Lucinda Williams - Essence
List Price:
Our Price: $4.69
You Save: $6.30 (57%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here)
Category: Music CD
See more CD details
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
CD Details
Artist: Lucinda WilliamsEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Original Language)
CD Release Date: 2001-06-05
Music Label: Lost Highway
Soundtracks:
- Lonely Girls
- Steal Your Love
- I Envy The Wind
- Blue
- Out Of Touch
- Are You Down?
- Essence
- Reason To Cry
- Get Right With God
- Bus To Baton Rouge
- Broken Butterflies
Music reviews of Essence
Music Review: Oh My God, Essence Is A Gorgeous Record...
Rating: 4 Stars
Enjoyable CDs like Lucinda Williams' Essence (2001) are generally the exception and not the rule, but this songstress and her band deliver; Tony Garnier plays bass, Jim Keltner plays drums, Bo Ramsey plays electric guitar, Reese Wynans plays Hammond organ, and Charlie Sexton tackles several instruments. This release followed Lucinda's greatest success -- the Grammy Award winning Car Wheels On A Gravel Road.
Strong songs on this roots rock CD are the longest ones -- Are You Down, Bus to Baton Rouge, Essence, Out of Touch -- because Lucinda's backing band gets to display their wares. Their instrument choices are often unexpected and unusual: fuzz bass, guitars (electric experience, electric octave, live loop, resolectric, slide, and tremolo), one note harmony, acoustic papoose, violins and violas.
Since you're interested, please know Essence was affectionately recorded at Mastermix Studios in Minneapolis, Minnesota during 2001. Many of the polishing touches on this recording are very subtle, but the genius lies in Lucinda's use of predominantly male singers -- Jim Lauderdale, Gary Louris, and Charlie Sexton -- for both harmony and background vocals. Joy Lynn White also appears on three tracks.
Even though the shorter songs -- Steal Your Love, I Envy The Wind, Blue, Reason To Cry -- are pleasant, they really could have stood out more. Steal Your Love (Track Two) could have shimmered with harmonica, peddle-steel guitar and clarinet. I Envy The Wind (Track Three) could have likewise benefited from an extended refrain with flutes, piccolos, and recorders.
Not to complain really, but Blue (Track Four) and Reason To Cry (Track Eight) both sound like dour songs that could have been uplifted through some sort of piano accompaniment. Williams sings these tracks with such soft tenderness and love that background piano might have proved distracting, but I'd love to hear these tracks covered by the talented Cat Power for example.
Could I name two favorites? Certainly. Out Of Touch (Track Five) is the closest thing to a pop song. Bus To Baton Rouge (Track Ten) is also a delicate and sentimental song that tells a complex stories in under forty lines. Other than gems Blue and I Envy The Wind, I could listen to this pair of songs for hours.
Essence (Track Seven) is one of two power ballads on this album, and Lucinda nails it down perfectly with driving vocals that glimpse at addiction, death, obsession and transcendence. Alternately, Get Right With God (Track Nine) has biblical undertones, is more rollicking, and serves as the prefect counterpoint to the album closing Broken Butterflies (Track Eleven) which hints at forgiveness and healing.
Personal aside: Does anybody have Lucinda's email address? I had it before but lost it. I'd love to give her more songs.
Description of Essence
11 tracks in a digipac. Small white sticker over barcode.Alternative Rock CDs
Music Genres
Bestsellers in Alternative Rock CDs
Bouncing Souls - Maniacal LaughterRelease date: 1996-01-26; Music CD
Best price: $30.00
Blondie - Parallel LinesRelease date: 1994-07-29; Music CD
Best price: $149.98
Doors - L.A. WomanRelease date: 1993-04-09; Music CD
Best price: $99.99
Amon Duul - Phallus DeiRelease date: 1997-04-08; Music CD
Price in other shops:
Tangerine Dream - MelroseRelease date: 1990-10-02; Music CD
Best price: $74.98
Tangerine Dream - Private Music of Tangerine DreamRelease date: 1992-11-10; Music CD
Best price: $5.00
Price in other shops:
![Ska Explosion [VHS] Image](/images/Ska-Explosion-VHS-6303381014-X.jpg){kind=small}
Ska Explosion [VHS]Cleopatra; Release date: 1995-02-28; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $14.99
Price in other shops:
![Little Earthquakes [VHS] Image](/images/Little-Earthquakes-VHS-6302488664-X.jpg){kind=small}
Little Earthquakes [VHS]Atlantic / Wea; Release date: 1992-11-10; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $12.50
Price in other shops:
Exileby Geoffrey Oryema
Music CD
Best price: $4.95
![Louder Than Live [VHS] Image](/images/Louder-Than-Live-VHS-6301627865-X.jpg){kind=small}
Soundgarden - Louder Than Live [VHS]A&M Video; Release date: 1991-07-01; VHS Tape; VHS Video
Best price: $192.68
Similar CDs
Lucinda Williams - Live @ The FillmoreRelease date: 2005-05-10; Music CD
Best price: $9.00
Price in other shops:
Mary Gauthier - Mercy NowRelease date: 2005-02-15; Music CD
Best price: $6.52
Price in other shops:
Lucinda Williams - Ramblin'WILLIAMS,LUCINDA; Release date: 1992-07-13; Music CD
Best price: $10.31
Price in other shops:
Lucinda Williams - Happy Woman BluesSmithsonian Folkways Recordings; Release date: 1992-07-13; Music CD
Best price: $10.67
Price in other shops:
Lucinda Williams - WestBaker & Taylor; Release date: 2007-02-13; Music CD
Best price: $4.61
Price in other shops:
Lucinda Williams - World Without TearsRelease date: 2003-04-08; Music CD
Best price: $6.46
Price in other shops:
Lucinda Williams - Little HoneyRelease date: 2008-10-14; Music CD
Best price: $3.99
Price in other shops:
Lucinda Williams - BlessedRelease date: 2011-03-01; Music CD
Best price: $13.10
Price in other shops:
Lucinda Williams - Sweet Old WorldRelease date: 1992-08-25; Music CD
Best price: $1.83
Price in other shops:
Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel RoadRelease date: 1998-06-30; Published: 1998; Music CD
Best price: $6.42
Price in other shops: