Lucinda Williams Sweet Old World CD

Personnel: Lucinda Williams (vocals, guitar); Gurf Morlix (acoustic & electric guitars, pedal steel guitar, dobro, mandolin, background vocals); Duane Jarvis (electric guitar); Byron Berline (mandolin, fiddle); Doug Atwell (fiddle); Skip Edwards, Benmont Tench, William "Smitty" Smith (Hammond B-3 organ); Dr. John Ciambotti (acoustic & electric basses, background vocals); Donald Lindley (drums, percussion); Gia Ciambotti, Jim Lauderdale, Dusty Wakeman (background vocals).
Producers: Lucinda Williams, Gurf Morlix, Dusty Wakeman.
After seemingly coming out of nowhere to be hailed as a major songwriter and roots music stylist, it took Lucinda Williams four years to prepare the follow-up to her masterful 1988 eponymous album. When it finally arrived, Sweet Old World proved to be every bit the equal of its predecessor, if not even better. Although Sweet Old World isn't really a concept album, it often feels like one. Its first half is dominated by the title track and "Pineola," two stunning meditations on suicide. Their sense of tragedy is reinforced with the closing cover of Nick Drake's "Which Will," and their shadow hangs heavy over the rest of the album. Several character portraits ponder where and why their subjects' lives went wrong; in this context, the dead-end situations seem that much more tragic and final. Moreover, when Williams offers an emotionally complex love ballad or a sexy blues strut, it's hard to take them as truly celebratory; here, the singer sounds as though she wants to appreciate who she has while she still can. That's also why "Little Angel, Little Brother" doesn't come off as remotely sentimental; the affectionate tribute works so well that, sandwiched between "Sweet Old World" and "Pineola," Williams' brother sounds like the suicide victim (it was actually a family friend). Williams' voice glows with the same warmth, for although it's limited in range, it's also a gorgeous instrument that WIlliams has learned to manipulate for maximum impact. Stylistically, Sweet Old World is similar to Lucinda Williams, juggling both the sounds and instruments of country, folk, blues, and rock & roll. It might not explode with confidence in the manner of Lucinda Williams, but Sweet Old World is no less vital; it's a gorgeous, elegiac record that not only consolidates but expands Williams' ample talents. ~ Steve Huey
After releasing two traditional country blues albums in 1978 and 1980 and a more experimental and pop-oriented album in 1989, Louisiana-born singer/songwriter Lucinda Williams regrouped following the dissolution of the label to which she had been signed and released 1992's stunning SWEET OLD WORLD. While Williams' country blues roots are in evidence throughout the album, the folk and pop tendencies of its self-titled predecessor take over, making SWEET OLD WORLD a rootsy but accessible album perfect for the then-emergent Adult Album Alternative demographic.
Williams' songs range from the jangling folk rock of "Six Blocks Away" to the tender, downcast "Something About What Happens When We Talk." SWEET OLD WORLD shows a newfound musical and emotional broadening that coalesces in the quiet acoustic story song "He Never Got Enough Love," a sympathetic character study of emotional damage that's neither preachy nor mawkish, and in the heartfelt title track, one of Williams' very best songs.Rolling Stone (9/3/92, p.68) - 3.5 Stars - Good Plus - "...SWEET OLD WORLD will go a long way toward establishing Lucinda Williams as one of popular music's treasures. In her voice, we can hear the sound of desire itself..."
Entertainment Weekly (10/9/92, p.60) - "...A gifted singer-songwriter whose stark portraits of people on the edge are long on empathy and short on sentimentality..." - Rating: B+
Q (12/92, p.141) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...In a clear and soft voice, she plies us with tales of unequivocal simplicity, and above-average lyrics in a soft-rocking style that marries old partners Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris..."
Village Voice (3/2/93, p.5) - Ranked #11 in the Village Voice's list of the 40 Best Albums Of 1992.
Jazziz (Dec.-Jan./92, p.95) - Picked by critic Frank-John Hadley as one of the 10 best albums of 1992.
Stereo Review (12/92, p.94) - "...She delivers her searing lines without artificial sentiment or extraneous embellishment, just a wrenching directness that nourishes the spirit and knows no detour to the heart..."
Audio Magazine (12/92, p.154) - "...SWEET OLD WORLD shows Lucinda to be a riveting writer and performer whose apparent simplicity is merely the entranceway to a rewarding artist of depth..."
Reflex (12/15/92, p.76) - "...Lucinda Williams has a lazy lull to her voice, a slow poignant quiver that makes it just the one to sing to bar room romantics..."