The headlines all read something like "Tragic Beauty Anna Nicole Smith Found Dead." As I read the story that followed, a roller coaster of emotions coursed through my body. I started angry, became sad for a while and then started shouting the question "Why?" to the heavens, already knowing the answer: because it was a slow news day. You have to be kidding, right? A "tragic beauty?"
Sure, Anna Nicole was tragic from the day she got her start at a greasy, small town fried chicken joint serving up heaping helpings of cholesterol to dirty old men. It got even more tragic when after her shift at the chicken joint she would go to her next job, rubbing her lady parts all over the dirty old men she had just served fried chicken. Perhaps the most tragic thing of all was Smith's decision to sleep with the wrinkled old bugger who was horny enough to let his fortune get swept away by this busty blond.
The tragedy in Anna Nicole's life was easy to spot. Hell, it was hard to avoid. Every time a Trim Spa commercial came on the tube, we were reminded just desperately unlovable this woman was. But beautiful? I guess if you're in to skeletons with badly hung DD's and voices that only a deaf man could love then yeah, she was quite the catch. For the rest of us, she was terrifying.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Monday, February 12, 2007
Lucinda Williams heads "West"
Those expecting a repeat of Lucinda Williams' 2003 release "World Without Tears" may be disappointed by her new album, but the somber songwriting and melancholy tempos on "West" make it the perfect cure for the broken hearted and a hell of a listen for the rest.
On "West," her first album of new material in nearly four years, Williams shuns the super produced power-country that plagues modern radio, reaching instead for her Southern Louisiana roots and the tear-stained country ballads of old for inspiration. Williams' tortured two-pack-a-day voice floats over sparse drumming, thumping upright bass, bayou hand organ and shimmering vibrato-soaked guitar lines as she tells the listener stories about the recent death of her mother, the messy end of a relationship and nights of wondering what might have been.
The album opener and first single, "Are You Alright?" sets the tone of the entire album, chronicling the uncertainty that comes with a suddenly discontented lover. Her voice barely audible above a bed of whispery drums and subtle guitar work, Williams gently repeats the song's namesake question in the manner of a desperate lover, tugging the listeners heart-strings with an ease that comes only with experience.
Other must-hear moments on "West" include the sinister sounding "Unsuffer Me" and the rambling "What If," a long winded but never dull fantasy about a world without conflict. Naive, but heart warming.
Though Williams reached to the past for inspiration while writing "West," the album represents a major step forward and a bit of a break-out moment for the artist. Despite her impressive portfolio, which includes three Grammy awards, eight studio albums and a supporting slot behind Bob Dylan, it seems as if Lucinda Williams has waited until now to produce a truly great work of art. Oh well, it was worth the wait.
On "West," her first album of new material in nearly four years, Williams shuns the super produced power-country that plagues modern radio, reaching instead for her Southern Louisiana roots and the tear-stained country ballads of old for inspiration. Williams' tortured two-pack-a-day voice floats over sparse drumming, thumping upright bass, bayou hand organ and shimmering vibrato-soaked guitar lines as she tells the listener stories about the recent death of her mother, the messy end of a relationship and nights of wondering what might have been.
The album opener and first single, "Are You Alright?" sets the tone of the entire album, chronicling the uncertainty that comes with a suddenly discontented lover. Her voice barely audible above a bed of whispery drums and subtle guitar work, Williams gently repeats the song's namesake question in the manner of a desperate lover, tugging the listeners heart-strings with an ease that comes only with experience.
Other must-hear moments on "West" include the sinister sounding "Unsuffer Me" and the rambling "What If," a long winded but never dull fantasy about a world without conflict. Naive, but heart warming.
Though Williams reached to the past for inspiration while writing "West," the album represents a major step forward and a bit of a break-out moment for the artist. Despite her impressive portfolio, which includes three Grammy awards, eight studio albums and a supporting slot behind Bob Dylan, it seems as if Lucinda Williams has waited until now to produce a truly great work of art. Oh well, it was worth the wait.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Don't Worry, There Will Be Content Soon
Thanks for visiting Media Gospel. I know the page seems empty, well, because it is. Right now we're working on compiling top rate reviews and articles to post for your entertainment, as well as a list of links to various media outlets to keep you informed. Thanks for reading, keep coming back.
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