-drug come-on while "Reason to Cry" has all the hallmarks of a classic country lament. The only departure from the subdued mood is "Get Right with God," a rousing gospel tune that practically begs for salvation through punishment and is the rare acknowledgement of a world beyond Williams's own fears and desires. More meditative than the personal narratives found on Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, Essence is ultimately more powerful. Williams wallows in sorrow and weakness, and the result is moving and disarming. --Marc Greilsamer"
1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

CD Reviews

Essential Lucinda
rachel875 | Jacksonville, AL | 06/05/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yes, I know...everyone went insane over Lucinda's last recording, the stellar "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road"-the narratives about dead ex-lovers and dead friends, and I suppose everyone was waiting for more of the same. But let's face it-she's only got a certain number of friends or lovers who have met tragic ends. She's explored the ground of being a Child in the backseat/About 4 or 5 years/Lookin' out the window/A little bit of dirt mixed with tears This record deals with feelings that everyone has felt at one time or another: longing (Bus to Baton Rouge, I Envy the Wind) lust(Essence, Steal Your Love), loneliness (Lonely Girls)...plus other topics ranging from religious ecstacy to weariness over dealing with someone who can't let go of the past. "Essence" may be a departure from Lucinda's last record, but its a departure that is as rich and beautiful as anything on her previous records. The instrumentation is flawless, the writing is intense and intensely personal, and her voice tells you she's lived every song. This record needs to be in your collection."
Back to Obscurity
Ray M. Sharp | Liminga, MI | 07/02/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Well, judging by the reviews posted here, all the one-timers who bought and appreciated Car Wheels just don't get it with Lucinda. This is her best work if you are a fan, and if you're not, don't waste your cash and go back to mainstream country where you belong. Yes, story-telling journeys through the bayous and pool halls of the South are fertile territory for great songs, and the up-tempo songs like Passionate Kisses and 6 Blocks Away were fun, but the purest, most honest and ultimately best artistic works come straight from the heart, and Essence has that kind of emotional intensity at its rawest. I don't know if this makes sense to the casual fan, but if you really love Lucinda's earlier works, you owe it to yourself to listen to this at least 10 times before you dismiss it. It's her best work, and bravest, and that says a lot. She really is our unique songwriting treasure."