Musings of a Creek Dipper | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1998 | |||
Label | Atlantic [1] | |||
Producer | Victoria Williams, Trina Shoemaker | |||
Victoria Williams chronology | ||||
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Musings of a Creek Dipper is an album by the American musician Victoria Williams, released in 1998. [2] [3] The album cover artwork is a photograph of Williams in an Oxnard, California, creek. [4] Williams supported the album with a short tour, which included playing the Calgary Folk Music Festival. [5] [6]
Musings of a Creek Dipper was produced by Williams and Trina Shoemaker. [7] [8] Joey Burns and John Convertino played on the album, as did Greg Leisz. [9] [10] Williams employed more horns and strings than on previous albums. [11] She experienced occasional flareups of her multiple sclerosis during the recording sessions. [12]
Many of the album's songs were inspired by living near Joshua Tree, California. [13] Williams's husband, Mark Olson, cowrote some of the songs and also played on the album. [14] Wendy & Lisa provided much of the musical instrumentation to "Train Song (Demise of the Caboose)". [15] The vocals on "Kashmir's Corn" were recorded with Williams's head positioned in the bell of a sousaphone. [16] "Humming Bird" first appeared on The Original Harmony Ridge Creek Dippers . [17] Julie Miller sang on "Rainmaker". [18] "Nature Boy" is a cover of the Nat King Cole song. [19]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [20] |
Chicago Tribune | [21] |
Robert Christgau | A− [22] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [23] |
Entertainment Weekly | A− [24] |
The Hamilton Spectator | [25] |
The Indianapolis Star | [12] |
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [7] |
(The New) Rolling Stone Album Guide | [11] |
Spin | 7/10 [26] |
Robert Christgau wrote that "there's eccentric and then there's loopy, and this fragile, well-named follow-up is loopy." [22] Trouser Press thought that "the album's relaxed pace rests the singer comfortably in her own jazz-folk niche, and she has never sounded more at home." [1] The Boston Globe stated: "High and quavery as a child at points, her Melanie-like voice makes even her most sophisticated songs sound as simple as a sing-along." [27] The Chicago Tribune opined that "too often Williams sounds like Olive Oyl at a twee party." [21]
Entertainment Weekly determined that "what's truly remarkable about these songs is how they manage to radiate a sense of wonder without sounding cloyingly precious." [24] Spin concluded that Williams "is unapologetic about her lazy pace and sappy disposition, spinning take-it-or-leave-it tales of cozy cabins and pretty clouds." [26] The Hamilton Spectator noted that, "by providing an atmosphere conducive to Williams' charms, Shoemaker ... has produced a bewitching, gratifying record that finally capitalizes on the singer's unique gifts." [25]
AllMusic wrote that Williams "expands her musical skills on Musings of a Creekdipper, finding an original, eclectically rural sound that enhances the off-center originality of her songs." [20]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Periwinkle Sky" | |
2. | "Rainmaker" | |
3. | "Kashmir's Corn" | |
4. | "Train Song (Demise of the Caboose)" | |
5. | "Last Word" | |
6. | "Nature Boy" | |
7. | "Tree Song (Eucalyptus Lullabye)" | |
8. | "Let It Be So" | |
9. | "Allergic Boy" | |
10. | "Humming Bird" | |
11. | "Grandpa in the Cornpatch" | |
12. | "Blackbirds Rise" |
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