Shocking Omissions: Patty Loveless' 'When Fallen Angels Fly'
When Fallen Angels Fly speaks to the sacred and simple dirt truth of the human condition; it embodies Loveless' pragmatic, honest approach to music.
This essay is one in a series celebrating deserving artists or albums not included on NPR Music's list of 150 Greatest Albums Made By Women.
"Break us down by our elements / and you might think He failed," comes the voice, soulful and deep from the holler strong, of over an acoustic guitar strummed with purposeful, isolated down strokes. The opening salvo from "A Handful of Dust," which starts Loveless' 1994 album , continues, "We're not copper for a penny / or even iron for one nail." The lyrics embody how Loveless approaches music: pragmatic, honest, yet seeing a transformative aspect through our better selves.
