Promised Land (Dar Williams album)
Encyclopedia
Promised Land is a Dar Williams
album released September 9, 2008 on Razor & Tie
, the label that has released almost all of her albums. It was her first studio album
in three years
.
The song "Buzzer" was inspired by the Milgram experiment
; "Midnight Radio" is a cover
of a song from Hedwig and the Angry Inch
, written by a friend of hers from college. "Troubled Times" is a cover of a Fountains of Wayne
song from that band's 1999 album Utopia Parkway
.
called Promised Land "perhaps her strongest start-to-finish album since 1996's Mortal City
. A review from The Washington Post
said the album "lacks any musical growth" though a "newcomer to her music might appreciate the tunes."
The album entered the Billboard 200
album chart
at #95, making it the highest charting album of her career.
Dar Williams
Dar Williams is an American singer-songwriter specializing in pop folk.She is a frequent performer at folk festivals and has toured with such artists as Mary Chapin Carpenter, Patty Griffin, Ani DiFranco, The Nields, Shawn Colvin, Girlyman, Joan Baez, and Catie Curtis.-Biography:Williams was born...
album released September 9, 2008 on Razor & Tie
Razor & Tie
Razor & Tie is a New York-based corporation founded in 1990 by Cliff Chenfeld and Craig Balsam. The company encompasses a record label with major label distribution , a home video company, a media buying company, a music publishing business, a marketing, promotion and sales team, and a direct...
, the label that has released almost all of her albums. It was her first studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
in three years
My Better Self
My Better Self is a Dar Williams' album which was released on September 13, 2005 by Razor & Tie.-Track listing:All songs are by Dar Williams if not noted otherwise.#"Teen for God" – 3:28#"I'll Miss You Till I Meet You" – 4:27...
.
Track listing
All songs are written by Dar Williams if not noted otherwise.- "It's Alright" – 3:27
- "Book of Love" (Dar Williams and Lara MeyerratkenLara MeyerratkenLara Meyerratken is an Australian multi-instrumentalist musician and composer who currently resides in Los Angeles, California. Lara is most commonly associated with her longtime collaborator Ben Lee.Meyerratken is a notable session musician and songwriter...
) – 3:34 - "The Easy Way" – 3:31
- "The Tide Falls Away" (Dar Williams and Gary LourisGary LourisGary Louris is a guitarist, singer, and songwriter of alternative country and pop music. He was a founding member of the Minneapolis-based band The Jayhawks, and their principal songwriter and vocalist after the departure of Mark Olson; he is often credited with the band's subsequent move from...
) – 2:46 - "Buzzer" – 2:57
- "The Business of Things" – 2:31
- "You Are Everyone" – 4:30
- "Go to the Woods" – 2:54
- "Holly Tree" – 4:13
- "Troubled Times" (Adam SchlesingerAdam SchlesingerAdam Schlesinger is an American songwriter, composer and record producer. He has been nominated for Oscar, Tony, Emmy, Grammy , and Golden Globe Awards. He is also a winner of the ASCAP Pop Music Award....
and Chris CollingwoodChris CollingwoodChris Collingwood, born in 1967 in USA, is a singer, songwriter, and founding member of the power pop band Fountains of Wayne. Collingwood's major influences are The Beatles, The Zombies, The Hollies, Aztec Camera, Squeeze, and Blue Öyster Cult....
) – 3:34 - "Midnight RadioMidnight RadioFor other uses of Midnight Radio please see the disambiguation page.Midnight Radio is a song from the off-Broadway musical, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and its subsequent film adaptation...
" (Stephen TraskStephen TraskStephen Trask is an American musician and composer, who graduated from Wesleyan University.He was the music director and house band member at the New York club Squeezebox, where he performed with stars such as Debbie Harry, Lene Lovich and Joey Ramone.Trask composed the music and lyrics for the...
) – 4:27 - "Summerday" (Dar Williams and Rob HymanRob HymanRobert Andrew "Rob" Hyman is an American singer, songwriter, keyboard player, accordion player, producer, arranger and recording studio owner, best known for being a founding member of the rock band The Hooters.-Early life:Hyman started taking piano lessons at the age of four and grew up playing...
) – 3:22
The song "Buzzer" was inspired by the Milgram experiment
Milgram experiment
The Milgram experiment on obedience to authority figures was a series of notable social psychology experiments conducted by Yale University psychologist Stanley Milgram, which measured the willingness of study participants to obey an authority figure who instructed them to perform acts that...
; "Midnight Radio" is a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of a song from Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (musical)
Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a rock musical about a fictional rock and roll band fronted by an East German transgender singer. The text is by John Cameron Mitchell, and the music and lyrics are by Stephen Trask. The musical premiered in 1998 and has been performed throughout the world in hundreds...
, written by a friend of hers from college. "Troubled Times" is a cover of a Fountains of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne
Fountains of Wayne is an American power pop band that formed in New York City in 1996. The band consists of members Chris Collingwood, Adam Schlesinger, Jody Porter and Brian Young.-Early years:...
song from that band's 1999 album Utopia Parkway
Utopia Parkway
Utopia Parkway is a 1999 album by Fountains of Wayne, released through Atlantic Records. It was the follow-up to the band's 1996 self-titled debut; like its predecessor, it showcases upbeat, power pop music....
.
Reception
Slant MagazineSlant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
called Promised Land "perhaps her strongest start-to-finish album since 1996's Mortal City
Mortal City
Mortal City is Dar Williams' second album, released in January 1996 by Razor & Tie.The songs "As Cool as I Am" and "The Christians and the Pagans" were released as singles in 1996; the former was also accompanied by a music video...
. A review from The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
said the album "lacks any musical growth" though a "newcomer to her music might appreciate the tunes."
The album entered the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album chart
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
at #95, making it the highest charting album of her career.