Geffen
1987
Happy Come Home
About This Album
It is indeed a rarity when a debut album is able to distil the essence of any artist. However, Victoria Williams is considerably more than just any artist and Happy Come Home is the personification of the word eclectic -- just like Williams herself. She wasn't alone in creating her eponymous masterpiece, either. A cavalcade of pop and rock music's elite congregated with Williams in the celebration of the varied music on the album. The simple folk tales, sage-like observations, and just plain good advice that she writes about are personified by an unbelievably delicious cast of characters both in the studio as well as in between the lines. There is an undeniable strength and maturity in Williams' songwriting. Like few artists or albums, Happy Come Home reveals an artist fully developed with a style and persona that is uniquely American and arguably irresistible. Another musician fitting that description is Van Dyke Parks -- whose contributions to this disc are almost immediately evident. His signature orchestral flourishes are unmistakable throughout the string arrangements for "TC," "Main Road," and the opening cut, "Shoes." Sonically, his pallet blends the humor and whimsy of Mark Twain with the noir romanticism of George Gershwin.
Track List

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