Kelly Willis / What I Deserve (1999)

9.1

It's perplexing to think that Kelly Willis never took hold in Nashville. Then again, it's of no surprise, whatsoever. Cash didn't. Waylon certainly didn't. Townes wasn't even on the "Music City" radar. The home for country music has never been home to the likes of Kelly Willis.

I first discovered Willis' music when I came upon the EP Fading Fast. Joined by Son Volt, 16 Horesepower and Gary Louris, this four-song collection remains the best EP I own. Three years after this discovery, Willis released What I Deserve on Rykodisc, a label with a good/bad ratio of about 99/1. And this was the case with the first Willis full-length I discovered. Lyrically perfect, and backed by an army of incredible talents, including Gary Louris, Lloyd Maines, Mark Spencer, John Dee Graham and Chuck Prophet, as well as her husband/collaborator, Bruce Robison, What I Deserve remains Willis' masterstroke. A mix of originals and perfectly-selected covers (Nick Drake's "Time Has Told Me," Paul Westerberg's "They're Blind"), What I Deserve is what I imagine should lead the country genre. Or maybe Americana. Whatever the label, Kelly Willis is a treasure. If this is your first time reading about Kelly Willis, go listen to the song "Wrapped." That'll sure be the beginning of a long journey.

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