7#NUN$ DDDD N XXlxD +*U+++U++++++MUSIC/INTERVIEW/5.13 Victoria Williams hed: Victorious dek: Victoria Williams conquers the record industry and other formidable foes Who: Victoria Williams (opening for John Prine) Where: Tennessee Theatre When: Sun., June 18, 8 p.m. How Much: call 656-4444 for ticket info by Chris Barrett After the years she spent paying dues behind the scenes, Victoria Williams late 80s blossoming was a hidden gift. On her debut Happy Come Home, and even the follow-up Swing the Statue, the beauty of her writing and charm of her voice were nearly obscured by quirky and cerebral Indie-label production. Nuggets like Weeds and Summer of the Drugs were buried in thickets of what seemed to be intentionally different labyrinthine arrangements. You had to throw yourself at them over and over to find the path that led to the song you just knew was in there. Sadly, not everybody was up to it. So last years Loose (Mammoth/Atlantic) was celebrated for a few reasons. Its a wonderful record for anyone who wants to hear it, not just devotees willing to sift through it. Williamss wit and affections are plain and plenty, spread generously over the surface of the music instead of beneath it. Also, the record was good news. Loose followed up an album entitled Sweet Relief, a 1993 compilation of celebrities covering Williams songs. That project was released to defray the expense of her ongoing battle against multiple sclerosis. Loose is a comeback record of a different sort. I think its just the process of making records, says Williams, explaining the differences between each of hers. For Happy Come Home, I had these songs. They wereor could have beenjust as up-close feeling. There was a lot in the production that I didnt have much to do with, though. I was more involved in Loose. On Swing the Statue we were closer, but we didnt have enough time. We did that one in about a week. For Loose we had almost a month. Its mostly all livethe core band. It was a lot of fun to make. Likewise, its a pleasure to hear. Williams sings in the upper octave operatic chirps, thrums and warbles of a pre-dawn songbird. She can play up the innate innocence of her wondrously high voice, on songs like Louis Armstrongs old staple What A Wonderful World. She can also drape its purity around her own worldly lyrics, like those in Century Plant or Crazy Mary, for poignant contrast. In the song You R Loved, Williams pipes, Jesus walked on the water/turned the water into wine./Go down to the drunkards/tell them everything is fine. If you first heard those words from some jaded cynic, say Warren Zevon or Robyn Hitchcock, they probably wouldnt rise above the bile around them. Relayed by Williamss youthful trill, however, they end up with an almost prophetic impact. Loose is the kind of record that seems bound to worm its way into the songwriters basic repertoire, wedged between Court & Spark and Saturate Before Using. And its likely that the new record will send initiates back to the early ones. But even if you have them all, even if you have boots of her early L.A. groups like Three String Orchestra and Millions of Williams, youd do well to see her live as often as youre able. The songs on record are but the tip of the iceberg. There are so many songs, says Williams. I have a pile of that kind of stuff. If I dont record them after a while, they go in that big pile. Then, when it gets close to recording a new record, you always want to record what you just wrote or write something new. Youll hear some things that I havent released, she adds, speaking of the current tour. Lucky for her listeners, Williams isnt intimidated by her present success. She says that, God willing, shell be back in the studio this fall. I do a lot of singing when I walk out in the high desert, she says. It doesnt have words. Id kind of like to make a record of that. I dont know if the record company would dig it, and I dont know when youd listen to it. I guess youd listen to it while you were cooking, or around the house. But it wouldnt have words. It would just be like this moving music. Maybe Ill do some of that. ure&z/Y5C`&K`Y5C`&K`0P!L>7GLCRtz ` n r NQ @@ '(8'~  c /N!!!!!! !!! NNNQ N HH(FG(HH(d'@=/R@H-:LaserWriter 8 New York  EE