Victoria Williams Pt. 1

[katefans@world.std.com (Chris'n'Vickie of Chicago)]

Vickie here. This is about one of my favorite albums by one of my
favorite artists.

This is an excerpt from a cover feature/interview that appeared in 
the Spring 1988 issue of Puncture magazine, written by
Steve Connell & Katherine Spielmann.

                "Victoria Williams Says It Now"

Victoria Williams' debut album, _Happy Come Home_ (Geffen Records), marks
one of those comparatively rare events in music--the appearance of a truly
distinctive, fully developed singer/musician, an addition to the musical
world it now seems inconceivable we could do without. Like many such
appearances in the past, hers has gone relatively unheralded. For such
distinctiveness is difficult to categorize, seemingly hard for record
companies to promote, and may indeed startle the casual listener at first.
  Williams' voice astonishing. She has a range and variety of vocal timbres--
from soft, semi-spoken tones, through poignant tremolo, all the way to gospel
intensity--and an ability (like that of Throwing Muses' Kristin Hersh) to
shift tones within a song to reflect the narrative movement and compel you
to follow it. Her singing has occasional echoes of other great unusual
singers--Tim Buckley, for instance, or Lowell George, early Dolly Parton,
tom Waits, Nick Drake.
  _Happy Come Home_ reveals a voice born to tell stories. "Main Road" and
"T.C." draw on memories of growing up in Louisiana, evoking places and people
with dreamlike force but riven with flashes of hard reality: she shows how
sharply your childhood determines the kind of adult you become, "as games
turn into life/Once a tomboy, once a tomwife." Williams shares with Tom Waits
a fascination with characters society considers eccentric; we meet them in
songs like the title track and "Statue Of A Bum."
  This set of parables, tales, and reminiscences is framed in a variety of 
settings--drawing on country, gospel, folk, and American popular song--from
the stark simplicity of acoustic guitar and stand up (bowed) bass, through
country fiddle and ukelele, to the string arrangements (by Van Dyke Parks)
of the childhood songs, whose sweet and sour quality, alternately lush and
dissonant, complements the blend of reverie and hard facts that the lyrics
unfold. Everything is sung with intense directness, like the counsel that
closes the record: "So if you want to do something, do it now/And if you
want to say something, well___"
  _Happy Come Home_ puts together a highly personal vision, one that accepts
the complexity and variety of life, and celebrates it. It's rare to find an
artist who has access to such a range of emotional material and musical
forms.

                  --------------------------------------

This is a highly wonderful album but I have to warn people:
a) cynics should stay as far away as humanly possible from this woman
b) prepare to jolted to the core of your being by Victoria's voice, which
   is certainly THE most unusual voice that ever was-is-will be.

A lyric sheet is not included but it's not necessary for most of the songs.
You'll be able to understand the stories and your imagination will be
working overtime visualizing the intense, colorful images Victoria conjures
up in every single song.

This album is not available on CD :-( :-( :-( 
The LP is now out of print but I know there are a few floating around
out there so hopefully it won't be too hard to find.

If you like this album, you should like Victoria's new album _Swing The 
Statue_ and if you buy STS first and like it, you will absolutely love this
album. STS is very different from HCH in that the arrangements are much
more simple and straightforward. The songs are somewhat darker and somber,
though Victoria's playfulness and optimism are still in evidence. 
Victoria's voice may be an aquired taste, maybe not. She's another artist
who doesn't deserve obscurity, but who seems destined to be ignored just
because she's different and unusual. 

Those who can open their hearts, minds and ears to Victoria Williams-you're
in for a real, rare, treat.

Victoria's on tour now, opening :-( for Michael Penn & Lloyd Cole. From what
I hear, their audiences are not being receptive to Victoria's uniqueness.
If you go to this concert and if you like Victoria, please clap loudly and
let her know that there are people out there who appreciate her.

Vickie (one of Vickie'n'Chris)
katefans@world.std.com