I felt the need to explore some music that didn’t necessarily come from the 1960s tonight, so I figured I’d stretch a bit further out and go to 1971 instead. Judee Sill was a folk rock artist that unfortunately died at the age of 35 due to an overdose, but left behind some music that wasn’t necessarily commercially successful, yet still beloved by many. This album in particular was her debut album, and she released one other and recorded part of a third before her passing. I had no clue that Judee Sill even existed until a couple of nights ago when I was sort of exploring artists from the era. Her music sounds like it ought to be interesting, so with that I’m going to jump on into the music.
“Crayon Angels” starts out really gently with some warm, folksy guitar that slowly brings the tune into focus. Wow, Judee Sills voice is absolutely wonderful. There’s a certain yearning in her voice, while still remaining elegantly conversational too. The guitar work sort of brushes the song around, while the string-like instrument (possibly piano or violin) makes the song move about an axis. Really sweet start to the album.
“The Phantom Cowboy” has a bit more of country sound to this folksy tune compared to the first one. Wow, Sill’s voice is such a soft, very lovely quality to it. There’s almost a gospel-like quality to her voice. The orchestral elements really keep the tune moving along while Sill sings in the center.
“The Archetypal Man” has a really interesting sound – it almost teases the blues in this folksy tune. Sill’s vocals have an interesting reverb to them that cause her voice to sound like it’s raining from the heavens. The pedal steel guitar really brings forth quite a lovely country sound, reminiscent of something from Gram Parsons. Graham Nash plays on this album at some points (he also was one of the producers on it), and I’m guessing that might be him on the pedal steel, though it may be Sill playing guitar, too. Wow, this song is absolutely lovely. Great tune.
“The Lamb Ran Away With the Crown” starts out with an almost whimsical sound from Sill and the bright acoustic guitar work. Wow, the vocals are very folksy in both lyrics and delivery. The soft delivery of the vocals with the gentle folksy guitar really makes this nearly a lullaby of sorts – it picks up a few more layers and gains a quicker tempo near the end of the song while still enveloping you in a really awesome musical soundscape.
“Lady-O” starts out with some very gentle guitar, and Sill comes in with some really lovely vocals alongside an orchestral background part. Wow, this song, and album as a whole for that matter, feel like they’re putting me at ease to some degree. Definitely a great album so far to wind down a long day and get lost in some beautiful music. I definitely got lost in this one a bit.
“Jesus Was a Cross Maker” was the single released for this album, and was produced by Graham Nash. The piano in this one have a really building feeling, almost gospel-like while still retaining a wonderful folksiness. The vocals almost sound like they sweep down from above while winding around through the instrumentation. Oh wow, this tune really gets going with the drums and piano giving an almost soft gospel-rock feel to this one. Oh wow, the background vocals have an angelic appeal to them. Very pleasant tune.
“Ridge Rider” sounds immediately like it’s peering through the heavens with the bright, high notes on the guitar and the shimmering vocals from Judee Sill. Oh wow, there’s a really interesting galloping feel from the percussion with a twangy country pedal steel guitar. It sounds like a tune for a cowboy rolling into some old town in the countryside and waving howdy to folks as he rides along on his trusty steed. There’s a really nice meandering feeling from the pedal steel guitar while the vocals, orchestral parts, and acoustic guitar seem to meld together. Oh wow, I think there’s a harmonica at the very end of the song and it’s absolutely delicious.
“My Man On Love” has a really great sound to it right away, hitting some great notes that feel like they resolve a lot of tension subtly built up in previous songs. The acoustic guitar walks down a chordal line of sorts, building up each time again and again. Wow, this song is very serene. The super high piano notes almost create a dream-like sound in the soundscape. Really nice tune.
“Lopin’ Along Thru the Cosmos” teases the blues a little bit, while still remaining extremely folksy with a very meandering sound to it. The notes never quite end up going where you think they might with the acoustic guitar, instead meandering around the same position and creating a nearly tense, though extremely serene sensation of forward movement. Meanwhile, Sill seems to sing in between the notes of the guitar, sliding around and keeping along with that forward moving sensation. The orchestral part really adds a nice touch to the composition – really nice.
Oh wow, “Enchanted Sky Machines” starts out with some absolutely delicious piano that seems to hit all the notes teased in the previous song. There’s a saxophone too (or similar woodwind or possibly even a brass instrument) that plays alongside some lines from the piano while Sill sings in a once again lovely fashion. Oh wow, the song really has a tasty groove/jam for a moment with all the different instruments and gets some really nice bluesy yet folksy rock and roll sounds. Great tune.
“Abracadabra” returns to a softer approach with the lovely acoustic guitar work and the gentle vocal performance at the beginning of this song. Oh wow, Sill hums a quick little line and the background vocals and the orchestral part come in, and really builds up to a great crescendo to finish off this album. Really lovely tune.
Wow, I’m super stoked to have checked out Judee Sill tonight. If you enjoy folk rock, folk music, or have any curiosity about gospel influenced music, this might be one to consider checking out. The songwriting, singing, and instrumentation really all come together really well in this album. I’ll definitely be listening to more of Sill soon. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I do sincerely hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A