Day 0867 - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road

Lucinda Williams “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road” (1998)

For Williams’ fifth album, she ended her working relationship with producer Gurf Morlix and worked instead with alt-country star Steve Earle who described it as “the least amount of fun I’ve had working on a record”.  

Whatever the case behind the scenes, the album turned out alright.  It’s loosely classed under the ‘country’ label, but in practise is a mix of rootsy folky country, like on album closer “Jackson”; and melodic Southern-Rock with enough twang and other country affectations to keep it within that camp, such as album opener “Right in Time”.   Similar sound to Sheryl Crow, but (a) more country than that and (b) Lucinda had been releasing music since the 70s so predates Crow.

This didn’t blow my mind, but I found enough to enjoy in there that I’d happily listen to it again.

Day 0739 - Gentlemen

Afghan Whigs "Gentlemen" (1993)

The Whigs evolved out of Greg Dulli's former band the Black Republicans, with the goal being that the music should be a meeting place between the Temptations, the Band, and Neil Young playing with Crazy Horse.   I would say that the latter 2 influences are much more to the forefront than the former, though "Faded" has hints of soul, and "I keep coming back" has a nice soul vibe to it too.  It's followed by an emotive instrumental backed with synthesized strings.

Much of the rest of the album though falls into that vibe of 90s alt-rock, a mix of yelling rock vocals and a gentle gravelly croon.  The music is rock but mixes funk, and shoegazey textures into its guitar cauldron.

I enjoyed it well enough, and do like Dulli's work with Mark Langean under the moniker the Gutter Twins.

Day 0581 - Guitar Town

Steve Earle "Guitar Town" (1986)

Another album being given the "birth of alternative-country" badge.  The book outlines Earle's country credentials by pointing out that he was a rebel who ran away from school, struggled with addiction and was married 7 times (including twice to the same woman)... that's enough material for 10 country albums right there.  Certainly he also addressed the nature of addiction when guesting on the tv series 'The Wire' as an addicts-anonymous facilitator and former addict.

I'm not sure that the album earns its alt-country credentials.  To my ears it sounds like a pretty straightforward country album, but then maybe compared to what had come before it, it was a bit of a minor left-hand turn.  There is a little touch of 'rock' going on in places. 

Not a bad album, mind, just not as interesting or good (in my mind) as something like Nanci Griffith's "Last of the True Believers" or the Mekons' "Fear and Whiskey".