Car Wheels on a Gravel Road - Williams, Lucinda (CD 1998)

When one thinks of American roots rock music, many names come to mind. Yet Lucinda Williams isn't one of them, at least in the eyes of mainstream music listeners. Which is a damn shame, because Ms. Williams is one of the most evocative and greatest songwriters America has ever produced.

You see, Lucinda Williams is one artist that has been around the music scene for a long time, yet has been a nightmare for Record Company Execs and A&R People. Why? Because the woman refuses to let well-meaning but ill-advised boneheads dictate her music. If they had their way, they would try to pigeonhole her into either the AOR category (ala Bonnie Raitt) or the straight country-pop category (ala Mary Chapin-Carpenter, whose 1992 hit "Passionate Kisses" was originally written and performed by Ms. Williams herself). So Ms. Williams often takes long waits between releasing albums as a means of getting the sound just right. But more often than not, the results are worth it.

Car Wheels On A Gravel Road is proof of that. This album, which was released in the midst of one of the worst musical years on record (1998), received uniform praise from critics and won a Grammy award. In this case, the Grammy Committee was right on the money.

The first cut on the album ("Right In Time") is proof of Ms. Williams songwriting ability. The song has a rootsy rock and roll feel to it, that works well with the opening lines of "Not a day goes by I don't think about you/You left your mark on me/a permanent one/a tattoo/Pierce the skin and the blood runs through/Oh my baby".

The next song is the title one and the song has a feel that immediately screams "rural rock". Yes, that's rural rock not Country (if much of the stuff that calls itself Country these days could rock like this, that would be an achievement for it). The lyrics are very evocative of the place and time that they are trying to convey, a talent that Williams shares with such greats as Bruce Springsteen. Lines like "Sitting in the kitchen/A house in Macon/Loretta's singing on the radio/Smell of coffee eggs and bacon/Car wheels on a gravel road" demonstrate this lyrical talent perfectly.

"2 Kool 2 Be 4Gotten" has a rather smartass titles that belies its smart, observational lyrics. The song has a southern rock feel, almost like that of a Hootenanny. This is complemented by the lyrics, which describe a southern roadhouse and tells the tales of a couple people who frequent said bar. The same can be said for "Drunken Angel" which evokes the musicians as outlaws motif of The Eagles "Desperado" yet does it much better.

"Concrete And Barbed Wire" has an old time bluesy feel to it and seems to be metaphorically about being lovers being separated by a wall of the titular objects. Until Williams reveals in the last verse that the lyrics were literal after all and that "Somewhere in Louisiana/Sugar's doing time".

"Lake Charles" is easily the closest the album comes to straightforward AOR. The songs brilliant use of piano, accordion and acoustic guitar work well to drive home the lyrics evocative tale of (pardon the pun) going home.

The only track on here that Lucinda Williams didn't write herself is her cover of Randy Weeks "Can't Let Go". The song has a boogie down feel, similar to that of Dire Straits and the lyrics are Knopfleresque with lines like "Feel like I been shot/But I didn't fall down/It's over/I know it/But I can't let go".

"I Lost It" features some tough guitar playing and lyrics that anyone listening can identify with ("I just wanna live the life I please/I don't want no enemies/I don't want nothing if I have to fake it" and "If I give my heart/Do you promise not to break it".

"Metal Firecracker" is an energetic country-rocker that sounds like something Wilco might record. In fact, as I listen to it, I find myself wondering if a Williams/Wilco collaboration might not be a bad idea.

"Greenville" is a slow dark song, one that (over a slow acoustic backing of guitar and accordion, tells a drunken abusive lover to leave the woman alone and go back to the titular city.

The bluesy rock comes back on "Still I Long For Your Kiss". The backing is appropriate for the lyrics, which are (as the title indicates) about lost love. Williams sings them (as usual) in a way that makes them emotionally striking. Also, the bluesy guitar solo on here is terrific.

By contrast, "Joy" has an almost angry tone to it. The song features Williams railing against an unseen lover who took her joy. The mood turns somber for the final track on the album: that being "Jackson". The song showcases Williams s evocation of Americana and offers proof that her talent is very close to (if not on the level of) such songwriters as Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell.

As I previously noted, Car Wheels On A Gravel Road received a great deal of acclaim when it was released. In this case, the acclaim was deserved, as the album is excellent from start to finish with not one bad song on it. While I hesitate to use the word classic, I think we can safely say that time will look upon this one as a classic, much in the same way that we look upon Springsteen's "Darkness On The Edge Of Town" or Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited" or Neil Young's "After The Gold Rush". If you're looking for some genuine, heartfelt, American Roots Rock, go buy Car Wheels On A Gravel Road. It's worth every dollar.