In 1992, Victoria Williams was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. In 1993 Sweet Relief, a compilation of William's songs covered by other artists, was released to raise funds to help with medical costs. Pearl Jam, Soul Asylum, Lou Reed and eleven other artists all donated their time and efforts to the album. Thus the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund was established as a non-profit organization to provide financial assistance to musicians facing medical hardships.
Sweet Relief II was just released to help bolster the strength of the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. This time an equally star-stud cast of musicians, if not moreso, are covering the tunes of the Athens, Georgia based Vic Chesnutt. The album's 14 tracks feature 18 artists performing some truly inspirational work.
Soul Asylum is the only band to return for the sequel. Newcomers to the project include the likes of dog's eye view, Sparklehorse, Mary Margaret O'Hara, and Cracker. Kristen Hersh adds a typically haunting acoustic performance of "Panic Pure." The Indigo Girls trade off on strong lead vocals and blend together for tight harmonies on their rendition of "Free of Hope." Live's MTV Unplugged performance of "Supernatural" is also among the ranks. However, the album leaves off frontman Ed Kowalczyk's exaltation that "Supernatural" is "absolutely the most beautiful song ever written by a human being." And, from their performance here, I almost believe it.
Butch Vig's most recent project, Garbage, opens the album with a fairly mellow track titled "Kick My Ass." Shirley Manson's vocals are as sultry and enticing as ever. R.E.M. lends a lively version of "Sponge" which reminds me somewhat of what R.E.M.'s "King of Birds." And unless I'm imagining things, Bill Berry is starting to sound an awful lot like a drum machine.
Perhaps most fascinating thing about this compilation are the duets included. Nanci Griffith and Hootie & the Blowfish perform a very Hootie-sounding title track, "Gravity of the Situation." Smashing Pumpkins team up with Red Red Meat on "Sad Peter Pan." This track utilizes a drum track, among others, being played at half speed. The effect is quite stunning in contrast to Billy Corgan's vocals. Joe Henry and his sister-in-law, Madonna, ironically sing together on "Guilty by Association." The pair don't tend to blab about their relations, though Madonna does mention it during an MTV interview about the upcoming "Evita."
Finally, the album closes out with Vic Chesnutt and Victoria Williams performing "God is Good." They co-wrote and recorded this track at Rancho De La Luna in Joshua Tree, California during the last week of February. It's a moody track perfect for ending a compilation with such a worthy cause. As a whole, Sweet Relief II is easily as strong as its predecessor. Whether you're a Vic Chesnutt fan or a fan of any of the individual artists, this album is definitely worth owning. And hey, it is for a good cause.
