Lucinda Williams: Live from Austin, Tx 1989 (DVD, New West)

 |   |  1 min read

Lucinda Williams: Changed the Locks (from the album Lucinda Williams, 1988)
Lucinda Williams: Live from Austin, Tx 1989 (DVD, New West)

With the great Lucinda Williams due to return for long overdue concerts, it seems only right to draw attention to this DVD of her first appearance on the Austin City Limits telelvison show in 1989.

It was almost 20 years ago and at the time -- although she'd released her first album a decade previous -- she was riding on the crest of her self-titled album which had sprung the critical hits Passionate Kisses and Just Want to See You So Bad, both slices of pop-rock, the latter which could have come from the pen of the Byrds' Roger McGuinn or fallen off a Tom Petty album of the period.

But there was more to Williams than shimmering and heartfelt pop: in this concert where the set list is largely drawn from that album -- and where she appears exceedingly nervous for the first half dozen songs -- she essayed country, earthy blues and folk-framed material.

This was a very long time ago and Williams' music has travelled a long way, to become more personally revealing -- whether that be dark and melancholy or celebratory when the times have been good.

But this concert (with guitarist Gurf Morlix, bassist John Ciambotti and drummer Donald Lindley who were on the album) came from a period which many still enjoy so -- accepting that wariness (which was more evident in one of her later ACL appearances actually, that's a boring concert) -- this should be of considerable interest. Although better material would come in subsequent decades.

Williams is interviewed at Elsewhere in 2007 and her last two albums West and Little Honey made the Elsewhere Best of 2007 and 2008 lists respectively.

Share It

Your Comments

post a comment

More from this section   Music at Elsewhere articles index

The Gaslight Anthem: American Slang (Shock)

The Gaslight Anthem: American Slang (Shock)

Normallly an amalgam of early Springsteen/E Street Band energy, Bob Seger committment, the Replacements' punky thrash and Tom Petty's way with a lyric and melody would have been right up my street... > Read more

Ian McLagan: United States (Yep Roc/Southbound)

Ian McLagan: United States (Yep Roc/Southbound)

Many years ago it was my great pleasure to spend a bit of time with keyboard player Ian McLagan when he was in Auckland playing with an artist whom I have forgotten. McLagan -- who was, in the... > Read more

Elsewhere at Elsewhere

Orchestra of Spheres: Nonagonic Now (Sound Explorers)

Orchestra of Spheres: Nonagonic Now (Sound Explorers)

This rhythm-driven four-piece from Wellington is one part early Talking Heads (or the Feelies as a jazz ensemble), a slug of Sun Ra if he'd come from South East Asia and not Saturn, some seriously... > Read more

THE FAMOUS ELSEWHERE QUESTIONNAIRE: Ryan Munroe from Band of Horses

THE FAMOUS ELSEWHERE QUESTIONNAIRE: Ryan Munroe from Band of Horses

Band of Horses are an American group which a select but growing audience in New Zealand has embraced, largely on the strength of them touring here early (earlyish) in their career . . . and then... > Read more