IRIS DEMENT ~ WORKIN’ ON A WORLD
![[Image: NDItODE4Ni5qcGVn.jpeg]](https://i.discogs.com/KL6EG09KTGNXXBTVE56ZxcSOg7fuvKurgS1nrY1Omrk/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:530/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTI2MTkz/NTA5LTE2NzcxMDc0/NDItODE4Ni5qcGVn.jpeg)
This album errs more on the side of folk than country, to me - she wrote eight tracks, her husband, Greg Brown wrote two, and another two were co-written with Brown’s daughter Pieta (with whom Mark Knopfler had a little collaboration as an aside!).
Ms DeMent is very much her own artist – not a lot of ‘sounds likes’, except oddly enough, I get a bit of a Van Morrison vibe now and then and some Sir Bob on the eight minute plus "Goin' Down To Sing In Texas". She doesn’t mince her words and there is nothing covert about her politics. She pays homage to individuals who’ve taken a stand against social injustice, and on the other hand criticises ego mongers – the menacing “Let Me Be Your Jesus” being a prime example of that! Actually - turns out the husband wrote that one, but anyway ... Even if I didn’t know that she was raised in a Pentecostal environment, I think I’d recognise that influence both in the music and the lyrics (although that’s a path she no longer treads if her songwriting is anything to go by); a certain spirituality clings unremittingly to what she does, but she also doesn't suffer fools, or foolishness.
An unusual and distinctive voice, pillowed by almost hymnal sounds on occasion. Interesting listen – made me think, made me learn a thing or two – always a good thing …
"Workin' On A World" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOS7OiLE11c - this title track speaks of taking certain actions even though you likely won't see the result of those actions in the future - sort of like planting a tree that you won't see reach maturity - you plant it anyway ... if people hadn't done that before us - where would we be?
The Texas epic (lyrics under the link) ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfwzAq_WHRE
"Warriors of Love" ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DgUxBaTB4Y
"Let Me Be Your Jesus" ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emH5RKPxZOA
"The Sacred Now" ...
This album errs more on the side of folk than country, to me - she wrote eight tracks, her husband, Greg Brown wrote two, and another two were co-written with Brown’s daughter Pieta (with whom Mark Knopfler had a little collaboration as an aside!).
Ms DeMent is very much her own artist – not a lot of ‘sounds likes’, except oddly enough, I get a bit of a Van Morrison vibe now and then and some Sir Bob on the eight minute plus "Goin' Down To Sing In Texas". She doesn’t mince her words and there is nothing covert about her politics. She pays homage to individuals who’ve taken a stand against social injustice, and on the other hand criticises ego mongers – the menacing “Let Me Be Your Jesus” being a prime example of that! Actually - turns out the husband wrote that one, but anyway ... Even if I didn’t know that she was raised in a Pentecostal environment, I think I’d recognise that influence both in the music and the lyrics (although that’s a path she no longer treads if her songwriting is anything to go by); a certain spirituality clings unremittingly to what she does, but she also doesn't suffer fools, or foolishness.
An unusual and distinctive voice, pillowed by almost hymnal sounds on occasion. Interesting listen – made me think, made me learn a thing or two – always a good thing …
"Workin' On A World" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOS7OiLE11c - this title track speaks of taking certain actions even though you likely won't see the result of those actions in the future - sort of like planting a tree that you won't see reach maturity - you plant it anyway ... if people hadn't done that before us - where would we be?
The Texas epic (lyrics under the link) ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfwzAq_WHRE
"Warriors of Love" ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DgUxBaTB4Y
"Let Me Be Your Jesus" ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emH5RKPxZOA
"The Sacred Now" ...
"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us." ~ Bill Watterson
