A tribute to a great song writer

[lissener]

One of the greatest song writers of all time, Victoria Williams, has a kind of visionary swamp lyrical poetry thing that reminds me a little of Neal Young, a little of William Blake, and a little of Lou Reed:

Summer of Drugs*

My sister got bit by a copperhead snake
In the woods behind the house
Nobody was home so I grabbed her foot
And I sucked that poison out

My sister got better in a month or two
When the swelling it went down
But I started off my teenage years with a poison in my mouth

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .*

This Moment*

This moment will never come again
I know it because it has never been before
I listen to the rain outside the door
A thousand voices singing songs that ain’t been sung before
Some days while lost in reverie
I find the very hours have slipped away from me
Well as the sunlight dances through the leaves
The patterns they awaken me
And I say hey ho
This moment will never come again
I know it because it has never been before

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .*

Frying Pan*

One laugh in the middle of a struggle
A diamond at the bottom of a puddle
Did you ever stare at the moon till you saw double?
I hear you walk away from trouble
Good love there, ain’t no denying
I said bad love, somebody ain’t trying

Did you ever walk someplace just to take time?
Not take the fast road and get going

When the rules break
There’s no mistake
These are precious times
You and I we walk the line

I looked in a fryin’ pan
I seen a song
I looked at a dyin’ man
He sang along

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .*

OK. That’s all for now. She doesn’t publish her lyrics, and that’s all I’m gonna transcribe for now.

[Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew]

One of the most disgraceful audience displays I’ve ever seen in my life was when Victoria Williams opened for Richard Thompson at the Fillmore sometime in the late '80s. She was booed off the stage. (Can you imagine a Richard Thompson audience being so boorish?) I thought she was amazing–her performance was so raw and off-kilter that it reminded me of Captain Beefheart. I was kinda disappointed when I picked up her album (Happy Come Home) and it was all produced ‘n’ stuff.

[Labdad]

I couldn’t agree more! I’m ashamed to admit that I first became aware of Victoria Williams because she’s married to former Jayhawk Mark Olsen, and I discovered her back catalogue that way. But at least I discovered her work! I think she ranks up there with Lucinda Williams, Julie Miller, Gillian Welch, and Patty Griffin in the singer/songwriter pantheon.

[lissener]

@Biffy the Elephant Shrew

One of the most disgraceful audience displays I’ve ever seen in my life was when Victoria Williams opened for Richard Thompson at the Fillmore sometime in the late '80s. She was booed off the stage. (Can you imagine a Richard Thompson audience being so boorish?) I thought she was amazing–her performance was so raw and off-kilter that it reminded me of Captain Beefheart. I was kinda disappointed when I picked up her album (Happy Come Home) and it was all produced ‘n’ stuff.

I felt the same way for a while, but then I came to really appreciate the production. It’s by Van Dyke Parks, who’s heavily influenced by his sometime collaborator, Brian Wilson. He writes Disney soundtracks and stuff. His over-the-top swirling orchestrations are actually the only way to present her music: it sets the stage for the massive sweep and drama that she manages to pack into such tiny little packages. Most of her songs are stories; the music makes each one a little opera. The contrast between the style of her singing and the style of music creates a totally unique space that I think really, really carries each song to a whole new place.