Track Listing

1. Are You Alright
2. Mama You Sweet
3. Learning How To Live
4. Fancy Funeral
5. Unsuffer Me
6. Everything Has Changed
7. Come On
8. Where Is My Love
9. Rescue
10. What If
11. Wrap My Head Around That
12. Words
13. West

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #35547 in Music
• Released on: 2007-02-19
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .18 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
Though the arrangements stray from Lucinda Williams's motherlode blend of blues, country, and folk, West may well be her best album. It is easily her most musically adventurous, and often her most lyrically inspired. Williams's singing has never sounded better, from the aching tenderness of "Where Is My Love?" to the ravaged catharsis of "Unsuffer Me." New York producer Hal Willner, who has worked with artists such as Marianne Faithful and Lou Reed, enlists the support of eclectic progressives like guitarist Bill Frisell, keyboardist Bob Burger, and violinist Jenny Scheinman, along with harmonies from the Jayhawks' Gary Louris, to weave a subtly rich sonic tapestry. Much of the material was inspired by the death of Williams's beloved mother ("Mama You Sweet," "Fancy Funeral") and the bitter breakup of a relationship (the jagged-edged emasculation of "Come On," the repetitive incantation of "Wrap My Head Around That"), though "Are You Alright?," "Learning How to Live," and "Everything Has Changed" could reflect the aftermath of both. Other highlights include "Rescue," with a languid subtlety and ambient pulse reminiscent of Beth Orton, and the dreamy, wistful title track. Where Williams's music has long cut close to the bone, the best of West slices right through it. --Don McLeese

CD Description
'West' is the eighth studio album from folk-country singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, and follows 2003's critically acclaimed 'World Without Tears'. It manages to balance both her country and blues roots perfectly and includes the tracks'Come On' and 'Rescue'.

Customer Reviews

Lost highway revisited
Having heard a lot of these tracks at her recent gigs, I thought it was going to be easy to love this album. In fact I thought it was going to be her masterpiece, all catchy melodies and perfectly crafted lyrics. I nearly burst with anticipation waiting for the release date.

Multiple listenings later, I feel like a party pooper, because it all just sounds a bit lazy and plodding. The problem for me is the sub-Lanois production. Lucinda sounds just fine in a stripped-down band setting, but here she's treated with strings, atmosphere, and more twiddly bits than you might care to remember, and it all just gets in the way. Great musicians doing nothing special, slowly. As a result it all sounds the same with no natural dynamics or colour, and Lucinda sounds like she's on auto-pilot throughout. The best comparison I can think of is the mess Phil Spector made of Leonard Cohen on Death Of A Ladies Man.

The search for studio atmosphere seems to have had a negative impact on her song writing too, because a lot of the craft has been reduced to stream of consciousness repetition. And it's had the same effect on Doug Pettibone - I don't hear anything here to compare with his extraordinary playing on World Without Tears or Live at the Filmore. There are no songs here to lift your spirits in the way Ventura or Overtime can. It particularly irritates me that this production makes me focus on the shallow styling rather than the content of the songs, which is at the heart of Lucinda's appeal.

So that's it, ho hum. I'm glad she's tried something exploratory and different.I'm just really, really, disappointed it turned out so smooth and pleasant in all the worst kind of ways. I think its a wrong turn, let's hope a temporary one.

Beware: a boring one
I find this CD to be the first important flaw in her career. I've been listening for a while but I cannnot find the hidden gem you sometimes get after repeated listenings. Overall it is boring and dull. It's not a matter of production or singing (though I find her voice here too demoish).I think it's just there are no good songs on it... sorry, next time perhaps.

All in the words, little in the songs
I was really looking forward to this but, despite a few positives, overall I'm disappointed.
The strongest impression is that Lucinda gave a lot of thought to the lyrics, and even when they're repetitive they're quite effective; but there's little in the way of melodic or instrumental invention. It all comes across as a slow to medium paced drone, demanding that you concentrate on the words to get anything out of it.
Another word of warning for anyone who enjoys her as a country singer - she's moving further away from the territory with this record. There are hints of country and blues, but it's more in the mould of a very austere AOR. Don't go looking for any drunken angels.