Search - Lucinda Williams :: Sweet Old World

Totally underrated!

Rich | Reisterstown, MD USA | 05/07/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While the critics were going goo-goo ga-ga over "Car Wheels On A Gravel Road," and desevedly so, it was hard not to notice that this overlooked album is a much better listen in the long run. Not as obvious as Car Wheels, it sort of sneaks up on you like a slow burning fuse and finally explodes with emotion and Lucinda's somewhat understated delivery of a fabulous bunch of songs. Songs like "Sweet Old World" and "Little Angel Little Brother" just don't come arou d every day, and the entire album is up to that standard. Is it country? Sure, but you need not be a country fan to enjoy it. Is it folk? Absolutely. Rock and Roll? Without a doubt. But mostly, it's blues, although not in the traditional sense. It just gives you that same feeling you get after listening to some great blues tunes, yet with a stronger sense of melody. If you like any of Lucinda's work, or are looking for a good introduction, you can't go wrong with this totally underrated release."

Poignant

Rich | 11/21/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This was my first Lucinda Williams CD and my favorite in many ways. Ten years ago it seemed as consistent as her first album, and I admit on re-listening today that it isn't. The instrumentation has become dated, and between that and the New And Improved production on her later releases, I can see how others may have skipped this one or may want to. It would be a loss, though, not to have this CD that speaks so poignantly to loss.If I had to pick a single favorite Lucinda Williams song, the title track would be tempting. This song about suicide is her masterpiece, and you're not human if you aren't moved by it. It takes a poet to succeed with such a song. "Something About What Happens When We Talk" was the first of her songs I ever heard and remains a particular favorite. On hearing it I began my arguments with myself over whether her simple lyrics were trite or minimalistic. I eventually decided on the latter, and this song is so very intelligent and evocative, like so many here. The theme of suicide and loss from "He Never Got Enough Love" (those songs about men with abusive childhoods haven't stopped or become more subtle from here to "Sweet Side") through "Pineola" is perfectly realized. I don't have Lucinda's gift with words, but hers is used to remarkable effect in this series of songs.There are lighter pleasures here, from touching story songs ("Six Blocks Away", "Sidewalks of the City") to a fun, sweet love song like "Lines Around Your Eyes". Even before I had those lines I thought this was a great song, and now that we live in a culture that worships youth like never before, you can't beat the sentiment. "Hot Blood" is often a great song live, but unfortunately wasn't recorded in a way that captured the heat. Still, it's a must-have for any fan.There are weaker moments. Some of the lyrics on "Prove My Love" seem trite, though others are moving, and it's very country. I find "Memphis Pearl a bit maudlin, but not bad. And the cover of "Which Will" is nice enough, but dispensable.This is probably not the first CD I would recommend for someone who wanted an introduction to Lucinda Williams. It's musically dated, not perfectly consistent, and that's less true of her first CD or of Car Wheels. Still, the sense of it being a theme album for the first half or so of the recording, and a series of truly great songs - "Something About What Happens", "Sweet Old World", "Little Angel", "Pineola" - and a few that are simple fun - "Lines Around Your Eyes" and "Hot Blood" - are essential for any serious Lucinda fan."

Underappreciated masterpiece

Rob Damm | 06/26/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Face it, *nothing* was going to live up to Lucinda's '88 self-titled disc-- and for good reason: "Lucinda Williams" (the album) is just about as perfect as albums come. When "sweet old world" was released 4 years later, everyone saw it as a let-down. But, SOW has plenty of its own charms... it's a darker, more resigned record than LW. It sounds like the blues finally "got to her"... the blues seems to have won this round, and Lucinda writes and sings some truly harrowing tales. The album is loosely focused on suicide, and in a broader sense, loss in general. Unlike most albums that mine this dark territory, this disc manages to remain totally uncliched and stubbornly unsentimental. Lucinda writes with such honesty and unflinching detail, they are sparse, straightforward and touched with true beauty. Ultimately, it lacks the cathartic, life-affirming tunes like "Big Red Sun Blues" and Passionate Kisses" that tempered LW, but that's sort of the point. That said, the title track is the best song about suicide ever written. It's stark, sad, and lovely-- like the album itself."