WILLIAMS, LUCINDA Car Wheels on a Gravel Road (Mercury) cd 15.98
The composer of the alterna-country hit "Passionate Kisses" is back after long hiatus with new album featuring her trademark rough warble of a voice, which some fans find addictive. Hear why Emmylou Harris considers Lucinda Williams one of country's finest songwriters.
MPEG Stream: "Can't Let Go"
MPEG Stream: "Still I Long For Your Kiss"

WILLIAMS, LUCINDA Essence (Lost Highway) cd 17.98
Lucinda's (Grammy-winning) seasoned songwriting skills are still intact, and her strong-woman-still-gets-wistful-sometimes stance is endearing. Yet on this new album her country road-weary voice is inexplicably smoothed out, all the attractive grittiness removed, along with the urgency and energy usually found in her songs. Nice... but if you're new to her, try an older album first. This is very unexciting AOR to me, but we've included a soundclip so you can make your own decision.
RealAudio clip: "Blue"

WILLIAMS, LUCINDA Happy Woman Blues (Smithsonian Folkways) cd 15.98

WILLIAMS, LUCINDA Live At The Fillmore (Lost Highway) 2cd 22.00
We've had difficulty with Ms Lucinda's past albums for being overly slick. While we loved many of her songs, the smooth AOR production has left much to be desired, often obliterating the immediacy of her fine songwriting. So this live recording is certainly welcome for its grittiness, but it's an unexpected sort of grit. In fact, this is a totally transformed Lucinda Williams. We caught a startling glimpse of her in a raucous duet with Elvis Costello on his Delivery Man album last year, but thought it to be an isolated excursion. This 2003 performance here at the Fillmore proves otherwise. It comes across as much less melodically inclined and more snarlingly aggressive -- her voice bristling with a near-Tom Waits throaty, throttled hoarseness. In fact, the very first time we played this in the store, three of us separately exclaimed, "Holy shit what is this?!" To boot, her early faves are sorely absent (y'know the ones you look forward to in live encores such as "Passionate Kisses"), but then again those songs aren't really suited to her new singing style as is made apparent in the lone oldie here "Changed The Locks". On a sticker attached to the front of the shrinkwrap, Costello compares her "rock and roll vocal style... to Keith Richards' guitar playing". We're not so sure about that. Perhaps a more direct and appropriate comparison would've simply been between their voices. However, while we're on the subject of guitars, there's plenty of lengthy solos and 'break-it-downs' (prime time for a spoken word interlude that we think she could've taken more advantage of). Nonetheless, the fans in attendance don't seem to mind one bit, fully captivated by her blistered and blistering bluesy Americana, and maybe you won't either. Approach with caution.
MPEG Stream: "Joy (live)"
MPEG Stream: "Changed The Locks (live)"

WILLIAMS, LUCINDA s/t (Koch) cd 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Quite possibly Lucinda Wiliiams' best album. It contains her alterna-country hit "Passionate Kisses". Despite the slick production (which seems very oddly out of place with the grit and yearning of her voice), this is simply wonderful, rootsy and earnest.

WILLIAMS, LUCINDA West (Lost Highway) cd 15.98
Oooooh, we sorta feel like exclaiming, "Welcome back Lucinda!" We're gonna be completely frank... we were kinda scared (terrified!) to press 'play' on this one. In our humble opinionification, Lucinda Williams' recent track record has left something to be desired -- veering from over-produced AOR alt-country to live performances of near-hysteric roots rawkin' that blistered the tender ear canals like the coarsest sandpaper...ouch. BUT we did press 'play', and we're so happy that we did! Because West, her eighth album, is excellent! It reminds us why and how much we love her so. Such a stellar Americana songwriter, Williams is truly back in fine form. Few can capture the essence of hard luck and heart-sickness like she can with just her impassioned voice and guitar. Here we get that and so much more courtesy of a new collaboration and production union between her and Hal Willmer. Yes, surprising, refreshing and just darn great.
MPEG Stream: "Are You Alright?"
MPEG Stream: "Learning How To Live"
MPEG Stream: "Come On"

WILLIAMS, LUCINDA World Without Tears (Lost Highway) cd 16.98
I used to like Lucinda Williams a lot but she's sort of going thru the Bonnie Raitt style smoothing over of the rough edges, which takes a lot of the charm out of her music. Still, there are a few achingly pretty songs here, her gritty growl of a voice over minor key melodic blues. Be forewarned, though, there are also some stinkers on the album -- check the soundclip for "Atonement" to see if you can handle it.
MPEG Stream: "Fruits of My Labor"
MPEG Stream: "Atonement"

WILLIAMS, ROBERT PETE Louisana Blues (Water) cd 0.00

WILLIAMS, ROBERT PETE / MATTHEW HOGMAN MAXEY / ROBERT GUITAR WELCH Angola Prisoner's Blues (Doxy) lp 24.00

WILLIAMS, ROBERT PETE / MATTHEW HOGMAN MAXEY / ROBERT GUITAR WELCH Angola Prisoner's Blues (Doxy) lp 24.00

WILLIAMS, SAUL Amethyst Rock Star (American) cd 17.98
Saul Williams is an all around Renaissance Man: an artist, poet, actor, writer, and musician, who was recently seen writing and starring in the film Slam. The guy does it all, and here we're treated to his music and his singular vocal method -- intensely rhythmic and declamatory utterances of his first-person poetry. Sure, "poetry slams" are kind of geeky (and I can't sit thru more than 5 minutes of 'em in general), but that's not really what he's doing here anyway. Williams' style is so epic and kind of apocalyptic that it works through the sheer force of his delivery. His poetry-slam-training is evident in his excruciatingly exact enunciation of Every Single Word, yet it really works (except when he attempts to sing and ends up sounding like a bad, wailing wannabe Eddie Vedder / Mike Patton).
And the musical accompaniment? It's decent -- and quite varied. Some tracks have atmospheric guitar feedback, the better to showcase the voice and creep out the audience. Other tracks feature modern 2-step-ish breakbeats, and yet others sound like Rage Against the Machine-style rock workouts complete with heavy pseudo-metal guitars and fingerpicking acrobatics.
Why doesn't Techno Animal get Saul to front one of their tracks? Have you heard their Dead Man's Curse ep, cos if you haven't now is the time! Look it up on the website; we've got a soundclip of 'em and I'll bet after hearing it you'll agree all parties would benefit from a collaboration.
RealAudio clip: "La La La"
RealAudio clip: "Tao of Now"

WILLIAMS, SAUL Penny for a Thought / Purple Pigeons (Ozone Music) 12" 6.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

WILLIAMS, VICTORIA Musings Of A Creekdipper (Atlantic) cd 16.98
Country-livin' girl Victoria made this record out in the desert with husband Mark Olson of the Jayhawks, and with the musical contributions of Joey and John from Calexico and Wendy & Lisa (we kid you not.)

WILLIAMS, VICTORIA Water To Drink (Atlantic) cd 16.98
Brand new Victoria Williams.

WILLIAMS, WENDY O 10 Years Of Revolutionary Rock & Roll (Mvd) dvd 19.98

WILLIAMSON A Few Things To Hear Before We All Blow Up (self-released) cd 8.98
On his first full length, Wade Williamson's squirrelly electronic bloops and chirps drift and bob along in the waves of his warm, lulling guitars. It's a solid dozen lovely instrumentals that would fit quite well alongside the bands on the Temporary Residence label. When taking the album's title into consideration, it's comforting to find that the "few things" Williamson has in mind for us are altogether soothing and dreamy. A shimmering, wistful debut.
MPEG Stream: "2%er"
MPEG Stream: "Raining At The Crescent House"

WILLIS, KELLY Easy (Ryko) cd 16.98

WILLIS, NICOLE AND THE SOUL INVESTIGATORS Keep Reachin' Up (Light In The Attic) cd 13.98
With a seemingly endless supply of amazing soul and funk reissues surfacing seemingly every day, we kept hoping that some current music makers would take some notes and cues from that golden age of soul and funk and start making some seriously raw and tasty soul of their own. Besides the great Sharon Jones & The Dapkings there had been a huge lack of killer modern old school soul. Luckily we think there might be a bit of a renaissance on the horizon. With The Dapkings backing Amy Winehouse and reaching mainstream audiences we think the time is ripe for a whole lot more great soul to replace the overproduced schlock that has dominated the r&b world for way too long now. With a band of great players from Finland of all places, Nicole Willis has made one of the best soul records of the year! After years as a backup and guest vocalist for everyone from Curtis Mayfield, Leftfield and Dee-Lite, Willis is finally the main attraction. After a few impossible to find outings Keep Reachin' Up seems like it will be the one that makes people stand up and take notice. It's a good thing too cuz damn does this record smoke!
Much like the Sharon Jones record, if you close your eyes and listen to Willis you feel like you're in another time entirely. She perfectly recalls that amazing uptempo 70's soul sound that would influence so many folks and pave the way for disco. Her voice is strong and assured, sexy and dripping with a sensuality that can NOT be denied. You can imagine how much Larry Levan would have loved her voice, as you can hear echoes of Gwen Guthrie, Betty Wright and even The Supremes in her songs. What makes Keep Reachin' Up so irresistible is the impeccable music and arrangements played by The Soul Investigators who include her husband Warp Alumnus Jimi Tenor whose take on classic sound is scary perfect (and we have to say we might prefer him in a behind the scenes capacity way more that as a front man) and the amazing playing by The Pekka Kuusisto String Orchestra. Every element is perfect. PERFECT! This has fast become a unanimous favorite around AQ (even with Andee who is typically a bit soul-shy) and we're pretty sure you will fall hard for this as well. So damn good!
MPEG Stream: "Feeling Free"
MPEG Stream: "Keep Reachin' Up"

WILLIS, NICOLE AND THE SOUL INVESTIGATORS Keep Reachin' Up (Light In The Attic) lp 22.00
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Now on vinyl! With a seemingly endless supply of amazing soul and funk reissues surfacing seemingly every day, we kept hoping that some current music makers would take some notes and cues from that golden age of soul and funk and start making some seriously raw and tasty soul of their own. Besides the great Sharon Jones & The Dapkings there had been a huge lack of killer modern old school soul. Luckily we think there might be a bit of a renaissance on the horizon. With The Dapkings backing Amy Winehouse and reaching mainstream audiences we think the time is ripe for a whole lot more great soul to replace the overproduced schlock that has dominated the r&b world for way too long now. With a band of great players from Finland of all places, Nicole Willis has made one of the best soul records of the year! After years as a backup and guest vocalist for everyone from Curtis Mayfield, Leftfield and Dee-Lite, Willis is finally the main attraction. After a few impossible to find outings Keep Reachin' Up seems like it will be the one that makes people stand up and take notice. It's a good thing too cuz damn does this record smoke!
Much like the Sharon Jones record, if you close your eyes and listen to Willis you feel like you're in another time entirely. She perfectly recalls that amazing uptempo 70's soul sound that would influence so many folks and pave the way for disco. Her voice is strong and assured, sexy and dripping with a sensuality that can NOT be denied. You can imagine how much Larry Levan would have loved her voice, as you can hear echoes of Gwen Guthrie, Betty Wright and even The Supremes in her songs. What makes Keep Reachin' Up so irresistible is the impeccable music and arrangements played by The Soul Investigators who include her husband Warp Alumnus Jimi Tenor whose take on classic sound is scary perfect (and we have to say we might prefer him in a behind the scenes capacity way more that as a front man) and the amazing playing by The Pekka Kuusisto String Orchestra. Every element is perfect. PERFECT! This has fast become a unanimous favorite around AQ (even with Andee who is typically a bit soul-shy) and we're pretty sure you will fall hard for this as well. So damn good!
MPEG Stream: "Feeling Free"
MPEG Stream: "Keep Reachin' Up"

WILLIS, WESLEY Greatest Hits (Alternative Tentacles) cd 14.98
Wesley lives on the edge in Chicago, can pinpoint the day he started hearing voices, and is diagnosed as a chronic schizophrenic. He also released something like 10 or more albums the past couple of years (all of which Jello Biafra presumably owns), each of which takes him approximately 36 hours to record. People swear by his wit, his nonsequiters, his innate talent. Another case of fetishized "madness" and/or a creative force to be reckoned with? Discuss.

WILLIS, WESLEY Greatest Hits (Alternative Tentacles) lp 9.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Wesley lives on the edge in Chicago, can pinpoint the day he started hearing voices, and is diagnosed as a chronic schizophrenic. He also released something like 10 or more albums the past couple of years (all of which Jello Biafra presumably owns), each of which takes him approximately 36 hours to record. People swear by his wit, his nonsequiters, his innate talent. Another case of fetishized "madness" and/or a creative force to be reckoned with? Discuss.

WILLIS, WESLEY Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (Alternative Tentacles) cd 11.98
Another "essential" collection of casio-core rants from Chicago's favorite street performer. Yeah, "Suck A Caribou's Ass", that was a hit.

WILLITS, CHRISTOPHER Folding And The Tea (12K) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Like many of the 'lowercase' and 'microsound' artists, the Berkeley digital technician Christopher Willits defines his interests in an electronic music "that is generated spontaneously, non predetermined... with a focus on the the material implications of self-organizing systems." What is often left out of contemporary methodologies such as Willits' (or Taylor Deupree, Kim Cascone, Carsten Nicolai, or even Autechre) is a seemingly paradoxical requirement for these autonomous, generative systems to unilaterally contextualize the aesthetic output within the parameters of the glitch. The persistence of this glitched aesthetic is running the risk of becoming a cliche, in which the simple invocation of a fractured sample will no longer have any cultural value beyond a one-way reference to generative systems.
That said, Willits finds himself in an increasing subset of the glitched aesthetic whose practitioners have been manipulating the guitar (particularly the rich warm sounds of an acoustic guitar) through such digitized systems to add an extra-dimension to the music. Amidst the geometrically jagged sounds, aerosol dispersals of terse clicks, and random fluctuations in sonic densities, Willits' debut "Folding And The Tea" reveals itself more as Derek Bailey guitar improvisation with all of those gritty, spidery texures replaced with a very clean, very polite set of semi-structured harmonics. It neither has the density nor the shameless pop sensibility of Fennesz, nor does it have Keith Fullerton Whitman's interest in the transcendence of Minimalism; its focus is somewhat ambiguous, but the plasticity of surface found within "Folding And The Tea" rivals either of those artists in terms of craftsmanship.
RealAudio clip: "Scrims"
RealAudio clip: "Mesh, Then"

WILLITS, CHRISTOPHER Pollen (Fallt) cd 18.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
We loved Willits' last full length so were were pretty excited for this one. Not nearly as abstract and 'academic', Pollen insted focuses much more on melody and song structure, approaching these pieces more like a songwriter than a composer. And while a few folks have been disappointed by the poppier results, we think fans of Oval, B. Fleischman, Ekhard Ehlers and the like will definitely find this hits the spot, a sun dappled, sweet and super warm, totally organic, chilled out glitchscape.

WILLITS, CHRISTOPHER + RYUICHI SAKAMOTO Ocean Fire (12K) cd 14.98

MPEG Stream: "Toward Water"
MPEG Stream: "Chi-Yu"

WILLS, BOB & HIS TEXAS PLAYBOYS 1932 & 1947 (Night & Day) 2cd 24.00

WILP, CHARLES Fotografiert Bunny (Ata Tak) cd 15.98
60's playful pop from this peculiar German playboy who trained to be an astronaut. For fans of Peter Thomas' German sci-fi/spy movie music.

WILP, CHARLES Michaelangelo In Space: The Bunny Remixes (Ata Tak) cd 15.98
Mr. Wilp, a strange German fellow who in the '60s composed crazy playful pop cocktail soundtracks and advertising jingles for among other products Mad. Ave. Perfume and AfriCola, gets the remix treatment by such equally sharp, stylish and fluffy artists as StereoTotal, To Rococo Rot, Tipsy, and Yasuharu Konishi (of Pizzicato 5). Very light and super fun.

WILSON, BRIAN Brian Wilson presents Smile (Nonesuch) cd 21.00

WILSON, BRIAN Smile (Rhino) 2dvd 31.00
Not to be missed! Ms Cup was absolutely devastated (in the best possible way!) and seriously moved to tears by this release! Heck, she's been at such a loss for words that it's taken her months to complete this review! This fabulous double dvd set's documentary and live performance present Wilson as the true musical genius he is, situating him alongside other great composers such as George Gershwin, Burt Bacharach and Cole Porter... although he truly belongs in a category all his own. If you have even an inkling of the journey this album and its creator have taken to get to this point (far too lengthy and involved to go into here -- you'll have to do your own Smile studying), it's nearly unfathomable that it should exist at all. To hear and see it all come to life is nothing short of a joyous experience. The live show was performed, recorded, filmed and edited beautifully. It looks and sounds fantastic! In fact, we'd definitely recommend experiencing the work known as Smile via the live performance on this dvd over listening to the studio album which was recorded in some very controlled, self-aware circumstances -- obviously a process of facing long-stored demons and finding closure to a work long unrealized -- and thus it comes across as somewhat stiff when held in comparison to the original Beach Boys' versions which were also much more wild and untethered... all understandably so. That said, Wilson has repeatedly stressed that this incarnation of Smile wasn't intended to be the same album he set out to do back then, that although it has pieces from his past, it's something very different to be taken on its own. The documentary is suitably reverential with remarkably well selected interview subjects (musicians, producers, peers and friends, themselves real artists, not simply celebrity talking heads) including Van Dyke Parks, Elvis Costello, Rob Reiner, Roger Daltrey, Jeff Bridges and George Martin. No folks, it's by no means an overstatement to say that this is a phenomenal triumph. Enjoy!

WILSON, BRIAN That Lucky Old Sun (Capitol) cd 16.98

WILSON, BRIAN What I Really Want For Christmas (Arista) cd 17.98
Alright, Thanksgiving has just passed so we figure we can offically start unfurling the holiday cheer (heck, the department stores started weeks ago!). So start pourin' the eggnog!
Although some Scrooges around here have exclaimed grumpy sentiments such as "What I really want for Christmas is some better album art," who's really gonna deny Sir Brian Wilson the festive merriment that he wants nothing more than to share with us all? Yeah, the digipak case of his new What I Really Want For Christmas cd is really really really sparkly, but it certainly suits Wilson's abundance of good will and good cheer. This is a collection of old yuletide classics ("Deck The Halls", "Auld Lang Syne", "Oh Holy Night" and "We Wish You A Merry Christmas"), a couple of Beach Boys tunes ("Little Saint Nick" and "The Man With All The Toys") and two new Wilson holiday originals ("What I Really Want For Christmas" and "Christmasey") -- all done in Wilson's trademark gloriously harmonious fashion.
Psst, if you're looking for more early bird Christmas-y tuneful treats, we've also just received New York pop youngsters Tralala's holiday album too. And don't forget Bathtub Shitter Xmas 3" cd on Andee's tUMULt label!
MPEG Stream: "We Wish You A Merry Christmas"
MPEG Stream: "What I Really Want For Christmas"

WILSON, BRIAN & VAN DYKE PARKS Orange Crate Art (Warner) cd 14.98

WILSON, DENNIS Pacific Ocean Blue (Epic / Legacy) 2cd 19.98
This album has been slaying us! Finally available, this long-awaited expanded 2 disc deluxe reissue of Pacific Ocean Blue validates its worthy cult following. Released in 1977 by the first Beach Boy to go solo, many were surprised at how the seemingly least-talented Wilson brother created such a maturely produced and beautifully arranged statement, one on a completely separate musical wavelength than brother Brian. Yet by then he already had a solid track record going with the band. On almost every album The Beach Boys put out from 1968-1974 (their best years, in our opinion), Dennis had writing credit on at least two tracks, some of which like "Steamboat" from Holland and "Little Bird" on Friends were among the best songs on either.
Getting production and arrangement help from Glenn Jakobson and Daryl Dragon (Farm, The Dragons, Captain and Tenille), the overall feel of Pacific Ocean Blue marks the end of that vibrant sun-dappled seventies west-coast sound; a coke and whisky sunset to the sunrise wake-and-bake of David Crosby's If I Can Only Remember My Name. The production doesn't recall Brian Wilson's lost childhood fantasias from Pet Sounds or Smile, but rather the resigned weariness of someone who lived fast and came up empty. With one exception (skip track 2!), the mostly piano-led songs gravitate from mellow groovers to heavy but plaintively restrained ballads with epic swells that would sound right at home on a Wilco, Vetiver or Plush record. While it still feels of the time, like a rare classic FM radio moment where a song comes up that sounds familiar and really good but you can't place it, it's mostly free of those late seventies MOR moments (no wonky sax or guitar solos). It's not so much yacht rock as it is a warm slow sailboat ride into oblivion.
Included on this disc are bonus tracks from the POB sessions including the gorgeous cinematic instrumental, "Mexico". A second disc contains sessions from Wilson's never released follow-up, Bambu, which demonstrate that POB was not a mere one-off. It features strong songs with more Caribbean rhythms and soulfulness than POB, (like if Gary Higgins recorded a late seventies follow-up to Red Hash) but it's less a definitive statement. One of the tracks from these sessions, "Holy Man" (also included as an instrumental) has vocals added by Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who remarkably sounds just like Wilson (if we weren't told, we'd never have noticed it was a different singer). Dubious as it sounds it's not a bad thing, as both versions highlight what an amazing instrumentalist and songwriter we have lost. Essential!!!!!
MPEG Stream: "You and I"
MPEG Stream: "Farewell My Friend"
MPEG Stream: "Rainbows"
MPEG Stream: "Mexico"
MPEG Stream: "Cocktails"
MPEG Stream: "Holy Man (Taylor Hawkins version)"

WILSON, GARY You Think You Really Know Me (Motel) cd 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
If ya ain't been paying close attention, you might erroneously think that our AQ collective aesthetic runs to whatever is "weird", for the simple reason that it's "weird". But you'd be wrong. Heck, there's obviously no integrity in just being anti for anti's sake. People who're into EVERYTHING weird, regardless of quality, usually are trying to prove something about themselves, it's got nothing to do with music. So, while I can totally appreciate the weirdness of this reissue of the legendary Gary Wilson album, and its first appearance on cd, I can't fully recommend it to you... because it's pretty bad. Not "so bad it's good." This is "so bad... period!" On the other hand, Neil Strauss from the NY Times thinks it's good -- he wrote that big article about Wilson that's largely responsible for the current hype and interest -- so if you actually trust Strauss or whoever, then go for it. If you trust AQ, save yer money. It sounds like a syrupy "slow jams" record made by a complete dork who's kinda bitter about some failed relationship(s). There's no pleasure to be found in listening to Wilson's pitiful attempts at songwriting and performing, no joy in knowing he feels worse than you ever did. The Langley Schools cd, with the Canadian kids singing pop hits, is a great example of rock performed by amateurs who're so earnest, super touching, and poignant... and thus the Langley Schools cd is (to *some* of the AQ staff) Good Listening. But I swear, the Gary Wilson just doesn't deliver. Did someone mash Bobby Conn through the Steely Dan filter?! Sigh. The only way to convince yourself that you like this record is to look at it ironically. And that's no way to listen to music! "Irony." Feh.
This review was written by someone who has owned the Gary Wilson record for, like, seven years. Go figure.

Marcy's alternate review:
First, be warned: every single AQ staffer but me HATES this record (you may remember the exceptionally negative review it received in our list earlier in the year). On the other hand, I absolutely LOVE it. And I know I'm not alone, because quite a few people I've played this for have also fallen head-over-heels for Gary Wilson's incredibly unique, bizarre, charming and disturbing blend of John Cage-inspired experimentalism and 70's chart pop. Almost entirely alone in his parent's basement, wrapped in magnetic tape and new-wave shades, Wilson crafted early synths, organ, tape freak-outs, funky bass and smoove beats into an impressive musical backing for his fucked-up stories of teenage lust. Puncuated by more "woo!"s and "yeah!"s than a Michael Jackson record, the lyrics display a tension between the sort of romantic naivete normally confined to 50's teensploitation films and a twisted, neurotic and dark view of love in an increasingly technological and isolating world. I not a big fan of joke records; I generally have better things to do than listen to records described as "so-bad-they're-good;" my opinion that "You Think You Really Know Me" is absolutely brilliant is as 100% sincere as Wilson's impassioned, pleading vocals. We have here a classic love-it-or-hate-it deal; my co-workers may grimace, but this record puts a huge smile on my face.
RealAudio clip: "6.4 = Make Out"
RealAudio clip: "You Were Too Good To Be True"

WILSON, GARY You Think You Really Know Me (Motel) lp 14.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
If ya ain't been paying close attention, you might erroneously think that our AQ collective aesthetic runs to whatever is "weird", for the simple reason that it's "weird". But you'd be wrong. Heck, there's obviously no integrity in just being anti for anti's sake. People who're into EVERYTHING weird, regardless of quality, usually are trying to prove something about themselves, it's got nothing to do with music. So, while I can totally appreciate the weirdness of this reissue of the legendary Gary Wilson album, and its first appearance on cd, I can't fully recommend it to you... because it's pretty bad. Not "so bad it's good." This is "so bad... period!" On the other hand, Neil Strauss from the NY Times thinks it's good -- he wrote that big article about Wilson that's largely responsible for the current hype and interest -- so if you actually trust Strauss or whoever, then go for it. If you trust AQ, save yer money. It sounds like a syrupy "slow jams" record made by a complete dork who's kinda bitter about some failed relationship(s). There's no pleasure to be found in listening to Wilson's pitiful attempts at songwriting and performing, no joy in knowing he feels worse than you ever did. The Langley Schools cd, with the Canadian kids singing pop hits, is a great example of rock performed by amateurs who're so earnest, super touching, and poignant... and thus the Langley Schools cd is (to *some* of the AQ staff) Good Listening. But I swear, the Gary Wilson just doesn't deliver. Did someone mash Bobby Conn through the Steely Dan filter?! Sigh. The only way to convince yourself that you like this record is to look at it ironically. And that's no way to listen to music! "Irony." Feh.
This review was written by someone who has owned the Gary Wilson record for, like, seven years. Go figure.

WILSON, GARY You Think You Really Know Me: The Gary Wilson Story (Plexifilm) dvd 26.00

WILSON, LARRY JON New Beginnings / Let Me Sing My Song To You (The Omni Recording Corporation) cd 17.98
We have to say, when it comes to country, the idea of that country music being funky, well, some of us definitely had a sort of 'no chocolate in our peanut butter' reaction, but as everyone learned with the whole chocolate / peanut butter situation, those two things did in fact end up making a pretty good combo. The soul funk / country thing though is definitely a harder sell, and there are plenty of tracks here that had us thinking maybe we were right, those seventies signifiers that definitely have the potential to rub us the wrong way, saxophone, wakka wakka guitars, those ubiquitous female background vocals, in fact, this sounded less country and more like seventies singer-songwriter soul, which is maybe where it does actually fit better. The fact that Wilson was a Augusta/Nashville singer-songwriter, signed to the label alongside Kris Kristofferson and Tony Joe White, seems to have had more to do with his 'country' classification, that his sound, one that was definitely a country pop, but you know, the more we listen to this, the more we dig it. Dark, softly soulful, moody and contemplative, subtly soaring strings, and Wilson's voice, deep and mellifluous, sounding a bit like Kris Kristofferson crossed with Isaac Hayes. Not surprisingly, our favorites here tend to be the brooding ballads, the perfect showcase for Wilson's incredible voice, but the funky honky tonk jams have definitely grown on us, with some kick ass horns, fuzzy organs, and Wilson often slipping into some spoken word patter.
If you really want to be sold on the funky side of Wilson's sound though, check out "Sheldon Churchyard", with it's heavy psychedelic wah wah funk guitar, super stereo panned sound, the guitars swinging from speaker to speaker, the melodies dark and ominous, acoustic guitars, horns, a wicked main melody, tense and brooding and dramatic and seriously rocking, we're actually sort of surprised this hasn't made it onto more comps, cuz it's a killer. And truth be told, this collection, which gathers up Wilson's first two records, is heavy with killer jams, from soft and soulful, to dark and twangy, to downright funky and psychedelic.
And like all Omni releases, there's a big ol' booklet with liner notes and lots of rare photos.
MPEG Stream: "Sheldon Churchyard"
MPEG Stream: "Ohoopee River Bottomland"
MPEG Stream: "Broomstraw Philosophers And Scuppernong Wine"
MPEG Stream: "Bertrand My Son"

WILT Dark Meadows (Ad Noiseam) cd 18.98

MPEG Stream: "Dark Meadows"
MPEG Stream: "Amerikan Zombie"

WILT Radio 1940 (Ad Noiseam) 2cd 25.00

MPEG Stream: "Radio Tower"
MPEG Stream: "Noise Musique: Metal Assemblage #1"

WIMPLE WINCH Tales From The Sinking Ship (RPM) cd 16.98

WIMSATT, WILLIAM UPSKI No More Prisons book 18.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.

WIND Seasons (Long Hair) cd 27.00
We couldn't remember why, exactly, must have read about it sometime long ago in a krautrock reference book, like the Crack In The Cosmic Egg perhaps, but we knew that as fans of early HEAVY '70s stuff - psych, prog, krautrock, proto-metal, what have you - that apparently the German band Wind's 1971 debut Seasons was one to watch out for. Well, it finally just got reissued via the Long Hair label (who have recently brought us several kraut-prog winners from Cannabis India, Mammut, and Et Cetera, amongst others) and so, already curious about it, we ordered a copy of it in...
First impression, before we even put it on, from looking at the photo on the back: damn, for a krautrock band, these guys have some seriously impressive, huge Afros!!! So, a lot of expectation/anticipation/long hair to live up to. And as it turns out, Wind don't blow it (sorry). This album is fine indeed. It hits our "heavy" buttons but also has enough melodic and groove appeal that some of the folks here at AQ who, y'know, don't spend time memorizing stuff out of krautrock reference books or obsessing about 1971 were into it too! So, we ordered some more, and here's our review...
Wind were a five piece: guitar, organ, bass, drums, the singer sometimes busting out flute (yes!) and harmonica. With the organ, they're in the "heavy progressive" mode of a lot of other early krautROCK bands, sounding as much like Deep Purple as they do Can. Both of which are cool by us, and the DO sound like both sometimes. Another once-popular krautrock band they remind us of is Birth Control (who we love, but sadly have never reviewed, relevant reissues seem scarce right now). So that means lots of thumping organ and fuzzy guitar riffs, which do indeed pound forth, especially on opener "What Do We Do Now", and later on the even heavier "Dear Little Friend", but even those songs have their shades of light as well as dark. Wind featured raw sounds and tight playing, on this record definitely conveying an impassioned feeling, in part due to the singer's often gruff, sandpapery voice, that at his toughest makes us think of Nazareth's Dan McCafferty, though at times he can be quite smooth and soulful. His harmonica blowin' on the 16 minute album-closer "Red Morningbird" gives that song an evocative Ennio Morricone / Spaghetti Western vibe, also sounding a lot like one of Can's Soundtracks tracks, and this album might be worth the price of admission alone just for that epic track. Certainly kraut-fans of Birth Control, Murphy Blend, Dies Irae, Gift, early Out Of Focus, will need to hear Wind's Seasons, and like we said it has also been catching the ears of even those here who aren't the biggest prog and proto-metal fiends.
Liner notes in German and English tell us that prior to the release of this album, the members of Wind were involved in recording an exploito-psych LP by "Corporal Gander's Fire Dog Brigade", and did an ill-fated, six-month tour of Vietnam (where there was a war going on, you may recall). But they survived all that to release this debut and another (much softer, we're told) album in '72, calling it a day not long after, having bad luck selling records despite good reviews and success on stage, having played clubs and festivals with the likes of Can, Family, East Of Eden, Pink Floyd and others.
MPEG Stream: "What Do We Do Now"
MPEG Stream: "Red Morningbird"

WIND Seasons (Long Hair) lp 33.00
We couldn't remember why, exactly, must have read about it sometime long ago in a krautrock reference book, like the Crack In The Cosmic Egg perhaps, but we knew that as fans of early HEAVY '70s stuff - psych, prog, krautrock, proto-metal, what have you - that apparently the German band Wind's 1971 debut Seasons was one to watch out for. Well, it finally just got reissued via the Long Hair label (who have recently brought us several kraut-prog winners from Cannabis India, Mammut, and Et Cetera, amongst others) and so, already curious about it, we ordered a copy of it in...
First impression, before we even put it on, from looking at the photo on the back: damn, for a krautrock band, these guys have some seriously impressive, huge Afros!!! So, a lot of expectation/anticipation/long hair to live up to. And as it turns out, Wind don't blow it (sorry). This album is fine indeed. It hits our "heavy" buttons but also has enough melodic and groove appeal that some of the folks here at AQ who, y'know, don't spend time memorizing stuff out of krautrock reference books or obsessing about 1971 were into it too! So, we ordered some more, and here's our review...
Wind were a five piece: guitar, organ, bass, drums, the singer sometimes busting out flute (yes!) and harmonica. With the organ, they're in the "heavy progressive" mode of a lot of other early krautROCK bands, sounding as much like Deep Purple as they do Can. Both of which are cool by us, and the DO sound like both sometimes. Another once-popular krautrock band they remind us of is Birth Control (who we love, but sadly have never reviewed, relevant reissues seem scarce right now). So that means lots of thumping organ and fuzzy guitar riffs, which do indeed pound forth, especially on opener "What Do We Do Now", and later on the even heavier "Dear Little Friend", but even those songs have their shades of light as well as dark. Wind featured raw sounds and tight playing, on this record definitely conveying an impassioned feeling, in part due to the singer's often gruff, sandpapery voice, that at his toughest makes us think of Nazareth's Dan McCafferty, though at times he can be quite smooth and soulful. His harmonica blowin' on the 16 minute album-closer "Red Morningbird" gives that song an evocative Ennio Morricone / Spaghetti Western vibe, also sounding a lot like one of Can's Soundtracks tracks, and this album might be worth the price of admission alone just for that epic track. Certainly kraut-fans of Birth Control, Murphy Blend, Dies Irae, Gift, early Out Of Focus, will need to hear Wind's Seasons, and like we said it has also been catching the ears of even those here who aren't the biggest prog and proto-metal fiends.
Liner notes in German and English tell us that prior to the release of this album, the members of Wind were involved in recording an exploito-psych LP by "Corporal Gander's Fire Dog Brigade", and did an ill-fated, six-month tour of Vietnam (where there was a war going on, you may recall). But they survived all that to release this debut and another (much softer, we're told) album in '72, calling it a day not long after, having bad luck selling records despite good reviews and success on stage, having played clubs and festivals with the likes of Can, Family, East Of Eden, Pink Floyd and others.
MPEG Stream: "What Do We Do Now"
MPEG Stream: "Red Morningbird"

WINDEREN, JANA Debris (Touch) lp 15.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
Field recordists Douglas Quin and Cheryl Leonard have gone to great lengths to capture their Arctic and Antarctic field recordings, spending countless frigid days with frozen fingers trying to hold tightly to hydrophones dangling amidst the ice floes and slushy waters. It's no wonder those two present their work in such an unadulterated fashion when the work came at such cost and at such peril. But Jana Winderen is far more creative in her approach to field recordings, only too happy to transform a watery burble she captured in some obscure fjord in her native Norway into a thickened isolationist dronescape dappled with elemental textures, creating something sonorously as frightening, cold, or desolate as the sound sources would imply. As with the work of BJ Nilsen or Jonathan Coleclough, none of Winderen's field recordings are too precious to be manipulated, compacted, augmented, or simply fucked with. The two sides of Debris were both extracted from a couple of her sound installations, the longer of which is entitled "Drying Out In The Sun", based on recordings made at / near / beneath the surface of the ocean, which plunge into the nether regions of the deep-sea trenches and alluvial plains, amassed into pressurized low-frequency drones. "Scuttling Around The Shallows" returns to her fascination with shrimp which she first displayed on her Tapeworm cassette The Noisiest Guys On The Planet, with erratic snaps, clicks, and crunches made by those small crustaceans amidst deep-ocean ambience. The fourth in Touch's ongoing 'white label' series of super limited vinyl productions.

WINDEREN, JANA Energy Field (Touch) cd 15.98
Paralleling what the Australian sound artist Tarab achieves through his magnificent albums, Jana Winderen collects an impressive array of field recordings and edits them into her compositions without much (if anything) in the way of digital processing. For Energy Field, Winderen traveled to the barren land-and-seascapes of Greenland, Norway, and the Barents Sea, using high-end parabolic microphones for the above ground recordings and hydrophones for the seaborne sounds, capturing creaks from massive glaciers, the slippery resonance of ice crevasses, the sounds of crustaceans (remember her cassette for the Ash International label, The Noisiest Guys On The Planet?), the chatter of summertime birds, and huge passages of windswept vibration that sound more like one of BJ Nilsen's swarms of drone than anything produced via natural means. Winderen presents three extended pieces that steadily undulate and crest, much like the patterns of the ocean when viewed from a considerable distance, and have been pocked with various tactile recordings of ice cracking, water dripping, the strange bellows from mating fish, and whatnot. Hypnotic, beautiful, and wholly compelling, Winderen's Energy Field is another exemplary entry in the Touch catalog, and totally up our alley here at AQ.
MPEG Stream: "Aquaculture"
MPEG Stream: "Isolation/Measurement"
MPEG Stream: "Sense Of Latent Power"

WINDEREN, JANA Surface Runoff (Autofact) 7" 10.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.
At first glance, it's easy to assume this is part of Touch's recent series of seven inches, and on first listen, there's nothing to dissuade us, but in fact, this is the latest release from Autofact, who does indeed have a deal with Touch to do their vinyl, but this is not a Touch record, although as we mentioned it might as well be, and will no doubt appeal to the same folks.
Processed field recordings, recorded using hydrophones (underwater mics). The A side is a swirl of textured gurgles, almost a straight field recording of a pastoral creekside (birds, splashes, wind) but as the track progresses the sounds become more textural, almost rhythmic at times, sounding much more like Tim Hecker or Oval.
The flipside features a collage of underwater recordings from rivers in Norway, Iceland, England and Germany, deep rumbles, soft creaks, occasional insects, the sound of a stream, water lapping on the shore, the sound shifting to more of a warm whirring very dreamy and abstract, slipping back and forth, above water, below water, crystalline and spacious, murky and muddy and indistinct, woozy and swoony and quite pleasing.
Beautiful Jon Wozencroft style full color photo cover, and limited to only 500 copies.

WINDEREN, JANA The Noisiest Guys On The Planet (Ash International) cassette 7.98
Okay, field recording nuts, this one is for you. Just who ARE the noisiest guys on the planet you ask? Why, that would be the decapods of course, aka the ten footed crustaceans, a la crayfish, crabs, lobster and shrimp!
The real question then, is what kind of noise do these noisy guys make? Well, thanks to Jana Winderen (whose Surface Runoff 7" on Autofact we raved about a while back), we now know. Describing it is the hard part. Not sure if this is a recording of their little feet on some surface underwater, or them swimming around, it doesn't sound as much like a field recording as it does some strange fuzzy, buzzy, glitchy drone record. Which is actually pretty cool. A swirling cloud of muted clattery crunch, muted skitter, what sounds like record crackle or tape hiss, static even, all over little bumps and creaks, almost like the sound of something hitting the mic, but it seems more likely that this is the creatures doing what they do, elsewhere, there seems to be rocks shifting or moving against each other. You can also hear the sound of running water, splashes, maybe it's just the current, it's a pretty awesome fascinating sound, very textural and abstract, layered and otherworldly. As a field recording artifact, it's definitely weird and wonderful and enthralling, but simply based on the sonics, it's a pretty awesome listen, minimal and drone-y and abstract and surprisingly soothing.
LIMITED TO 250 COPIES, these are probably the last copies we'll get. Includes a cool tape cover, with drawings of a decapod and liner notes detailing interesting facts about the creatures.

WINDHAM HELL Reflective Depths Imbibe (Moribund) cd 13.98
Not Hill, Hell. The truest cult American black metal band we can think of. Windham Hell is the duo of Leland Windham and Eric Friesen, two guys, who when not scaling the glaciers near their small Washington town (where "Twin Peaks" was filmed, hence the song title "Glacier Walk In Me"!), hole up in a home studio and make unique, neo-classical black metal masterpieces. Dark, atmospheric, abyssic. Twisted obscure lyrics, cold soundscapes, and TONS of amazing lead guitar shredding from both band members. That's what really sets Windham Hell apart from their competition, why Allan's been a fan of 'em since the "Hell Is Here" demo way back in '89! An eccentric, homemade mixture of Bathory and Bach! Their third album in a decade. Recommended.

WINDHAM HELL Window of Souls (Moribund ) cd 13.98
THIS IS CURRENTLY OUT OF PRINT OR OTHERWISE UNAVAILABLE TO US AT THE MOMENT, SO PLEASE DO NOT ORDER IT. SORRY.