JUDEE SILL Judee Sill
The astonishing Judee Sill was the first artist signed to David Geffen’s Asylum Records, and Judee Sill the first album released on the label.
Sill’s music is intensely spiritual, redolent of both mysticism and divine imagery, yet grounded by great songwriting and a pure but powerful singing talent.
Her songs impart incredible intimacy that is enhanced and not diminished by her sometimes complex string/orchestral arrangements (remarkably Sill arranged and conducted the strings/orchestra on her albums!).
Sill’s life was tragic personally and professionally.
Her father and brother were killed when Sill was young, and her tempestuous relationship with her alcoholic (and remarried) mother resulted in her leaving home at 15.
She committed robberies and began a battle she was destined to lose against drug addiction.
When stardom didn’t follow the critical acclaim of these two albums her career never recovered.
Sill was dead in 1979 at just 35.
The brevity of Judee’s musical legacy is vastly outweighed by the emotional power in these two extraordinary albums.
Judee Sill’s debut album (as well as the debut of the Asylum label) heralded a major new talent in the airy, contemporary folk world of the early ’70s.
The album employed the production skills of Sill’s ex-husband Bob Harris, as well as ex-Turtle, ex-Leaves Jim Pons, and Graham Nash (on the album’s sole single, “Jesus Was a Crossmaker”). Judee Sill featured all original compositions, many of which relied on Sill’s own brand of cosmological Christian imagery to make their point.
By turns spare and lavishly orchestrated, there is still a cohesive feel to all of the album; her lyrics are exceptionally poetic and her voice is smooth enough to give every song a shimmery feel.
The essence of the music is folk, the execution pop: the songs feel like a comfort blanket, a statement of hope from a troubled soul.
Plating and Pressing by RTI
Beautiful Old-Style “Tip-On” Gatefold Printed By Stoughton
Track List: JUDEE SILL Judee Sill
Side 1
1. Crayon Angels
2. The Phantom Cowboy
3. The Archetypal Man
Side 2
1. The Lamb Ran Away With the Crown
2. Lady-O
3. Jesus Was a Crossmaker
Side 3
1. Ridge Rider
2. My Man On Love
Side 4
1. Lopin’ Along Thru The Cosmos
2. Enchanted Sky Machines
3. Abracadabra
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