Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Between her well-documented determination to retail full control of her music and the plain-spoken willfulness of her best-known songs, Lucinda Williams is practically the working definition of a strong woman you do not want to mess with, but she reveals a very different side of her musical personality on her sixth album, Essence. Subtle and often stark, Essence is an unusually quiet and frequently downbeat set that depicts a fragile emotional vulnerability which rarely makes its presence felt in Williams' music; there's an unadorned longing in songs like "Blue" and "Lonely Girls" that's new and deeply affecting, and the leaf-in-the-breeze quaver of Williams' voice on "I Envy the Wind" is as heart-rending as anything she's ever committed to tape. But while a blue mood dominates Essence, this isn't an album about the blue funk of heartbreak, but a chronicle of the search for transcendence over sorrow in our lives, as her characters look for a path out of isolation ("Out of Touch"), try to find answers through faith ("Get Right With God"), or reconcile love with the desires of the flesh ("Essence"). As a songwriter, Williams has long shown a knack for charting the human heart and mind with intelligence and economy, and Essence finds her at the peak of her form; the delicacy of this music does not speak of weakness, but of the passion and bravery it takes to bare one's soul. And while Williams has gained a certain infamy for her obsessive perfectionism in the studio, the quality of her work speaks for the wisdom of her decision-making process, and Essence proves how well she understands the art of recording; producing in collaboration with Charlie Sexton (Tom Tucker and Bo Ramsey also contributed), Essence sounds full and rich even in its quietest moments, and her sweet-and-sour voice blends with the arrangements with subtle perfection. Those hoping for another dose of the bluesy roots rock of Car Wheels on a Gravel Road may be disappointed, but if you want to take a deep and compelling look into the heart and soul of a major artist, then you owe it to yourself to hear Essence.
© Mark Deming /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $10.83/month
Charlie Sexton, Producer, Drums, Guitar, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Reese Wynans, Hammond B3, AssociatedPerformer - Jim Keltner, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - David Mansfield, Viola, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - JIM LAUDERDALE, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Lucinda Williams, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tony Garnier, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Tucker, Producer, Mixer, Co-Producer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bo Ramsey, Producer, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Lepinski, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - James (Fluff) Harley, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2001 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Charlie Sexton, Producer, Drums, Guitar, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Reese Wynans, Hammond B3, AssociatedPerformer - Jim Keltner, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - JIM LAUDERDALE, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Lucinda Williams, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tony Garnier, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Tucker, Producer, Mixer, Co-Producer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bo Ramsey, Producer, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Lepinski, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - James (Fluff) Harley, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2001 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Charlie Sexton, Producer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Reese Wynans, Hammond B3, AssociatedPerformer - Jim Keltner, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - David Mansfield, Viola, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Lucinda Williams, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tony Garnier, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Tucker, Producer, Mixer, Co-Producer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bo Ramsey, Producer, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Lepinski, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - James (Fluff) Harley, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2001 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Charlie Sexton, Producer, Guitar, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - David Mansfield, Viola, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Lucinda Williams, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tony Garnier, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Tucker, Producer, Mixer, Co-Producer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bo Ramsey, Producer, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Lepinski, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - James (Fluff) Harley, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2001 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Charlie Sexton, Producer, Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Piano, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Reese Wynans, Hammond B3, AssociatedPerformer - Jim Keltner, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Lucinda Williams, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tony Garnier, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Tucker, Producer, Mixer, Co-Producer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bo Ramsey, Producer, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Lepinski, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - James (Fluff) Harley, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2001 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Charlie Sexton, Producer, Guitar, Percussion, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Reese Wynans, Hammond B3, AssociatedPerformer - Jim Keltner, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - Lucinda Williams, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tony Garnier, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Tucker, Producer, Mixer, Co-Producer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bo Ramsey, Producer, Guitar, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Lepinski, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - James (Fluff) Harley, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2001 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Charlie Sexton, Producer, Drums, Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Gary Louris, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Reese Wynans, Hammond B3, AssociatedPerformer - Jim Keltner, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - David Mansfield, Viola, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Ryan Adams, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Lucinda Williams, Producer, Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tony Garnier, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Tucker, Producer, Mixer, Co-Producer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bo Ramsey, Producer, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Lepinski, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - James (Fluff) Harley, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2001 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Charlie Sexton, Producer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Reese Wynans, Hammond B3, AssociatedPerformer - Jim Keltner, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Lucinda Williams, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tony Garnier, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Tucker, Producer, Mixer, Co-Producer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Bo Ramsey, Producer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Lepinski, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - James (Fluff) Harley, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2001 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Charlie Sexton, Producer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Jim Keltner, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - JIM LAUDERDALE, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Lucinda Williams, Producer, Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tom Tucker, Producer, Mixer, Co-Producer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Joy Lynn White, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Bo Ramsey, Producer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Lepinski, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - James (Fluff) Harley, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2001 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Charlie Sexton, Producer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Jim Keltner, Drums, AssociatedPerformer - JIM LAUDERDALE, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Lucinda Williams, Producer, Acoustic Guitar, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Tony Garnier, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Tucker, Producer, Mixer, Co-Producer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Joy Lynn White, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Bo Ramsey, Producer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Lepinski, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - James (Fluff) Harley, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2001 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Charlie Sexton, Producer, Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Jim Keltner, Drums, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - David Mansfield, Viola, Violin, AssociatedPerformer - Lucinda Williams, Producer, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist - Tony Garnier, Bass Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Tom Tucker, Producer, Mixer, Co-Producer, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Joy Lynn White, Vocals, AssociatedPerformer - Bo Ramsey, Producer, Electric Guitar, AssociatedPerformer - Joe Lepinski, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - James (Fluff) Harley, Asst. Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2001 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Album review
Between her well-documented determination to retail full control of her music and the plain-spoken willfulness of her best-known songs, Lucinda Williams is practically the working definition of a strong woman you do not want to mess with, but she reveals a very different side of her musical personality on her sixth album, Essence. Subtle and often stark, Essence is an unusually quiet and frequently downbeat set that depicts a fragile emotional vulnerability which rarely makes its presence felt in Williams' music; there's an unadorned longing in songs like "Blue" and "Lonely Girls" that's new and deeply affecting, and the leaf-in-the-breeze quaver of Williams' voice on "I Envy the Wind" is as heart-rending as anything she's ever committed to tape. But while a blue mood dominates Essence, this isn't an album about the blue funk of heartbreak, but a chronicle of the search for transcendence over sorrow in our lives, as her characters look for a path out of isolation ("Out of Touch"), try to find answers through faith ("Get Right With God"), or reconcile love with the desires of the flesh ("Essence"). As a songwriter, Williams has long shown a knack for charting the human heart and mind with intelligence and economy, and Essence finds her at the peak of her form; the delicacy of this music does not speak of weakness, but of the passion and bravery it takes to bare one's soul. And while Williams has gained a certain infamy for her obsessive perfectionism in the studio, the quality of her work speaks for the wisdom of her decision-making process, and Essence proves how well she understands the art of recording; producing in collaboration with Charlie Sexton (Tom Tucker and Bo Ramsey also contributed), Essence sounds full and rich even in its quietest moments, and her sweet-and-sour voice blends with the arrangements with subtle perfection. Those hoping for another dose of the bluesy roots rock of Car Wheels on a Gravel Road may be disappointed, but if you want to take a deep and compelling look into the heart and soul of a major artist, then you owe it to yourself to hear Essence.
© Mark Deming /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 11 track(s)
- Total length: 00:50:41
- Main artists: Lucinda Williams
- Composer: Lucinda Williams
- Label: Lost Highway
- Genre: Country
© 2001 UMG Recordings, Inc. ℗ 2001 UMG Recordings, Inc.
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz?
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalog with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets, and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.