Swing the Statue! by Victoria Williams (CD, Aug-1999, Mammoth)

Album Features
UPC:	035498007521
Artist:	Victoria Williams
Format:	CD
Release Year:	1999
Record Label:	Mammoth
Genre:	Folk

Track Listing
1. Why Look at the Moon
2. Boogieman
3. Clothesline
4. Tarbelly and Featherfoot
5. On Time
6. Holy Spirit
7. Summer of Drugs
8. I Can't Cry Hard Enough
9. Wobbling
10. Vieux Amis
11. Weeds
12. Lift Him Up

Details
Playing Time:	44 min.
Contributing Artists:	Julie Miller, Byron Berline, Buddy Miller, Williams Brothers
Producer:	Michael Blair, Victoria Williams, Vic Williams
Distributor:	Universal Distribution
Recording Type:	Studio
Recording Mode:	Stereo
SPAR Code:	AAD

Album Notes
Personnel: Victoria Williams (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, dulcimer, ocarina, piano); Buddy Miller (vocals, guitar); Julie Miller, Jeff Davis (vocals); Willie Aron (acoustic & electric guitars, organ, background vocals); Marty Rifkin (pedal steel guitar); Byron Berline (fiddle); Melissa Hassin (cello); Dave Knight, Steven Soles (trombone, mandolin); Phil Shenate (Kurzweil & B-3 organ); Don Falzone (bass); Michael Blair (drums, percussion, vibraphone, accordion); The Williams Brothers.Recorded at Sunset Sound Factory, Hollywood, California.Personnel: Victoria Williams (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar, dulcimer, ocarina, piano); Willie Aron (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, organ, background vocals); David E. Williams (vocals, piano, background vocals); Andy Williams (vocals, background vocals); Jeff Davis, Julie Miller (vocals); Buddy Miller (guitar, synthesizer); Andrew Williams (acoustic guitar); Byron Berline (mandolin, fiddle); Steven Soles (mandolin, trombone); Melissa "Missy" Hasin (cello); Michael Blair (accordion, organ, vibraphone, marimba, glockenspiel, drums, cowbells, washboard, tambourine, hand claps, percussion, background vocals); David Knight (trombone); John Philip Shenale (horns, keyboards); Don Falzone (acoustic bass, upright bass).Audio Mixer: Kevin Smith .Recording information: Sunset Sound Factory, Hollywood, CA.Illustrator: Victoria Williams.Photographer: Robbie Cavolina.Unknown Contributor Role: Michael Blair.On the follow-up to her landmark debut, Happy Come Home (1987), Victoria Williams' skills as a multi-faceted songwriter become increasingly stronger and more distinct. The lack of aural opulence -- such as Van Dyke Parks' string arrangements -- reveal a less-forced approach, resulting in a giant leap forward in terms of the development of Williams' own voice. Likewise, her rich Louisiana bayou roots increasingly influence her music and act as a strong motif throughout not only Swing the Statue, but her future releases as well -- most notably her contributions to the Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers. Perhaps drawing upon her own experiences, Swing the Statue has an air of melancholia wafting throughout much of the album. Both "Boogieman" and "I Can't Cry Hard Enough" -- while divergent in terms of musical style -- speak directly to the feelings of loss and abandonment. These aptly juxtapose against the innocence and youthful awe of "Look at That Moon" and "Wobbling" as well as the spiritual guidance found in "Lift Him Up" and "Weeds." Unlike Happy Come Home, Swing the Statue is exceedingly more reserved and somewhat stark -- with an emphasis on acoustic instrumentation. These aptly inhabit Williams' remarkably jazzy arrangements. While examples are abundant, most specifically are the easy and lethargic "Clothesline," as well as the freewheeling "On Time" or "Vieux Amis" -- the latter of which is also sung in the French-derived Cajun dialect. The wholly diverse collection of sounds and styles explored on the disc would continue to inform Williams' work, although it would be another four years before her international breakthrough album, Loose (1994), would be released. While she would ultimately retain much of the momentum gained on Swing the Statue, the dissolution of her record label, Rough Trade, left Williams very little in the way of national or international publicity or promotion. A much more devastating blow was dealt while on the road supporting this album when Williams was diagnosed with the degenerative neurological disorder multiple sclerosis. Her ultimate triumph/co-existence with the disorder gave birth to much of the celebratory tone on her follow-up, Loose. ~ Lindsay Planer

Editorial Reviews
Option Recommended - ...playful and intriguing...

Q 4 Stars - Excellent