Various Artists tribute to Vic Chesnutt "1996 - Sweet Relief II - Gravity Of The Situation" 1996

tribute to Vic Chesnutt

Review by Denise Sullivan

Madonna, R.E.M., Live, and Hootie & the Blowfish are among the artists who tackle Athens, GA, singer/songwriter Chesnutt's music on this volume for Sweet Relief, the foundation Victoria Williams established to assist ailing musicians such as herself and Chesnutt, who is paraplegic. Although the hard grunge "Sponge," contributed by hometown friends R.E.M., makes perfect sense, other contributions meet with questionable results. "Guilty by Association" by Madonna and her brother-in-law Joe Henry turns a dark ballad into a semi-orchestrated piece.
Nanci Griffith and Darius Rucker's "Gravity of the Situation" is bland. But fans of quirky singer Mary Margaret O'Hara will be enthralled by her spare "Florida," and the Chesnutt/Williams collaboration "God Is Good" closes the set on a hope-filled note; it's the best of the 14 tracks.

Tracks

1 Kick My Ass (Garbage) 2:31

2 Sponge (REM) 4:06

3 Gravity of the Situation (Nanci Griffith and Hootie & The Blowfish) 4:35

4 When I Ran off & Left Her (Soul Asylum) 3:57

5 Dodge (Dog's Eye View) 4:44

6 Supernatural (Live) 3:28

7 Sad Peter Pan (Smashing Pumpkins and Red Red Meat) 5:08

8 West of Rome (Sparklehorse) 5:44

9 Guilty by Association (Joe Henry and Madonna) 4:26

10 Panic Pure (Kristin) Hersh 2:54

11 Withering (Cracker) 4:14

12 Free of Hope (Indigo Girls) 5:43

13 Florida (Mary Margaret O'Hara) 2:51

14 God Is Good (Vic Chesnutt & Victoria Williams) 5:19