Track listing
Show track credits
- 1 Why Look at the Moon 2:30
-
writer, acoustic guitar
-
upright bass
-
Willie Aronelectric guitar
-
pedal steel
-
mandolin
-
acoustic guitar, vocals
-
vocals
-
percussion, vocals
-
- 2 Boogieman 3:50
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writer, guitar
-
upright bass
-
Willie Aronorgan
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vocals, drums, marimba, cowbell
-
- 3 Clothesline 4:32
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writer, acoustic guitar
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acoustic bass
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trombone
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percussion, glockenspiel
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keyboard
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fiddle
-
- 4 Tarbelly and Featherfoot 4:30
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writer, piano
-
upright bass
-
Willie Aronelectric guitar
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pedal steel
-
drums, marimba
-
- 5 On Time 3:12
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writer, electric guitar
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upright bass
-
Willie Aronorgan
-
vocals, tambourine, organ
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- 6 Holy Spirit 4:38
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writer, acoustic guitar, ocarina
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upright bass
-
Willie Aronacoustic guitar, vocals
-
acoustic guitar, vocals
-
vocals
-
percussion, drums
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keyboard, hammond
-
- 7 Summer of Drugs 4:50
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writer, piano, dulcimer
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upright bass
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Willie Aronelectric guitar
-
vocals
-
vocals
-
percussion, drums, glockenspiel
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keyboard, organ
-
- 8 I Can't Cry Hard Enough 3:38
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writer, vocals, piano
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writer
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acoustic guitar
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vibraphone
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cello
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Dave Knighttrombone
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- 9 Wobbling 3:15
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writer, piano
-
upright bass
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pedal steel
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cello
-
- 10 Vieux amis 2:10
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writer, acoustic guitar
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upright bass
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Willie Aronacoustic guitar
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percussion, marimba, washboard, accordion
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fiddle
-
- 11 Weeds 3:36
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writer, acoustic guitar
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acoustic bass
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Willie Aronacoustic guitar, vocals
-
pedal steel
-
vocals
-
vocals
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drums, marimba, vibraphone, accordion
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cello
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Jeff Davisvocals
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- 12 Lift Him Up 3:17
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writer
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percussion, handclaps
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fiddle, mandolin
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vocals, guitar
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vocals
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- Total length: 43:58
Rate/Catalog
Catalog
Set listening
Review
To rate, slide your finger across the stars from left to right.
3 Issues
4 Reviews
-
1
Why Look at the Moon
-
2
Boogieman
-
3
Clothesline
-
4
Tarbelly and Featherfoot
-
5
On Time
-
6
Holy Spirit
-
7
Summer of Drugs
-
8
I Can't Cry Hard Enough
-
9
Wobbling
-
10
Vieux amis
-
11
Weeds
-
12
Lift Him Up
Swing the Statue, despite lacking input from Parks, maintains the basic template of Happy Come Home: simple, country-based songs with a stark, warbling voice and childlike lyrical themes that spoke innocence and wonder.
Opener “Why Look at the Moon” sounds slight at first but with listening its classically simply beauty becomes apparent. “Boogieman”, often described as a move towards “soul” or “gospel” (à la “You R Loved” from Loose) is in fact less of a departure but its power is undeniable. “Clothesline Song” and “Tarbelly and Featherfoot” show greater complexity within concise songs, though neither grows on you like the first two. With “On Time”, however, Victoria returns to her most powerful: the everyday lyrics take an urban dimension but lose nothing compared to her more pastoral sound.
“Holy Spirit” is the obligatory “spiritual” but is certainly better than “Psalms” on Loose: even if it could be starker it does retain power, and “Summer of Drugs” shows Victoria turning gothic – though the song tones down her piercing warble enough it’s no wonder generally awful alternative artists covered it. “I Can’t Cry Hard Enough” is probably the weakest song here: though never so soppy as some of her later albums (or The Innocence Mission for comparison) would get, it does move away from her original sound into pop and even careful listening does not give the same power as on most of Swing the Statue.
With her hymn to the American Robin in “Wobbling”, however, Victoria produces the best song of her career: its very simple poetry is catchy yet utterly vivid and ecstatic. As a true folk instrument Victoria’s piano equals The Milk-Eyed Mender’s “Three Little Babes” and “Sadie” almost fifteen years beforehand. The fairy-like “Vieux Amis” and beautiful narrative “Weeds” form a wonderful trio of songs – one that can bring joy to even the most emotionless heart, and “Weeds”’ deceptive softness hides the dark struggles in the song’s lyrics. Closer “Lift Him Up” is a genuine hymn, but the choir adds strange dissonance and power: the vocals and instruments seem out of tune yet perfectly attuned to the design of nature.
All in all, as a record of childlike spiritual joy, vivid nature imagery and simple celebration of gratitude in everyday things, Swing the Statue was unique in its time – closer to 2000s “Freak Folk”. Only Mary Margaret O'Hara’s Miss America or Robin Holcomb’s Robin Holcomb and Rockabye rival it as a lost singer/songwriter treasure from the Bush Senior Era.
Published
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It's difficult to listen to Victoria without a smile finding its way to ones face.
BBC radio DJ thought "Boogieman" worthy of a play and so now their she is in my 'favourites' despite her culture being unfamiliar to me.
Tracks worn-out: "Wobbling" "On Time" "I Can't Cry Hard Enough"
Tracks skip: "Holy Spirit"
Pity no lyrics on sleeve
BBC radio DJ thought "Boogieman" worthy of a play and so now their she is in my 'favourites' despite her culture being unfamiliar to me.
Tracks worn-out: "Wobbling" "On Time" "I Can't Cry Hard Enough"
Tracks skip: "Holy Spirit"
Pity no lyrics on sleeve
Published
I didn't take to Victoria Williams immediately, but eventually she grew on me. _Swing the Statue_ has some of her best material.
Published
The second CD from Victoria Williams is close to a masterpiece. Her originality or 'sense of whimsy' is wonderfully expressed in songs like "Boogieman", "Summer of Drugs", "Wobbling" and "Tarbelly and Featherfoot".
Published
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Catalog
17 Jun 2023
30 May 2023
29 Mar 2023
8 Dec 2022
8 May 2022
26 Apr 2022
10 Dec 2021
3 Oct 2021
28 Aug 2021
5 Jun 2021
-
1 Why Look at the Moon
-
2
Boogieman
-
3 Clothesline
-
4 Tarbelly and Featherfoot
-
5 On Time
-
6 Holy Spirit
-
7
Summer of Drugs
-
8
I Can't Cry Hard Enough
-
9 Wobbling
-
10
Vieux amis
-
11 Weeds
-
12 Lift Him Up
12 Mar 2021
6 Jan 2021
-
1
Why Look at the Moon
-
2
Boogieman
-
3
Clothesline
-
4
Tarbelly and Featherfoot
-
5
On Time
-
6
Holy Spirit
-
7
Summer of Drugs
-
8
I Can't Cry Hard Enough
-
9
Wobbling
-
10
Vieux amis
-
11
Weeds
-
12
Lift Him Up
18 Nov 2020
29 Jul 2020
7 Jul 2020
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20 Lists
Comments
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- BACKloaded albums Music
- Albums that have a whimsical/childlike sense of adventure? Music
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