Judee Sill Is The Drug.

Forget about Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez or Judy Collins. Judee Sill is the absolute queen of early '70's female singer-songwriters, but the problem is; she is not very well known outside a circle of devoted fans. She is another one of those cult figures in music, much like a Daniel Johnston or Gary Wilson, the only real difference being is that she passed on in 1979 of a drug-related death. Judee Sill had an ear for melody and a songwriting bent that even included focus on a religion she herself created, which was appropriately given the name of Sillism, and was somewhat seriously explored both musically and lyrically on her final record, 1973's "Heart Food." What's troubling is the simple fact that she was an amazingly talented West Coast singer/songwriter in the early '70's, albeit, one of a great many. She actually had her first real success specifically as a songwriter, when she penned a minor hit for The Turtles in the late '60's, a sort of somber love ballad entitled "Lady-O."

Gigging around Los Angeles eventually got her noticed by David Geffen, who at the time was apparently pleased enough by what he heard to make her the first artist to get a release on his new Asylum label. Simply titled "Judee Sill" and released in 1971, here was an album bursting with melody. This album really showcased Judee's instrumental prowess, as her metric finger picking and Ray Charles touches on the piano were irresistible. The record even had minor chart success with a single entitled "Jesus Was A Cross Maker," a track produced by Graham Nash. However, the album itself sold rather little and held weight most favorably among critics. Part of the trouble was Sill's lack of interest in touring as a support act with various Hard Rock bands of the time period, a genre of music that she apparently detested. In fact, Sill was often quoted that her primary musical influence was Johann Sebastian Bach.

1973 saw the release of her final album, the aforementioned "Heart Food." This is ultimately Judee's greatest musical statement, making it very clear that she wasn't just another Hippie Dippy poser from yesteryear, but a spectacular and highly original composer with a keen ear, because on her second record, she orchestrated it 100% herself, making "Heart Food" the better of her two albums. And while I won't prattle on about the legend that surrounds this obscure musician, such as her being a cliche free spirited, drug-loving Hippie momma, but rather, it is my goal to casually push you in her direction. This was an artist far ahead of her time and one of her best attributes as a musician was actually her singing voice, a voice she used rather effectively as just another piece of instrumentation.

She has generations of fans, and those who were lucky enough to see one of her rare live performances decades ago remember the experiences with a vivid fondness. She also has her well known admirers as well, like Andy Partridge from XTC and Jim O'Rourke. In fact, Jim O'Rourke produced and newly mixed the material that would have largely made up her third album, and this is a rather detailed and impressive collection called "Dreams Come True." Much like her two original studio albums, "Dreams Come True" is also widely available for public consumption on CD, and rather curious in that it was originally recorded in Mike Nesmith's home studio. Dig in and join the faith that is Sillism:



Yeah!