Car Wheels on a Gravel Road

( 8 )

Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide - Steve Huey
It isn't surprising that Lucinda Williams' level of craft takes time to assemble, but the six-year wait between Sweet Old World and its 1998 follow-up, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, still raised eyebrows. The delay stemmed both from label difficulties and Williams' meticulous perfectionism, the latter reportedly over a too-produced sound and her own vocals. Listening to the record, one can understand why both might have concerned Williams. Car Wheels is far and away her most produced album to date, which is something of a mixed blessing. Its surfaces are clean and contemporary, with something in the timbres of the instruments especially the drums sounding extremely typical of...
See more details below
CD
$10.05
BN.com price
(Save 8%)$10.99 List Price
Pick Up In Store

Pick Up In Store

Reserve and pick up in 60 minutes at your local store

Other sellers (CD)
  • All (23) from $1.99   
  • New (10) from $7.80   
  • Used (13) from $1.99   

More About This Product

Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide - Steve Huey
It isn't surprising that Lucinda Williams' level of craft takes time to assemble, but the six-year wait between Sweet Old World and its 1998 follow-up, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, still raised eyebrows. The delay stemmed both from label difficulties and Williams' meticulous perfectionism, the latter reportedly over a too-produced sound and her own vocals. Listening to the record, one can understand why both might have concerned Williams. Car Wheels is far and away her most produced album to date, which is something of a mixed blessing. Its surfaces are clean and contemporary, with something in the timbres of the instruments especially the drums sounding extremely typical of a late-'90s major-label roots-rock album. While that might subtly alter the timeless qualities of Williams' writing, there's also no denying that her sound is punchier and livelier. The production also throws Williams' idiosyncratic voice into sharp relief, to the point where it's noticeably separate from the band. As a result, every inflection and slight tonal alteration is captured, and it would hardly be surprising if Williams did obsess over those small details. But whether or not you miss the earthiness of Car Wheels' predecessors, it's ultimately the material that matters, and Williams' songwriting is as captivating as ever. Intentionally or not, the album's common thread seems to be its strongly grounded sense of place -- specifically, the Deep South, conveyed through images and numerous references to specific towns. Many songs are set, in some way, in the middle or aftermath of not-quite-resolved love affairs, as Williams meditates on the complexities of human passion. Even her simplest songs have more going on under the surface than their poetic structures might indicate. In the end, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road is Williams' third straight winner; although she might not be the most prolific songwriter of the '90s, she's certainly one of the most brilliant.
Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • Release Date: 6/30/1998
  • Label: Island / Mercury
  • UPC: 731455833829
  • Catalog Number: 558338
  • Sales rank: 13,008

Tracks

Disc 1
  1. 1 Right In Time (4:35)
  2. 2 Car Wheels On A Gravel Road (4:44)
  3. 3 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten (4:42)
  4. 4 Drunken Angel (3:20)
  5. 5 Concrete And Barbed Wire (3:08)
  6. 6 Lake Charles (5:27)
  7. 7 Can't Let Go (3:28)
  8. 8 I Lost It (3:31)
  9. 9 Metal Firecracker (3:30)
  10. 10 Greenville (3:23)
  11. 11 Still I Long for Your Kiss (4:09)
  12. 12 Joy (4:01)
  13. 13 Jackson (3:42)
Read More Show Less

Album Credits

Performance Credits
Lucinda Williams Primary Artist, Primary Artist, Acoustic Guitar, Dobro, Guitar, Vocals
Emmylou Harris Vocals, Vocal Harmony
Ray Kennedy 12-string Guitar
Jim Lauderdale Vocals, Vocal Harmony
Steve Earle Acoustic Guitar, Guitar, Harmonica, Guitar (Resonator), Vocal Harmony
Charlie Sexton Dobro, Guitar, Electric Guitar
Roy Bittan Organ, Accordion, Hammond Organ
John Ciambotti Bass Guitar
Greg Leisz Mandolin, 12-string Guitar
Donald Lindley Percussion, Drums
Gurf Morlix Guitar, Electric Guitar, 12-string Guitar, Slide Guitar
Buddy Miller Acoustic Guitar, Guitar, Electric Guitar, Mando-Guitar, Vocal Harmony
Bo Ramsey Electric Guitar, Slide Guitar
Johnny Lee Schell Dobro, Electric Guitar, Slide Guitar
Michael Smotherman Hammond Organ
Technical Credits
Lucinda Williams Producer
Roy Bittan Producer, Engineer
Steve Churchyard Engineer
Ed Thacker Engineer
Margery Greenspan Artwork
Twangtrust Producer
Hank Williams Mastering
Read More Show Less

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 5
( 8 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(7)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(1)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identity on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

 
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously
Sort by: Showing all of 8 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    classic

    excellent songs and a great delivery

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    one of the best cds ever!

    since the day i heard this disk i have loved it. it spent three monts, non stop in my car. i still loveit after all this time. it is the perfect mix of roots, country, blues - lucinda's voice is real with passion and fear, loss and hope. Lucinda Williams is a song writer unlike any other. her songs are clear and from the heart...eachone showing a little more of who she is. a+++

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Recommended

    This album is pretty solid, but not great. A few of her slower ballads tend to go on a bit (eg "Jackson") but the price of the alum alone is almost worth the two best songs on the CD, "Joy" a fantastic upbeat wailing sneer of a song about the man who made her unhappy, and "Can't let Go" a rollicking good old country ditty with a great chorus. Recommended.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    A Masterpiece!!

    Lucinda exhibits an emotional honesty that amazes. This is a must for all serious music fans!!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted July 7, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted November 22, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 26, 2008

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 7, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 8 Customer Reviews