Kathryn Williams: C/D

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I loved Dog Leap Stairs & Little Black Numbers, than kind of lost interest. It's a bit of a shock to learn she's just released her 5th album.
Have I missed much? I liked the thing with Pedro & I like Johnny Bridgwood's Danny Thompson-style double bass, but does anyone really need 5 Kathryn Williams albums?

― bham, Wednesday, 3 August 2005 07:04 (twenty years ago)

the covers album is totally lame. i have little black numbers and most of it is pretty good. the remix of 'jasmine hoop' is superior to the album version. the pedro single is the best thing she's been involved with.

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 07:18 (twenty years ago)

Oh man, sigh. Little Black Numbers is very near and dear to my heart, but nothing she's done since (or before) came close. There were bits of the covers album I quite liked ("Thirteen", "Candy Says"), and there's a few other bits of good stuff ("No One Takes You Home", "Little Black Numbers" on Old Low Light), but I feel like all the acid's been removed, the veil's been lifted, and it's mostly just prettiness that's left. A real disappointment. (But the bass-work is great.)

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 07:23 (twenty years ago)

Pedro vs Kathryn Williams is, quite simply, one of the best singles of the half-decade. Other than that, she merely has moments, it seems.

― BARMS, Wednesday, 3 August 2005 07:59 (twenty years ago)

i'm with barms re the pedro collab. a stunning few minuutes of gorgeousness that i have stated elsewhere many many times before.

― mark e (mark e), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 08:57 (twenty years ago)

It's funny what people find striking. I listened to the Pedro/Kathryn song and found it utterly innocuous, redundant beats unredeemed by wispy singing.

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 09:02 (twenty years ago)

Buy some headphones, some incense and some candles*. Listen to the *rest* of the CD.

*I have none of these, but what the hey, I figure it could only help.

― BARMS, Wednesday, 3 August 2005 10:03 (twenty years ago)

(xpost)

You sure you not mixing up Kathryn Williams with Kenneth Williams?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 10:07 (twenty years ago)

Any music I need to listen to with incense and candles is music I'm not going to like, I suspect. I've got headphones, though; loads of 'em!

When I look for Kenneth Williams on AllMusic I find the photograph of a black man in a fraternity t-shirt, playing a sousaphone. He has collaborated with Laurie Anderson and appeared on British kids' TV. My question is -- does he sound better with candles and incense?

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 10:23 (twenty years ago)

Laurie Anderson and Kenneth Williams - "O Matron."

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 3 August 2005 10:36 (twenty years ago)

If you liked Pedro collab., you should similarly adore Gustav (From Germany) - Rettet Die Wale (Save The Whales). Off to the elctro pop thread I go.

― BARMS, Wednesday, 3 August 2005 11:23 (twenty years ago)

I think her version of 'Thirteen' magnificent. It introduced me to that song, even to that band, Big Star. When I first heard it, I wrote about it on a thread called 'Cling To The Old Dreams', but I think no-one replied.

― the bellefox, Wednesday, 3 August 2005 12:51 (twenty years ago)

In fact, someone did, in a way.

Cling To The Old Dreams

― the blissfox, Wednesday, 3 August 2005 13:11 (twenty years ago)

two months pass...

awww... I thought Kathryn might be too gentle for ILM, but there must be SOMEONE else who likes her.

In answer to your question, I own all 5 of her albums, though "Dog Leap Stairs" and "Little Black Numbers" are new purchases. I'm always utterly seduced by her voice. The vulnerability and softness, mixed with the occasional acerbic observation that works all the better in such context.

I don't think she's done anything that could be described as "lame" (although I'm wary of that word after reading the ILE thread) - the covers album didn't do her any favours with critics but personally I think her versions of some of the songs on there are fantastic. "Candy Says" is just stunning. And I have her to thank for introducing me to the joys of Ivor Cutler.

― hobart paving (hobart paving), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 13:02 (twenty years ago)

i guess i feel that generally she didn't bring anything new or interesting to the songs, and in several cases her renditions are cringeworthy more than anything else (these days being the main one).

― vacuum cleaner (electricsound), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 23:27 (twenty years ago)

I haven't heard any of the covers album - I'm put off by the alt-rock obviousness of most of the songs - Velvets, Big Star, Byrds etc. I imagine it sounding very like The version of Femme Fatale on Tracy Thorn's solo album (ie not worth bothering with).

― bham, Thursday, 20 October 2005 08:07 (twenty years ago)

I like the fragility she brings to some of these songs. It works better with some than others, admittedly. Covering Nico (yeah, yeah, I know its Jackson Browne really) is never going to be easy - I quite like it, though.

Never heard Tracy Thorn's solo album. Am I right in assuming it isn't very good, then?

― hobart paving (hobart paving), Thursday, 20 October 2005 08:26 (twenty years ago)

it's alright but i don't think anyone has covered Femme Fatale well

― vacuum cleaner (electricsound), Thursday, 20 October 2005 08:50 (twenty years ago)

POO: "Soul To Feet", from Little Black Numbers.

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Thursday, 20 October 2005 08:54 (twenty years ago)

Ooh, that's a good idea... I wonder if the thread would work or if it would be full of people shouting NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING AT ALL!!!

Good choice as well, though I think mine would be "Mirrorball".

― hobart paving (hobart paving), Thursday, 20 October 2005 08:59 (twenty years ago)

jasmine hoop, or tell the truth as if it were lies

― vacuum cleaner (electricsound), Thursday, 20 October 2005 09:01 (twenty years ago)

four years pass...

Still going. The Quickening's a nice album.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 4 June 2010 01:44 (fifteen years ago)

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