An Album/Song A Week: Lucinda Williams - s/t

This was Lucinda Williams' third album, and her first in eight years.  Her debut came out in 1979 and was a covers album, a year later she released her first record of original material.  Then nothing. When she emerged in 1988, the self-titled Lucinda Williams was her breakthrough.  A critical favorite that set up her even bigger breakthroughs in the 90's.  And while I knew it existed because Americana radio's KPIG-FM played many songs off of it, I didn't hear the whole album until 1992.  That was when Williams' fourth album Sweet Old World came out. But once I bought it, it was a revelation.  This was a major singer/songwriter.  There are songs on here that even though they were released in 1988, they bring me back to my USPS days.  And what songs.  "Passionate Kisses" went on to become a Country hit for Mary Chapin Carpenter.  Tom Petty covered "Changed the Locks".  Then there was "I Just Wanted To See You So Bad", "Night's Too Long", and my personal favorite, "Side of the Road".  The latter is an essential song for anyone who has been a wonderful relationship, but still feels the need to find time for themselves.  

Williams' big breakthrough came in 1998 with the equally great Car Wheels On A Gravel Road.  And while I love that album, it's Lucinda Williams that I always go back to first. She's gone on to make many more fine albums.  Becoming a staple of the Americana genre.  Lucinda Williams is a great place to start if you need a superb singer-songwriter album that helped broaden Americana's appeal.