Sunday, March 14, 2010

PSSST: Anybody for Passionate Kisses?

A lot of people discovered the music of Lucinda Williams through other artists, and there's no shame in that. I might be the only person who ever had a problem, not that it was really a problem. Forgive me for telling an old story...

Back in the mid-Nineties my niece was singing in the Bear Creek Band, a country-rock group that played some memorable backroad haunts in west central Wisconsin and beyond. And when she sang "Passionate Kisses" she always credited Mary Chapin Carpenter, the singer who made it famous. In my mind the songwriter, Lucinda Williams, had already become "famous." Now the rednecks who were hootin' and hollerin' and tearing up the dance floor wouldn't have known, but...

It took only Lucinda's 1988 self-titled album (on which "Passionate Kisses" appears) and a memorable performance in an oversized shoe known as the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis to elevate her to legendary status. That's going on 32 years ago, and when you consider she had her 30th Anniversary Tour just last fall, well, there's some deep history.

They flew her in from L.A. for the Entry show that night and hired local sidemen to accompany her. And she rocked. I don't remember who might have been playing the adjacent First Avenue stage, but I'm thinking they missed the First Coming of Lucinda Williams.

This being Lucinda Weekend, declared only yesterday at the Santuary, it's long past time we put something of hers on the big board. Why not make it that debut album (not counting her early Folkways recordings), which is loaded with great music. There are bonus tracks on the more recent CD. Friends, we offer PSSST (Personal Six String Sanctuary Tout) No. 18:

Is it too much to demand
I want a full house and a rock and roll band
Pens that won't run out of ink
And cool quiet and time to think
Shouldn't I have this
Shouldn't I have this
Shouldn't I have all of this, and ...


Those requests seem more than reasonable, especially after Googling "Passionate Kisses lyrics" and having Mary Chapin Carpenter's name appear.

4 comments:

  1. The first time I saw Lucinda my friend Julie Jumper's band was opening for her at The Point in L5P, must have been late 80s. While I was watching the Delta Angels (JJ and Richard's band) I noticed a cool chick in black leather motorcycle jacket standing a few feet away. Lucinda. A half hour later she took the stage and made me a fan for life.

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  2. pulled out the max of 5 cds for a lucinda weekend on my archaic media. she captures every mood swing beyond allowable.
    her tunes are a million love stories, in real time.

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  3. Haven't had passionate kisses until lately in my life. Woo Hoo

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  4. Just listened to her CD she is really good, and as far as the above statement.....The loss is to the one who ended them........

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