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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
emotional
informative
medium-paced
Not writing that will knock your socks off, but as a huge fan of her music, I loved hearing her stories.
emotional
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
I've been a fan of Lucinda Williams for 25 years or so, and she's certainly an artist I wanted to learn more about. This memoir has been described as "honest and raw" and I'd say that's on the mark. She's certainly open about her own faults and vulnerabilities, as well as the many times she's been discarded or marginalized by men in the music industry. You'll learn how she grew up with a schizophrenic mom and poet dad, and how her family dynamic affected her artistry and her relationships. You'll learn how this gifted songwriter was selling sausages and smoothies (and other odd jobs) well into her thirties because she'd yet to land her big break.
You'll learn about her time in Flannery O'Connor's house, how Rodney Crowell posted bail for her college-aged friends, how Steve Earle influenced her seminal album "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road", and how Rick Rubin - without malice - put her breakthrough album on hold for two years. She sheds some light on her brief, intense relationships with fellow musicians Ryan Adams and Paul Westerberg. And most importantly, she talks about what inspired so many of her truly hypnotic, poetic songs. Her insights and 'secrets' have transformed some of those songs for me, and given them even more layers of meaning.
I will say, I listened to Lu read this as an audiobook and her thick, slow New Orleans drawl takes some getting used to. You might want to listen to a sample before downloading the audiobook to make sure you will enjoy her speaking voice (vs. buying the hardback or digital book version). But her "voice" as a writer and storyteller is phenomenally strong, so don't pass up this book in whatever format if you enjoy Lucinda's music and want to know more about how she became the unique artist she grew into.
You'll learn about her time in Flannery O'Connor's house, how Rodney Crowell posted bail for her college-aged friends, how Steve Earle influenced her seminal album "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road", and how Rick Rubin - without malice - put her breakthrough album on hold for two years. She sheds some light on her brief, intense relationships with fellow musicians Ryan Adams and Paul Westerberg. And most importantly, she talks about what inspired so many of her truly hypnotic, poetic songs. Her insights and 'secrets' have transformed some of those songs for me, and given them even more layers of meaning.
I will say, I listened to Lu read this as an audiobook and her thick, slow New Orleans drawl takes some getting used to. You might want to listen to a sample before downloading the audiobook to make sure you will enjoy her speaking voice (vs. buying the hardback or digital book version). But her "voice" as a writer and storyteller is phenomenally strong, so don't pass up this book in whatever format if you enjoy Lucinda's music and want to know more about how she became the unique artist she grew into.
I rarely right reviews, but this is the best rock autobiography/ memoir that I have yet read. I had the feeling that I was in a conversation with her, sitting very still and attentively while she told me about her life. I was deeply moved by her story and my respect for her art which was very high to begin with just soared.
An interesting look at another world and another time from my own.
informative
sad
slow-paced
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
dark
funny
fast-paced
reflective