Green World, The - Dar Williams

...came across this CD, "The Green World".

The CD is the fourth of Dar Williams solo albums released in 2002 by Razor & Tie and I was not disappointed. The CD is enjoyable for many reasons. Each of the songs is a delight to listen to instilled with the folk-song storytelling quality. Dar's voice is pleasing and clear; at times wistful, at others mournful, sometimes childlike and sometimes whimsical. The lyrics are amazing and ...
..."the closed world" and "the green world". "The closed world" symbolized the ordered part of life whilst "the green world" represented the unpredictable side of life.

This concept is reflected in many of the tracks, which illustrate the transforming influence of the natural world over the lives of people.

The CD opens with "Playing to the Firmament" is on a superficial ... more

I first became aware of Dar Williams when I bought the Joan Baez CD, Gone from Danger. Dar Williams had written a number of tracks on the CD and also provided backing vocals on some. I was very impressed by this singer / songwriter and promised myself I would seek out more of her work. It took me some time but I finally came across this CD, "The Green World".

The CD is the fourth of Dar Williams solo albums released in 2002 by Razor & Tie and I was not disappointed. The CD is enjoyable for many reasons. Each of the songs is a delight to listen to instilled with the folk-song storytelling quality. Dar's voice is pleasing and clear; at times wistful, at others mournful, sometimes childlike and sometimes whimsical. The lyrics are amazing and original; they are catchy yet the underlying sentiment is often profound; somewhat ambiguous, they may take a few times of listening to before the full impact of their words sinks in. The melodies are beautiful and memorable.

The title of the CD is explained by Dar as referring to a concept she learned whilst studying Shakespeare at University. In his plays, Shakespeare would highlight the conflict between what he termed as "the closed world" and "the green world". "The closed world" symbolized the ordered part of life whilst "the green world" represented the unpredictable side of life.

This concept is reflected in many of the tracks, which illustrate the transforming influence of the natural world over the lives of people.

The CD opens with "Playing to the Firmament" is on a superficial level light and pop-like. More than one person has even likened it to Abba's Dancing Queen!! . However, listen to the lyrics closely and the passionate celebration of life and nature becomes apparent and the joyfulness is contagious. "What's the rush? / Dip your brush into the twilight / There are leaves upon the skylight; / trace your hand, trace your hand."

More than any of her previous works, "The Green World" has an autobiographical element. Within the track, "What Do You Love More Than Love" Dar looks back on her past romances and her methods of escaping them including a visit to the Buddhist country of Bhutan that she cites as the inspiration for this song. "I held my breath and packed my bags / I went to the land of the monastery, the sunshine children and the prayer flags".
Other tracks with a personal content is the sorrowful, "After All" and the observational "It Happens Every Day" in which Dar comments on the everyday people around her.

Folk has always had a reputation as a vehicle for political protest. Like Joan Baez and Bob Dylan before her, Dar's name is synonymous with political songwriting. The track, "I Had No Right", showcases this aspect of her writing. The song is a tribute to Philip Berrigan, a poet and Catholic Priiest. Told in his voice, it relates how he challenged the legitimacy and morality of the uranium bombs used on Iraq and Bosnia. "First it was a question/ then it was a mission / How to be American / How to be a Christian".

Dar majored in religion, a recurrent theme in number of her compositions. On the is album, this is evident in the spiritual "Calling the Moon" which is soulful and hauntingly beautiful. It was inspired by Dar's research into the pagan religions of the USA. The caller implores the moon to "make sense of my night". The moon's response, "Oh, darkness my work is done / I've poured this bottle of light from the sun / But their anger keeps rising / And they don't understand, I've shown them all that I can / that the world is at hand / And I know, they'll be calling me soon, and if I don't answer I'm only the moon."

In a different vein, "And A God Descended" looks at religion with a critical edge. The light upbeat melody masks some of the sardonic content . "The God descended / And the reason ended / His life was lifted just above the law /And now we have to live with what we did / With what we saw...".

But folk isn't all serious. Dar has also earned a reputation for her writing of fun-folk. In "I Won't Be Your Yoko-Ono" a tribute to Yoko Ono, often criticized for influence over John Lennon and her supposed role in the Beatle's disbandment. Dar also depicts Yoko as strong women who sacrificed much herself for the relationship. "I wonder if Yoko Ono ever thought of staying solo / If she thought of other men and if she doubted John Lennon / Worrying that he'd distract her art./ Sitting in the Apple sessions, giving John her music lessons / Challenging the warring nations with her paper installations,/ Did she guard her Yoko human heart?".

Another example of Dar's fun-folk comes in the penultimate track "Another Mystery" in which Dar sardonically pokes fun at the mystery often attributed to artistic "types". "I don't wanna be another mystery, oh no / I don't wanna see who's lookin' at me, oh no / I wanna be the one to feel the sun, oh whoa / So if you want to see the world with me, let's go."

I fully recommend this album. Before you say, "It's not my thing", I urge you to listen to the album (a sample of each of the tracks are available on amazon.co.uk). On "The Green World", you will find a diverse collection of songs that will evoke joy, sorrow and wonder.

The eleven songs on the album, each tell a story in true folk-song style yet each in a different way. Many are presented in the traditional ballad format with Dar and her guitar. But also found on the album are examples of pop/folk and rock/folk with a group of musicians, including Stuart Smith on guitar and keyboards, Graham Maby on bass and Steve Holley on drums accompanying Dar.

The album cost me £13.50 and is available in most of the larger music stores (unfortunately not often stocked in the supermarkets or smaller music stores).
 

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