Victoria Williams - Water to Drink - Music & Performance - CD

Celebrated singer/songwriter Victoria Williams draws deep from her creative well with her third Atlantic studio release, 'Water To Drink.' Recorded primarily in her newly built home studio in the arid, rural climes of Joshua Tree, California, the album finds Williams using the tone and 'ouch of her own unique approach to the timeless likes of 'Young At Heart' and 'Until The Real Thing Comes Along.' Bridging the classic and contemporary, Williams employs a rich combination of organic rock instruments with Wurlitzer, strings, and horns in the creation of such original modern standards as 'Little Bird' and 'Claude' -a song that some longtime Vic fans are already calling the best work of her remarkable career. At the same time, she recalls the sound of her widely heralded 1994 album, LOOSE, with the uplifting, spirited pop of "Gladys And Lucy" and "Joy Of Love" (with harmony vocals from husband and former Jayhawk Mark Olson) and the cool, touching "Little Bit Of Love."

In bringing these songs to such brilliant life, Victoria assembled a cast of players that includes legendary composer, arranger, producer, and musician Van Dyke Parks - who provides a number of tracks with their wonderfully textural string parts - along with X drummer D.J. Bonebrake, keyboardist Greg Leisz (Beck, Amy Rigby), and drummers Danny Frankel (Marianne Faithful, Fiona Apple), and Giant Sand's John Convertino. Produced by Williams with longtime collaborator J.C. Hopkins (known for his work as a solo artist and with Flophouse). Water To Drink is the Lilith veteran's first solo album since 1998's more rootsy feeling Musings Of A Creekdipper and follows a trio of self-released albums recorded with Olson and Mike "Razz" Russell (Luna, Joe Henry) as The Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers.

From her early band days in Louisiana, to her celebrated arrival on the Los Angeles club scene as a burgeoning solo performer, Victoria won the attention of any and all who saw her perform. It didn't take long for folks like Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and Lou Reed (with whom she is on tour with this summer) to catch on to Victoria's special magic and winning persona. The universal power of her songs to touch people was underscored in 1993 with the release of Sweet Relief: A Benefit For Victoria Williams, which featured such artists as Pearl Jam, Soul Asylum, Matthew Sweet, Michael Penn, and Lucinda Williams recording Victoria's songs.

Among the most distinctive voices in modern music, Victoria again proves why she is one of America's beloved musical treasures. Water To Drink deserves a good soaking up.