Happy Woman Blues

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Happy Woman Blues album cover
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EDITOR'S PICK

Total Tracks: 11   Total Length: 35:42

eMusic Review 0

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Peter Blackstock

eMusic Contributor

04.22.11
Tender country and delicate folk, graceful and gorgeous
Label: Smithsonian Folkways

Though she became an alt-country icon in the '90s, Lucinda Williams was still largely unknown when Happy Woman Blues came out in 1980. The songs got around surely enough over the years among her fellow songwriters, especially in Texas; by the late '80s, you could walk into an Austin bar on any given night and hear the likes of Butch Hancock covering "Sharp Cutting Wings," Jimmie Dale Gilmore singing "Howling At Midnight" or David Halley doing "I Lost It." Maybe the best cover came a few years later when the Damnations recorded a scorching version of "Happy Woman Blues."

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Sharp Cutting Wings

yancey

To my shining star: Happy Birthday, Yancey. "I could swear I knew your love before I knew your name." Love, Mom

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True Lucinda

iconoclast

Some people call this "early" Lucinda, as if the music is somehow immature. That could not be more wrong. This is Lucinda at her best. Not overproduced or pushed to hyperdrive, the songs are honest, lyrical, and just plain human. It seems that a number of current 'country stars' attempt to copy Lucinda's voice, or maybe their producers picked them because they have a similar sound, but she is the best. Not only are the songs well written and superbly sung, Mickey White's guitar work is some of the best ever.

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pure lucinda

journey462001

she recorded this for smithsonian folkways recordings- pure lucinda i bought this one after being given her self titled album by a 3 a.m. miami lover (yeah! tobacco road and k.) along with trinity sessions--cowboy junkies-(misguided angel, sweet jane) and slow turning--john hiatt (feels like rain)

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She can do no wrong

mrkrupa

This woman rocks. While I will agree with the comments denigrading some productions, her talent is awsome. Solid, real, good music. Cannot go wrong with this.

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early and simple

Discriminatrix

Not the Lucinda album if you're looking for lush production - but if what you want is straight ahead heart and great songwriting, and a sense of what it must have been like to hear her at Kerrville or a smoky bar long ago, this is a sweet, rockin' little album. I've driven cross-country to it too many times....

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innocence

1BrightGirl

Shows her sweet youth, I am more impressed with her album "Essence"...it's not quite as light an more bluesy instead of twangy

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