Victoria Williams "Happy Come Home" on CD

[WretchAwry <vickie@pilot.njin.net>]

Yes, "Happy Come Home" is now out on CD! After years of waiting....no,
not waiting...because I assumed that I'd *never* see it on CD. It's
a wonder to behold, and a wonder to listen to. In case anyone is
curious, there aren't any extra tracks, and the lyrics aren't
included :-(. Does it matter? Not at *all*! "Happy Come Home" on
CD!! I keep looking at it, not believing what I'm seeing!

Why should you buy this? Well....

1) Because Victoria deserves to be heard by *everybody*!

2) Because it will show Geffen Records and your local retailers that
   there *is* interest in it. It wouldn't suprise me if it were to
   go out-of-print fairly quickly. 

3) Because it will make Victoria happy and hopefully some of the money
   will go to her to help her out financially. "Sweet Relief" was a
   benefit to help her with her medical bills (she has multiple
   sclerosis) but not with her day to day living expenses. I would
   *hope* that she's getting a percentage of each CD sold, but I have
   to admit that I don't know for sure if she is.

4) Because it's *WONDERFUL*!

Disclaimer:
Ok, it's not for everybody, I'll admit. It's not like anything you've
ever heard before, guaranteed. Many will love it, but some might hate it.
All I can say to the people who buy it and find they dislike it is that
you can always give it away or sell it to someone else. However, it's
very possible that if you listen to it quite a few times, it actually
might grow on you.

Victoria's voice might be the first "problem" someone might have. Needless
to say, I *love* her voice, but I'll also admit that it's very unusual
and could possibly drive someone crazy. Maybe not. I just want to warn
that her voice is going to suprise you if you haven't heard it before.
There's no one on the planet to even compare her voice to. It's absolutely
one-of-a-kind.

I love this album because it's unique, sweetly eccentric and charming.
I can't catch all the lyrics, but most of them are understandable and
they're the most wonderful lyrics, they are. Victoria's a talented
singer/songwriter/musician, I love her voice and I can say from
personal experience that she's one of the nicest people in the world.

She's a storyteller at her core, and many songs are mini vignettes about
her life as a child growing up in Louisiana. Her imagry is vivid no matter
what she's singing about. Victoria doesn't have an ounce of pretention
about her, and all her songs are gems, containing bits of wisdoms, slices
of life, fascinating observations, interesting characters, great stories,
and down-to-earth emotions.  The arrangements on this album are quite a
bit different from her second album "Swing The Statue," with more strings
and busy little sound effects, courtesy of Anton Fier and Van Dyke Parks.

Of course, anyone who's already heard the "Sweet Relief" benefit album
will have heard some of these songs already, but you haven't *really*
heard them until you've heard Victoria sing them.

All songs are original, except for a cover of James Cleveland's gospel
classic "I'll Do His Will" (which absolutely floors me everytime I hear
it, even though I'm an athiest.)

Many well-known-in-their-field musicians play and sing on this album,
including Carla Bley, T-Bone Burnett, Stephen Croce, Syd Straw and
Lisa Herman (recently discussed in Ecto as being "Longhouse") among many
others.

Keep an eye out for this absolutely delightful and utterly charming album.

Victoria Williams, "Happy Come Home"  Geffen GEFD-24140

1)  Shoes
2)  Frying Pan
3)  Merry Go Round
4)  Happy
5)  TC
6)  I'll Do His Will
7)  Big Fish
8)  Animal Wild
9)  Main Road
10) Lights
11) Opelousas
12) Statue Of A Bum
13) Poetry

Vickie

"When I get depressed, frustrated, I tell myself 'be like Victoria'"
                                                        Jane Siberry

"Jane said *that*? Wow!" Victoria Williams