The Art of Communiculture Fall 1998

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Musings Of A Creek Dipper by Victoria Williams, (Wea/Atlantic, 1998).

What's there not to like about Victoria Williams's fourth album, Musings of a Creek Dipper? She's a gifted storytelling songwriter, works with creative musicians, has shown great strength in her battle with multiple sclerosis, and is married to the talented Marc Olson (formerly of the Jayhawks). Her shrill soprano voice can put you off at first, but give it time. As with Dylan and Neil Young, it might grow on you. Although my wife is still waiting for that to happen.

Louisiana-born Williams gained attention in 1993 with the tribute album Sweet Relief. Pearl Jam, Lou Reed, Soul Asylum, Michelle Shocked, and others recorded Williams's songs to help raise money for treatment of her MS and for other musicians without medical insurance. The many different voices gave Williams's songwriting a chance to shine. More recently, she did several dates on the 1997 Lilith Fair tour.

The songs on Creek Dipper, co-produced with Trina Shoemaker (who co-produced Sheryl Crow's latest), draw on the subtle tones of the California desert. A mixture of folk, country, and gospel, the music spins out from a light blend of piano, guitar, inconspicuous percussion, cello, and other acoustic instruments that sound like the desert breeze.

Nature—interacting with human beings and on its own terms—is the theme that weaves this album together. Opening track "Periwinkle Sky" begins with a subtle thundering drum, the distant crash of a cymbal, and a lazy, rolling groove that sets in for the next twelve songs. "Kashmir's Corn," "Tree Song," and "Grandpa in the Corn Patch" continue the atmosphere, while "Train Song"—about the demise of the caboose—shows the influence of Prince collaborators ...

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