Listening To Music Test

Might you hear something new and different you never heard before in music you’re familiar with? Do good songs sound great, and do great songs blow your mind? Well, that’s what we’re looking for from this test.

Toward that end, I put on one of my all-time favorite live CDs, Lucinda Williams Live At The Fillmore. I’ve always appreciated what’s basically a trio playing sparse but seemingly just-right arrangements. Not every musician can resist the tendency to show off and overplay. Serving the song is beyond a lot of them. Here were three studio musicians performing live, keeping it simple yet sensual, exploring space and time in support of Ms. Williams well-crafted tunes. This CD is enjoyable when I’m straight, and I’ve certainly enjoyed it on many occasions, stoned on all sorts of buds . . . but this listening was somehow even more engaging. Thumbs up again.