Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
Lucinda Williams
1998
Album Summary
Car Wheels on a Gravel Road is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, released on June 30, 1998, by Mercury Records. The album was recorded and co-produced by Williams in Nashville, Tennessee and Canoga Park, California, and features guest appearances by Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris. Universally acclaimed by critics, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road was voted as the best album of 1998 in The Village Voice's annual Pazz & Jop critics poll, and ranked No. 98 on the 2020 revision of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album in 1999, and earned Williams' an additional nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance for the single "Can't Let Go". The album peaked at No. 68 on the Billboard 200, and remained on the chart for over five months, eventually becoming Williams' first album to be certified Gold by the RIAA. It remains Williams' best-selling album to date, with 872,000 copies sold in the US alone, as of October 2014. Additionally, it was certified Silver in the UK on July 22, 2013.
WikipediaIt's hard to understand how Car Wheels On A Gravel Road could be recommended at all, let alone make it onto a list like 1001 albums. The music is generic modern country, not distinguished by creative songwriting, kickass soloists, or anything else, unless you count the Cajun lilt on a few tunes. Maybe the blandness of the music is meant to highlight the stellar pipes of Lucina Williams? Nope. Her voice is as homely and dull as dishwater. But surely the lyrics are superior? Well, not really. Lucina Williams frontloads her best tunes; the first several songs demonstrate a keen grasp of quotidian life and a sure sense of place, but by the end of the album, the lyrics are so generic they could have been written by a computer program. The best compliment I can give Car Wheels On A Gravel Road is that it isn't actively unpleasant--just boring. Is this the best modern country has to offer? I sure hope not.
call it country or call it a comeback, it's a god damn masterpiece. love letter to dive bars, breakup letter to pain. fav track: 2 kool 2 be 4-gotten
Never been all that much of a Country guy but when it comes to the travails of love and lust there is material like this that deftly trumps any rock and roll dicks out bombast... "I take off my watch and my earrings My bracelets and everything Lie on my back and moan at the ceiling Oh my baby" No content warning on that, damn.
Had no idea who this artist was (possibly a result of my overall lack of country music knowledge) but she's left an immediate impression on me. Just a country gal with a lot of soul. It's lonely, longing, but not depressing. It's a sort of familiar loneliness that you can appreciate and drift away with. The album never dwells on one feeling for too long though, as it picks up and slows down in nice peaks and valleys. Some songs lean further in a country rock direction than simple folk. This variation is welcomed and makes the music all the more enjoyable.
“Car Wheels on a Gravel Road” by Lucinda Williams (2006) Never heard of this album or this artist. I took a different approach with this one: I read the Wikipedia article on the album and the one on Lucinda Williams, plus I checked out the lyrics, all before starting to listen. I was expecting something nice. I was disappointed. In the first couple of songs, the vocal quality is worse than not good—it’s uninteresting. Later in the album she does some vocal stylings in the upper parts of her range which are good, which reveals that her usual lazy, out-of-tune style is affected, not natural. It’s off putting to me. It lacks authenticity. Her voice is much better when she’s forced to blend with another singer—another indication that drunk-sounding style (as on “Drunken Angel”) is a put on. Also, she intentionally varies the degree of her southern accent. She really pours it on in the song “Concrete and Barbed Wire”. Creepy. In “Greenville“ her vocals are better, because, I think, in this case she’s forced to blend with Emmy Lou Harris. As in “Heartbreaker” by Ryan Adams (reviewed a few days back), here’s Emmy Lou again, putting in a mediocre backup performance. Williams and Harris don’t blend, but at least Williams appears to try. Standard chord structures and rhythms with good backing instrumentals and recording quality, but her contribution to the music is limited to guitar—not much to showcase. The songwriting is what she’s known for, and she does have some talent here, painting poetic pictures of southern lower middle class ambiance. But there’s nothing here that has power. Only pity. This recording won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album of 1998. Hmmm. 2/5
Beautiful - it doesn't sound like she's copying an older band but still is remaining true to country roots while sounding modern and fresh.
I’m shocked how much I liked this, not at all my typical style but it’s just so good.
My rating for today is not based as much on the music or lyrics (which I did enjoy) as it is on the experience that this album gave to me today. My familiarity with Lucinda Williams comes from a friend including a selection of her tunes on some mixed tapes. Although that friend died a little over a year ago, she definitely accompanied me on my walk today as I listened to the album. She even made a point to give me a nod through a passer-by...The person asked me what time it was so that I could tell them the time and then mumble, "If you want to know the time, buy a watch."
Not sure if I'd rank this as one of the "1001 best ever", but I really liked this! I love Americana, and the crossroads of Blues, Country, and Rock. Titular track, Lake Charles, Greenville, and Still Long For Your Kiss are all highlights.
I really like her voice and style, it reminds me of a feminine version of the guy from the Eels for some reason. Great songs throughout. I just wish it didn’t get so samey, but that’s the nature of the genre sometimes.
Dette er omtrent så bra country kan bli for min del! Lydbildet tar meg rett til Nashvilles skitne underside, med triste små barer og kjærester i fengsel. Tekstene har så klart litt av de vanlige country-klisjeene, men føles dypere, skarpere og mer inderlig enn det meste man hører i sjangeren. Og vokalen til Williams passer perfekt, fra savnet på Drunken Angel, til rebelsk "twang" på Joy. Låtene spenner fra klassiske country-ballader (Jackson 💕) til bluesrock, og jeg koser meg hele veien. Liker spesielt godt Joy, Drunken Angel, car wheels...
A good album, reminds me of Tori Amos (or is it the other way round) a bit, or even a female Steve Forbert maybe? Some good tunes though and lyrically very strong I think.
I got this album on release. As soon as I heard her lyrics refer to the "Drunken Angel" as a "derelict in duck tape shoes", it easily became my favourite album I bought in years and one of my ATF country albums. She was loaded with angst at the time she wrote this and poured her soul into it. The subsequent albums she made (that I've heard) haven't come close to this gem. I guess she became happier. Good for her.
Just oozes authenticity. This is perhaps a bit less raggedly confessional or emotionally raw as some of her other records, which might cost a bit of power, but it also avoids the risk of sloppy sentimentality (which has been a bit of a occupational hazard for Lu) and gives a sense of control and mastery of every song. This is musicmaking at a very high level, well conceived, extremely well executed, and not overdone or showy. Every song works, and the first five are uniformly strong. The songwriting is terrific, the playing expertly professional. She's a true artist it's hard to believe there's only one of her records on this esteemed list.
interesting voice and tempo, the sound quality is pretty nice and most songs are good
First song is a old indie country bop, and the rest is good country songs if i am in the mood for that relaxing country
Despite this being a country album, quite enjoyed some of the songs, especially the last song, Jackson.
Great album all around! I've listened through the regular version, but the deluxe is a nice step up. Disk 2 is all live versions, so I didn't get that far, but I love Lucinda!
I love Lucinda Williams and I love this album... but the song title 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten detracts a star.
Not the sort of thing I'd normally listen to but really enjoyed this. Will listen again.
I thought i would know what this would sound like being a hater of country music, but it was more like a rock album and absolutely loved it. Song 7 was the highlight - Can't Let Go. Will give it another listen 4 stars
wow, I was familiar with her, but I didn't know Lucinda Williams had an album this good
Never heard of Lucinda Williams before, but loved this album. Favorite song was can’t let go.
Really solid Southern roots rock/country featuring Emmylou Harris and Steve Earle. What else could you want? I enjoyed reading about how Lucinda persevered and made it in the music business despite all of the forces working against her. Best track: Drunken Angel
4.0 - Enjoyed this! Honest American songwriting, blues and country inflected. Straightforward instrumentation with a live studio recording feel. Some pleasant storytelling, shoutouts to Louisiana. Nice driving record and a crowd pleaser.
More of Jess bag than Ian. But her voice conveys pain and longing. Certainly a lot of depth and attests to a life lived.
Lo escuché muy a gusto, pensé que es una antecedente de Taylor Swift (???) y su voz me agrada bastante. Canciones fav: la que da título al disco, "Can't Let Go" y "I Lost It". 8/10
Somber morning Americana with some excellent twang to it embellished by guest vocals.
I really liked this album, and would never have found it if not for this website.
Uh, 2 CD-a. Iznenađujuće dobar đir. Možda bi bilo malo dosadno da san slušala i ne radila ništa, a ne da san radila još dosadniji labos. Greenwill mi je najbolja. Nikad čula za Lucindu, al bolje nego većina ostalih country koje san slušala do sad
Great surprise. I really liked it. The melodies are great. More a rock and pop album than a country album.
A few years ago I was listening to spotify similar to playlists and songs from this album were on that list. Prior to this I was never really into any form of country music, but I enjoyed the songs and decided to listen to this album in full. It completely worked for me and introduce me to the genre. Lucinda Williams has led me to other country acts and it's a genre that has some really great music if you avoid the mediocre radio pushed country. 4.5/5
Love the album cover for some reason... And hey, it's pretty good roots, blues, souly country AND western. Generous 4/5
As a country album, it's an equivalent of a white bread. And... I liked it. Being a perfectionist, Williams reportedly released this album six yees after her previous one. While conflicts does contribute to this delay, I can still observe the sanitized feel of the album. I love her voice. It's soothing and when used well, it carries emotion like it's a wave. But even that is generic. Not even the admittedly nice interaction with the male backing vocals made it a unique voice. The instrumentals are pretty good. Everything is in the right place, but ultimately, it becomes a bit predictable, and therefore uninteresting. The production is neat, but again, generic. The critics were praising her songwriting skills. Judging by the tracks' titles, it might be interesting but I don't want to explore it further. Again, this is like white bread. That mass produced, generic commodity that one can find in the local store. Her perfectionism might have made her album overtidy and uninteresting, but I've got to admit that she still did a great job crafting its overall sound. I unashamedly enjoyed this white bread, and I don't mind consuming it again... after a while.
I love Folk Rock so Americana and some Alt Country is fully in my lane. And knowing that she toured with Jason Isbell just makes me like her and this album more. "Right In Time" and the titular track were two of my favorites. I certainly attach more to the Americana aspects, but it is good Country music too. A very re-listenable album for sure!
I haven't listened to Lucinda Williams that I recall. But I have heard the songs she has written. She has an authentic feel that is appealing. I feel like I just walked into a dive bar where someone better than the joint is performing. Not my favorite country album, but still pretty darn good.
Good solid bluesy country folk, reminiscent of Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Alison Krauss. Very nice.
This was a new name for me, but I know I have heard Lucinda Williams' music before, playing on our public radio station's morning show. This album definitely painted lovely pictures of the South, and I enjoyed the ride. The title itself evokes such memories and stirs up emotions as it repeats through the title song.
Loving this. Been on a mission to seek out more female rock/country artists, and Lucinda just shot to the top of my list. After a quick Google seems like she's doing some shows with Waxahatchee, which makes perfect sense to be now. Incredible voice, great musicality, perfect for listing to on these hot summer evenings. I'm not a massive country fan, but there's more than enough bluesy toe-tapping, head-nodding, guitar-sliding goodness here to get me on board
Earthy, languid, bittersweet and sexy. Effortless, bluesy sound that probably launched a hundred alt-country bands, all inferior. This is such a perfect listen for a late summer afternoon. Fave Songs: I Lost It, Metal Firecracker, Right in Time, Can't Let Go, Drunken Angel, Still I Long for Your Kiss, Joy
A great combo of traditional country with all it's southern rural hurtin' themes and a modern, rocky, but not overproduced sound. Her voice seems weak and flawed at times but that adds to her vulnerability. I especially like it on Drunken Angel and believe that there may be a few alt country singers influenced by that sound, based on what Spotify sends me. One more listen might get a 5 from me.
Perfect Sunday soundtrack that just rolls through the heart. Even though I now barely drink and haven't touch a cigarette in over a decade, for me this album envokes the sweet haze of a mild hangover, more sleep deprived than feeling ill, your body infused with the scent of stale cigarettes as you chainsmoke lying in the afternoon sun
I really like Folk music and Americana so this album is right up my alley. Great songwriting and imagery of life in America.
I liked it, solid background. Nothing stood out but it was a good listen overall.
Feels a little bad comparing this to the Sheryl Crow album from a few weeks back, but another polished roots-rock record this certainly is. My impressions are mostly the same, though this project has much more potential to grow on me.
At first I assumed this was a Country Album based on the everything about it, but I wouldn't classify it with frat-boy-blue-jeans-and-beer country. Williams has a pretty pronounced twang in her voice, but beyond that, her voice is light and airy and pretty beautiful imo. Still not my type of music and not very lyrically complex (compared to say, Dolly Parton) but I like it!
I think there is a part in me that likes country style music. To me this is a country style album. I liked it. An unknown artist to me. She only reached the Dutch album Top100 for a few weeks on 6 albums of the 14 she released up to now.
i see how this could be great for country fans, but for me it was alright. but i still think lucina williams is great
Would probably have never gotten around to listening to this one if it hadn't been for this challenge, but I'm glad I did! Really like her voice.
Enjoyable folk-country with a sometimes drunk sounding sheryl crow. Drunken Angel is a highlight.
It's incredibly bland heartland/roots rock with country influences. Not something I'd come back to.
I was pleasantly surprised by this album. It goes against my tastes for the most part but I enjoyed a few songs more than I anticipated.
Some good songs but a little too "country-flavored" for my taste. Really like the last song (Jackson).
It's not bad, but I just don't like Lucinda Williams. I can't even put my finger on it.
Country that sits in parallel with Alanis Morissette and pj Harvey. Might give it a further try to see how hooky it gets
Koselig album! Merker at country ikke gir meg så mye. Det kan være stemning for et par sanger, men så blir det litt langtekkelig og repetitivt. Var likevel noen skikkelige bangers på det albumet her! Beste sanger: Can't Let Go, Drunken Angel og Still I Long For Your Kiss.
I went into this with some pre-conceived feelings about the album. I've heard it before and it never really clicked. I can tell she's really a solid songwriter, in that same vein as Townes VanZandt and John Prine and Iris DeMent, but something about the 1990's rock instrumentation just feels a bit lazy and formulaic and I never really clicked with this one as a whole. Still, glad to be giving it a play through as there are some really good songs here. I don't think I'm ever going to love this album, and I don't think it would make the cut on a list of say, 500 albums, but I still think it's worth knowing more about who Lucinda Williams is and some of the great songs she has written, and this is certainly one of her more well know efforts.
Vocals were angst vs twang. This warmed on me and I appreciated it more than I expected. Decent story telling and solid folk instrumental backing.
Kinda a combination of rock and country (I guess its called roots rock?). Not really my cupa tho
Meget stille og roligt. Jeg var ikke fan i starten men blev overvundet lidt til sidst. Country-vibes. Måske skal der lyttes lidt mere til teksten?
Actually got quite into this! At first I wasn't sure but particularly liked the last song
Great songwriting. For some reason I don't see myself returning back to this one. Not dynamic enough for me I guess.
This album is a mixed bag for me. I love the lyrics in the verses, somw of the instrumentals and Williams' singing, but the refrains often feel lazy, the instrumentation lackluster, the themes unoriginal. So a 3 from me.
Bekomme ich schöne Sheryl Crow-Vibes von. Läuft wunderbar durch ohne groß hängen zu bleiben, und dürfte auch jederzeit wieder laufen.
My dad bought me this about four years ago as a random selection from the book. It endured a couple of non-committal listens and then was relegated to the shelves, to the point where I was only familiar with the first three or four tracks from it now. It still doesn’t particularly grab me- country rock has never appealed too much and I thought this would be a genre-defining work. Simple arrangements of chords, melody and some arpeggiated lead, very clean production, drawled out vocals occasionally in harmony. It all sets up an opportunity for lyrics to shine or for some flourishes, but there’s just not a lot of bite. The music is safe and never lets rip or feels spontaneous, the lyrics never feel like genuine autobiography, withering takedown or actual heartbreak. Because of all this of course, it’s all very listenable and sometimes foot-tapping, making for good background music. “Right on Time” has a good hook, I enjoy the chorus and mandolin in the title track, and the ballad-heavy second half has its moments in the likes of “Still I Long for Your Kiss”, the most impassioned vocal on offer here. There’s nothing offensive on the record, but nothing much fun either. 5/10, rounding up to 3 in case my dad sees this and gets upset.
Liked 2 cool 2 be 4gotten or whatever. I dig her vocals, it's nostalgic, but I've always never heard her. So it hit this really weird niche that I really actually like.
Lucinda is like the earlier model of 1993-era Sheryl Crow. Some pretty good songs on this album, but I like Sheryl more🙄
Great storytelling makes great country music. Each and every song on this album feels like prose pulled from a hard-worn diary. Lucinda’s syrup drawl and lilting vocals bound between hints of whispers, laments and growls. The arrangements are simple, and well executed, but a touch simple for my taste. I can clearly see the appeal of the album. I didn’t personally connect with it, but I can appreciate it.
She's a superb songwriter, with clever metaphors and impressive storytelling covering themes of lustful longing, childhood trauma, and death of loved ones. She builds the world and emotions of not just the narrator but the characters she fabricates. There's a lot of reoccuring themes, like her love of the Delta Blues (e.g. Howlin Wolf, Johnson, ZZ Top, locations in Louisiana). I also really like the range in her emotions from track to track, some bright, many sad, at various paces that deters repetition. The only part of her songwriting I really dislike is the drawn out phrases that go on forever. Descriptive, but it's like listening to an audio book. It doesn't help that the music itself is really boring. It's a very guitar-heavy album, with like a dozen different people playing, all taking the forefront. Now the sound is repetitive and one-dimensional within each track, which some interesting bridges between verses and choruses, as in "Still I Long For Your Kiss." But when they go for solos, I can't help but not care. It only serves to give a break from Lucinda's singing, which is necessary, but there are so many better ways to do that. The stylistic shifts from song to song is both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it appeals to several different Americana genres, but also I don't think any of them sound good on their own. The only thing keeping me engaged is the stories, making it a good album if you knew what they were all about and had it grow on you.
Standard mid 90's Singer/Songwriter fare with a heavy country/blues touch and a slightly annoying singing voice. Nice enough to let it play in the background, but there is not one memorable song or even hook here. 3/5
First Listen. Started really enjoying it by the end of the day. It is a good, quality album.
neloše za country žanr, al nije baš moj đir iako mi je bilo dobro ko pozadinska glazba dok san čitala
I really enjoyed this. Americana with a good voice, Sheryl Crowe meets Ryan Adams. High 3.
Best mooie liedjes. Een soort warme douche :) Maar ook wel een beetje zouteloos en erg sheryl-crow-ig.
Some good folk country vibes, I can handle this more than the rock/stadium country. Still felt a bit long and not exactly for me. 3.5 round down.
Love that growling voice. Although got kinda boring after awhile except for the hit that I really like
Wanted to give it a 2 because I usually don't like country music, but it's good music, feels pretty genuine which I liked
That's a whole lotta country. Enjoyed it though, quality songwriting throughout.
Oli tälläkin levyllä hetkensä ja sopi varasin hyvin kiireisen työpäivän taustamusaksi. Toisena päivänä selvä kakkonen mutta tällä kertaa armosta kolmonen.
Find myself enjoying country more and more. This is a decent album which has good subject material, and isn't too whining. Probably not going to be a repeat listen, but would be happy if it came on shuffle on a playlist.
Listened to this at work and was distracted through some of it. There was a lot I liked and some I didn't. Not a bad record
A good album, reminds me of Tori Amos (or is it the other way round) a bit, or even a female Steve Forbert maybe? Some good tunes though and lyrically very strong I think. I Loved "Right Time" "Concrete & Barbed Wire" and the Title Track. all good in my eyes and ears!
I don't normally listen to country music, but this record actually wasn't too bad. I enjoyed the guitar work and some of the melodies in a couple of the songs. However for the most part, it felt a little flat. The vocals were nice and smooth and deserve a lot of praise, especially in the second half of the record. They lyrics were sweet and full of heartbreak which fits nicely with the Country genre. The drums were easily the lowest point of the record. Very flat and almost boring at points. However, overall it was very enjoyable and there is a lot of good things to praise about this record. Favorite Track: Still I Long For Your Kiss Least Favorite Track: 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
When I saw this album was country, I had low expectations, but this actually wasn't bad. A lot of the songs felt very long, despite only being four minutes or so in length, but it wasn't necessarily in a bad way. My favourite song was Joy.
Can’t help feeling like all just sounds super generic. It wasn’t even that I disliked it, I just found it boring
Really samey and boring if I’m honest. Something about southern twang singing irritates me but I love Southern accented rapping, not quite sure why
Better than most country, but got a little repetitive for me. Would be a nice driving album though.
Meh. Några riktigt dåliga och några guldkorn. Inte riktigt min grej, men som skiva var den alldeles för spretig. Bäst: Can't let go & Joy
I guess it's all right. most songs give me a sheryl crow wibe, but with twangy guitars. the hit (can't let go) is ok. not my thing, but it's not terrible either
Not really my type of music, but I liked the gritty ness and the guitar.
Meh. Kind of sounds like female Wilco. Not bad, I can see why people would like this but it's for me. Made it about halfway through and started to like it... 2.5
The more folky, bluesy songs were nice, but the country songs bring it down to a 2
For country, it was a little more bearable than I expected. The main singer has a nice voice, but I don't like when the guy singer joins in.
69. As mãos de Deus?!?!?! MotA: 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten "Not a day goes by I don't think about you / You left your mark on me it's permanent a tattoo"
This was a weird one for me. I liked the voice, I liked the music but I found the overall thing a bit lacking, the lyrics were simple and I couldn't forgive naming a track 2 Kool 2 B 4-Gotten. It sounded a bit like if you told an AI to write a country/Americana album. It was like a much cheaper version of Sheryl Crow (who I am very upset to see isn't on this list at all, so now I'm in a bad mood).
Not a fan of this one either. The literals lyricism is way too literal.