Van Morrison Back On Top 1999

This has been the best fall in Northeast Ohio in many many a season. And what that means is color. Rust, gold, orange, red, yellow, all mixed with the green hold-outs, and bright sunny days to put those colors on full display. It is a wonder more people don't just drive off the road in awe of this natural expression of God's magnificence, like Thomas Cole and Fredrick Church captured in their brilliant landscapes. Breath-taking beauty just for being on the planet with your eyes open, and a few moments to just look.

The Cleveland Museum of Art has a special exhibit on Fredrick Church's Twilight in the Wilderness that is a must to see if you're a 19th century landscape aficionado. Or if you just like art, I suppose. Go there now. It's only there until January 25, 2015, and time can slip by so easily if you don't make a point to go.

What's this got to do with Van Morrison? Well, on Back On Top, a record that clearly is undeserving of it's own title, Van came through with When The Leaves Come Falling Down, a loving ode to Fall that Van presents with a fine lyric and reverent melody. It's got that minor-key melancholy, because Fall can only lead to Winter, but right now everything is full of wonder and beauty. The song is also available on The Best Of Volume 3, or as a download on iTunes (which is still sucky mp3). Or maybe at your library.

Follow me down, follow me down, follow me down
To the place between the garden and the wall
Follow me down, follow me down
To the space between the twilight and the dawn

And as I'm looking at the colour of the leaves, in your hand
As we're listening to Chet Baker on the beach, in the sand
When the leaves come falling down,
Whoa in September, when the leaves come falling down
Oh when the leaves come falling down
Yeah in September when the leaves come falling down

Lucinda Williams Down Where The Spirit Meets The Bone 2014

I'm a pretty big fan of Lucinda Williams and have followed her work throughout her career. Her Car Wheels On A Gravel Road is one of the best Folk/Rock/Americana records ever made, and a high water mark for her. She followed that with the somewhat softer Essence 2001 and the impressive A World Without Tears 2003.

If there's a complaint to be made of her work since the turn of the century, it is that her records include too many slow songs. Her lyric writing has never dipped far, but the languidity of her recent work on West 2007 (the worst offender), Little Honey 2008, and Blessed 2011 was just a bit too much. All of them include the occasional rocker, but the rockers aren't always up to par, and there aren't enough of them. The slow stuff is good, and she has fabulous instrumental backing, including long-time guitarist Doug Pettibone, as well as Bill Frissell and Greg Leisz (two of the best atmospheric guitarist anywhere). But there are a lot of slow tunes.

So now here comes a new, two-CD set. To say I was apprehensive is an understatement, because two CDs of her slow introspection sounded like a bad idea. But what we get this time has more energy than any of her releases since Car Wheels On A Gravel Road, and that (and a mess of great songs) makes this the best record she's made in a long time. Not only that, Lucinda is happily in love, and there are even some upbeat sentiments on the table (a rarity in her work). Break-ups and misery have always made for fine songs, but it certainly isn't necessary.

Protection, Burning Bridges, East Side Of Town, West Memphis, Foolishness, Stand Right By Each Other, Walk On, and Everything But The Truth are all mid-tempo at least, and we have a nice balance of rockers, blues, and quieter material. A nine-minute cover of J.J. Cale's Magnolia ends the record in a magnificently deep slow groove, presenting some downright gorgeous guitar interplay.

If, like me, you've been a bit disappointed in Ms. William's recent work, the wait is over. At 61, Lucinda Williams has made her best recording in years.