LUCINDA WILLIAMS IS ON THE RECORD.

Byline: FRED SHUSTER

>MUSIC WRITER

If someone comes up to you at one of Lucinda Williams' upcoming concerts and tries to push a CD of that night's show, don't be alarmed -- they're not bootlegs.

Using prepaid vouchers and a backstage CD-burning system, Williams will sell live albums of each of her five El Rey Theatre performances to fans.

Her L.A. concert residency, which starts Wednesday, also sees Williams joining the album-show craze of artists devoting entire nights to particular records. In Williams' case, she'll cover different albums ("World Without Tears," "Sweet Old World," "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road," "Essence" and her self-titled 1988 debut) on five consecutive evenings, with a second set each night of songs from her current release "West."

Known for poetic, bittersweet love songs and a soulful, raw delivery, Williams grew up in Louisiana and Arkansas, and began playing guitar at the age of 12. Her song, "Passionate Kisses," was recorded by Mary Chapin Carpenter in 1992, winning Williams her first Grammy. Her widely acclaimed 1998 breakthrough, "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road," won another Grammy for best contemporary folk album. Time magazine named her "America's best songwriter" in 2002.

We caught Lucinda the other day for the backstory.

What motivated this retrospective concert series?

It's a great idea because it gives me a chance to do a lot of songs I never get around to anymore. There's just so many songs you can do in a night and then you're out. We always do a few songs from "Car Wheels" that people expect, but a lot of songs get left off each night. So now, I have an excuse to do every single song from each album.

Was it a lot of rehearsing?

We worked on stuff during soundchecks during the last leg of the tour and started to throw a few tunes into the encores. Then, we have three rehearsals before the first El Rey show. By that time, they'll be pretty much set.

Are you sticking to the original arrangements?

I'm hearing the old songs in a new light because everything changes the older the songs get. Nothing's ever gonna sound the same and everyone in the band is gonna interpret those songs differently. Some of the tunes are kind of expanding and opening up. Plus, having a new rhythm section really opens up the songs. I let people do their own thing. I don't care if it sounds just like the record, as long as the basic structure is there.

How did you end up at the El Rey?

Whenever I've gone to shows there, I was always struck by how phenomenal the sound is. It's not too small or too big and it has an intimate feeling.

Hey, do you still write songs at the Safari Inn motel in Burbank?

I wrote almost all of "West" there. I like the people at the Safari and they have a nice little suite that I used to get when I was spending a lot of time in L.A. and renting a place in Burbank. But now, my husband and I have a house in Silver Lake so I mostly end up writing at the kitchen table -- which is where I always seem to end up anyway.

How has life changed since getting married?

I'd say when I met Tom (Overby, who is also her manager), everything changed. He's very down-to-earth and a real music guy who totally understands what I do. We have the sort of relationship where we don't fret about the future. Everything's just kind of working out -- for once.

Fred Shuster [phone]

[e-mail]

LUCINDA WILLIAMS 

>Where: El Rey Theatre, 5515 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles.

>When: 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

>How much: $35. www.ticketmaster.com.

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no caption (Lucinda Williams)