I consider myself a lyrics person, but every once in awhile I completely miss the boat and either have no clue what a song is about or don’t take the time to fully appreciate its lyrical content.
Lucinda Williams’ ‘Bus to Baton Rouge,’ the closing track of her 2001 album Essence, eluded me until just this week.
My final song of this two-week series comes courtesy of the great Lucinda Williams. ‘Side of the Road’ covers some of the same territory as yesterday’s Miranda Lambert track — the idea of wondering what might have been.
But ‘Side of the Road’ — one of my very favorite songs by anybody — focuses less on those untaken paths and more on the need to sometimes step aside and find yourself.
The rise of iTunes and the MP3 as the cheapest and easiest way to purchase music led to an increase in bonus material paired with physical CDs.
It might be expanded liner notes, including artwork or photos not otherwise available. A DVD of live performances of the album’s songs. A dorm room-ready wall poster. That sort of thing.
Lucinda Williams definitely puts the “plus” in ‘Country Plus.’
She got her start as a modest country-folk artist, kicking around New Orleans, Austin and Houston before testing the waters in New York and Los Angeles. Over 10 albums and 33 years, she has emerged as one of the most respected songwriters of her generation.
Lucinda Williams’ 1988 self-titled album feels like a debut but was actually her third album. She released her first record, a collection of covers, in 1979 and her second, the minor Happy Woman Blues, in 1980 before taking a lengthy hiatus.
It was a full eight years before this album came out and launched her career critically if not commercially. At least three songs on Lucinda Williams became hits for other artists but the album itself has sold only 100,000 copies to date.
Meet Me In Montauk 