Kelly Willis What I Deserve CD

Personnel: Kelly Willis (vocals); Chuck Prophet (acoustic & electric guitars, background vocals); Mark Spencer (acoustic & electric guitars); John Dee Graham (electric & electric lap steel guitars); Max Butler (electric guitar); Lloyd Maines (pedal steel guitar); Amy Noelle Farris (mandolin, violin, background vocals); Michael Ramos (piano, Hammond B-3 & Farfisa organs); John Ludwick (bass, background vocals); Michael Been (bass); Larry Aberman, Rafael Gayol (drums); Dave McNair (percussion); Bruce Robison, Charlie Robison (background vocals).
Producers: Dave McNair, Norman Kerner, Daniel Presley.
Engineers: Dave McNair, Norman Kerner, Daniel Presley.
Recorded at The Hit Shack, Cedar Creek Studios and Congress House Studio, Austin, Texas; Brilliant Studios, San Francisco, California.
Personnel: Kelly Willis (gut-string guitar); Chuck Prophet, Mark Spencer (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Jon Dee Graham (electric guitar, lap steel guitar); Max Butler (electric guitar); John Ludwick, Bruce Robison, Charlie Robison (gut-string guitar); Michael Ramos (Farfisa); Larry Aberman, Rafael Gayol (drums); Dave McNair (percussion).
Audio Mixer: Dave McNair.
Recording information: Cedar Creek Studios; Congress House Studio, Austin, TX; Hit Shack.
Photographer: Michael Gomez .
ThIs effort from country singer Kelly Willis has a number of important things going for it. First of all, there's her voice, which is an almost archetypally perfect blend of sweetness and grit. Then there are her backing musicians -- in particular guitarist Mark Spencer, who makes a recognizably country sound without overdoing it or descending into bathos and stereotype. Last, and very importantly, there's producer Dave McNair, who has crafted a beautifully balanced and full-bodied sound for the album without allowing things to get too slick and prettified. What's lacking, for the most part, are melodies strong enough to grab your interest and hold it. There are some hooks -- "Take Me Down" is quite singable, and there's a great version of Nick Drake's "Time Has Told Me" -- but they're relatively few and far between, and scarcity of hooks can be death for a country album. In this case the lack is far from fatal, but it's noticeable. Recommended with reservations. ~ Rick Anderson
In a different world, Kelly Willis would be a huge country star. Blessed with an emotional, pure voice, songwriting talent and good looks, she's the whole package and then some. But she didn't quite fit in with the Nashville scene, so she's based in Texas, where she's been dubbed "The Voice of Austin." Her previous albums only hinted at the full scope of Willis' artistic vision, but her fourth full-length release WHAT I DESERVE is the first one on which it truly shines through.
Willis wrote or co-wrote half the tracks on the album, but she's also chosen material by her husband Bruce Robison, Nick Drake, Paul Kelly and even the Replacements' Paul Westerberg. It's her unmistakable voice which ties it all together, whether she's crooning her way through the dreamy "Not Long for This World" and "Time Has Told Me," getting bluesy on "Got A Feelin' For Ya" or tackling upbeat numbers like "Take Me Down." Highlights include the title track and great versions of Westerberg's "They're Blind" and Robison's "Wrapped." Listeners who find mainstream country music too slick and obvious will enjoy Willis' down-to-earth, highly personal take on the genre.Rolling Stone (3/18/99, p.63) - 3 1/2 Stars (out of 5) - "...just listen to the nuances - the slurred notes, the yodels and cracks in the voice...a classically finessed country vocal..."
Spin (4/99, pp.160-161) - 8 (out of 10) - "...it sounds like it'll be a cold day in TNN hell before she lets anyone devalue her gifts again..."
Entertainment Weekly (2/19-2/26/99, p.141) - "...Willis...artfully meld[s] the strum und twang of her country upbringing with the plaintive grit of roots rock--and throwing in, for good measure, cuts by Paul Westerberg and Nick Drake." - Rating: A
CMJ (3/15/99, p.22) - "...WHAT I DESERVE is as sharp and as affectionate as anything in her bag....the lady can croon like she's the last one standing after a bender at a boozy road house..."
Dirty Linen (6-7/99, p.82) - "...this might finally be the release that brings Willis the attention she rightly deserves."
Mojo (Publisher) (3/99, p.99) - "...Anyone lately taken with Lucinda Williams would be well advised to check this out."