Gillian Welch | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Gillian Welch first appeared on the folk scene as a young singer/songwriter armed with a voice and sensibility far beyond her years, earning widespread acclaim for her deft, evocative resurrection of the musical styles most commonly associated with rural Appalachia of the early 20th century. Welch was born in 1967 in Manhattan and grew up in West Los Angeles, where her parents wrote material for the comedy program The Carol Burnett Show. It was as a child that she became fascinated by bluegrass and early country music, in particular the work of the Stanley Brothers, the Delmore Brothers, and the Carter Family. In the early 90s, Welch attended the Berklee School of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, where she began performing her own material, as well as traditional country and bluegrass songs, as part of a duo with fellow student David Rawlings. After honing their skills in local open mike showcases, the duo began performing regularly throughout the country. While opening for Peter Rowan in Nashville, they were spotted by musician and producer T-Bone Burnett, who helped Welch and Rawlings land a record deal. With Burnett producing, they cut 1996s starkly beautiful Revival, an album split between bare-bones duo performances -- some even recorded in mono to capture a bygone sound -- and more full-bodied cuts featuring legendary sessionmen like guitarist James Burton, upright bassist Roy Huskey, Jr., and drummers Buddy Harmon and Jim Keltner. Her sophomore album, Hell Among the Yearlings, followed in 1998. The years following her second release found Welch involved in several soundtracks (O Brother, Where Art Thou?, Songcatcher), tribute albums (Songs of Dwight Yoakam: Will Sing for Food, Return of the Grievous Angel: A Tribute to Gram Parsons), and guest spots on other artists albums (Ryan Adams Heartbreaker, Mark Knopflers Sailing to Philadelphia). Following the success of O Brother, Welch and Rawlings found themselves in the center of a traditional American folk revival and released their third album, Time (The Revelator), in mid-2001. Steady touring, guest appearances, and the release of a DVD (The Revelator Collection) kept the pair busy, but in 2003 they found time to record Soul Journey, their second release on their own Acony Records label. Rawlings cut his first solo album, A Friend of Mine, though Welch sang harmony all over it. It was issued in 2009. Welch didnt release another album under her own name again until 2011, when she and Rawlings released The Harrow & The Harvest on Acony. She and Rawlings co-produced, sang, and played everything on the album, which was engineered by Matt Andrews. Welch and Rawlings both participated in the recording of 2014s Look Again to the Wind: Johnny Cashs Bitter Tears Revisited, a multi-artist album that paid tribute to Cashs landmark concept album on Native American history. In 2015, Welch sat in on the sessions for the second Dave Rawlings Machine album, Nashville Obsolete. Welch and Rawlings looked back to their first album with the 2016 collection Boots No. 1: The Official Revival Bootleg, which featured unreleased outtakes, alternate versions, and demos from the making of Revival. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 7 Title: Revival Released: 1996-04-09 Tracks: 10 Duration: 41:37 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Orphan Girl (03:57) 2 Annabelle (04:03) 3 Pass You By (03:57) 4 Barroom Girls (04:14) 5 One More Dollar (04:34) 6 By the Mark (03:40) 7 Paper Wings (03:57) 8 Tear My Stillhouse Down (04:32) 9 Acony Bell (03:06) 10 Only One and Only (05:34) |
| Revival : Allmusic album Review : After looking at the cover of Gillian Welchs debut album, Revival, and listening to the first two cuts, "Orphan Girl" and "Annabelle," youd be tempted to imagine that Welch somehow stumbled into a time machine after cutting some tunes at the 1927 Bristol, TN, sessions and was transported to a recording studio in Los Angeles in 1996, where T-Bone Burnett was on hand and had the presence of mind to roll tape. It takes a closer listen to Revival to realize that Welch and her partner, David Rawlings, are not mere revivalists in the old-timey style; Welchs debts to artists of the past are obvious and clearly acknowledged, but theres a maturity, intelligence, and keen eye for detail in Welchs songs you wouldnt expect from someone simply trying to ape the Carter Family. Whats more, the subtle, blues-shot menace of "Pass You By" and "Tear My Stillhouse Down" and the jazzy undertow of "Paper Wings" point to the breadth and depth of Welchs musical vision, which encompasses a spectrum broader than the rural musics of the 1920s and 30s. If Welch and Rawlings often reach to sounds and styles of the past on Revival, they do so with an unaffected sincerity and natural grace, and the albums best moments ("Orphan Girl," "One More Dollar," and "Tear My Stillhouse Down") are the work of a gifted singer and songwriter who knows how to communicate the sounds of her heart and soul to others, and producer Burnett gets those sounds on tape with unobtrusive skill. A superb debut. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 7 Title: Hell Among the Yearlings Released: 1998-07-28 Tracks: 11 Duration: 39:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Caleb Meyer (03:05) 2 Good Til Now (03:56) 3 The Devil Had a Hold of Me (04:30) 4 My Morphine (05:52) 5 One Morning (02:41) 6 Miners Refrain (03:57) 7 Honey Now (01:52) 8 Im Not Afraid to Die (03:27) 9 Rock of Ages (03:08) 10 Whiskey Girl (04:15) 11 Winters Come and Gone (02:14) |
| Hell Among the Yearlings : Allmusic album Review : Lacking some of the focus that made her debut album so stunning, Hell Among the Yearlings is nevertheless a thoroughly satisfying second album from Gillian Welch. Instead of backing away from the rustic folkiness of Revival, Welch deepens her bleak, clear-eyed world view, which makes her spare, old-timey arrangements all the more powerful. On occasion, the performances and songs are a bit too studied to be truly effective, but those moments are fleeting -- Hell Among the Yearlings offers ample proof that Welch is a talented, individual songwriter and that her debut was no fluke. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 7 Title: Time (The Revelator) Released: 2001-07-31 Tracks: 10 Duration: 51:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Revelator (06:22) 2 My First Lover (03:47) 3 Dear Someone (03:14) 4 Red Clay Halo (03:14) 5 April the 14th, Part 1 (05:10) 6 I Want to Sing That Rock and Roll (02:51) 7 Elvis Presley Blues (04:53) 8 Ruination Day, Part 2 (02:36) 9 Everything Is Free (04:48) 10 I Dream a Highway (14:39) |
| Time (The Revelator) : Allmusic album Review : Gillian Welchs third album, Time (The Revelator), finds the folk vocalist and musician shifting her attention from achingly beautiful mountain ballads to achingly beautiful pop/rock ballads. Regarding this album, Welch states: "As opposed to being little tiny folk songs or traditional songs, theyre really tiny rock songs. Theyre just performed in this acoustic setting. In our heads we went electric without changing instruments." This philosophy is most evident in songs like "I Want to Sing That Rock and Roll" and "Elvis Presley Blues," with her longtime collaborator David Rawlings accompanying her on Louvin-esque high harmonies and vintage guitar. Fans of the duos neo-old-timey sound will be happy to hear a few of their familiar, intimate dust bowl folk songs peering through the fence posts. The banjo-driven "My First Lover" couldve been recorded on Alan Lomaxs back porch, while the title track aches and moans along with the best of her two previous albums. Rawlings production on the album remains warm and intimate throughout, capturing the subtleties of the acoustic instruments and earthy harmonies. Highlights include the passionate romp "Red Clay Halo," which includes the best elements of time-honored folk stylings and their newfound passion for rock & roll, and the hushed awe that captures the audience in the Ryman Auditorium during the live recording of "I Want to Sing That Rock and Roll." Time (The Revelator) ends with an unprecedented 15-minute track called "I Dream a Highway," which drifts lazily through the albums final moments, sweetly dozing in the current like Huck and Jims Mississippi River afternoons. Welch and Rawlings are at the top of their form and continue to make the best Americana recordings without resorting to drenching their albums in guest stars, but by writing and performing heartfelt songs that speak with a clear and undeniable honesty. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 7 Title: Soul Journey Released: 2003-06-03 Tracks: 10 Duration: 39:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Look at Miss Ohio (04:16) 2 Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor (02:45) 3 Wayside / Back in Time (03:28) 4 I Had a Real Good Mother and Father (03:14) 5 One Monkey (05:36) 6 No One Knows My Name (03:16) 7 Lowlands (03:19) 8 One Little Song (03:12) 9 I Made a Lovers Prayer (05:03) 10 Wrecking Ball (04:56) |
| Soul Journey : Allmusic album Review : Gillian Welch and David Rawlings may, in fact, shock and appall folk purists with their fourth album, Soul Journey. "Are those drums?" "Is that an organ?" "Wait a minute, is that an electric bass?!?" The album uses these musical elements to drive home a living-room, lazy-summertime jam-session feel that hasnt really shown itself on Welchs previous releases. The albums opener, "Look at Miss Ohio," evolves into her toughest rocker since "Pass You By" on her debut, Revival, and the whole album culminates in the relative cacophony of "Wrecking Ball," a drunked-up barroom stumble highlighted by Ketcham Secors loping fiddle lines and Rawlings fuzzed-out guitar solo. Between these bookends is a mixed bag of traditional folk songs ("Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor," "I Had a Real Good Mother and Father"), loose blues phrasing ("Lowlands," "No One Knows My Name"), and a number of trademark Welch/Rawlings near-whispered murder ballads and orphan love songs. The thing that shines through most clearly is that the group had a lot of fun making Soul Journey, but that doesnt necessarily translate into a terrific album. Aside from a handful of real solid honest-to-gosh gems, the whole album feels a little too casual and off-the-cuff to stand on equal footing with her other recordings. The choruses often become just repeated phrases over and over again ("Lowlands," "No One Knows My Name," "I Made a Lovers Prayer," and the unfortunate "One Monkey"), and the songwriting seems less developed, as if the initial construction of the song has taken a back seat to the sheer enjoyment of performing it. That being said, it is a wonderful, dusty summertime front-porch album, full of whiskey drawls and sly smiles, floorboard stomps and screen-door creeks. While it does not exactly meet the impeccable standards that her previous three releases set, it is still a fine addition to her discography and well worth listening to all summer long. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 7 Title: Music From the Revelator Collection Released: 2005 Tracks: 10 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Intro (Weren’t We Just Here) (?) 2 April the 14th (live) (?) 3 Wichita (live) (?) 4 Red Clay Halo (live) (?) 5 Billy (live) (?) 6 Pocahontas Intro (Stomp Yer Foot) (?) 7 Pocahontas (live) (?) 8 Revelator (live) (?) 9 I’m on My Way Back to the Old Home (live) (?) 10 White Freightliner Blues (live) (?) |
 | Album: 6 of 7 Title: The Harrow & The Harvest Released: 2011-06-27 Tracks: 10 Duration: 45:59 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Scarlet Town (03:38) 2 Dark Turn of Mind (04:07) 3 The Way It Will Be (04:47) 4 The Way It Goes (04:01) 5 Tennessee (06:35) 6 Down Along the Dixie Line (04:49) 7 Six White Horses (03:38) 8 Hard Times (04:52) 9 Silver Dagger (03:21) 10 The Way the Whole Thing Ends (06:11) |
| The Harrow & The Harvest : Allmusic album Review : The title -- The Harrow & the Harvest, Gillian Welchs first album of new material in eight years -- reflects a creative drought: she and David Rawlings simply werent writing songs they liked. The music is steeped in the early country, bluegrass, and Appalachian mountain traditions that are her trademark --though it engages rock and roll and blues motifs albeit acoustically--while the melodies and lyrics reflect the darkness and melancholy of Gothic Americana. Produced by Rawlings, this set returns to the sparse instrumentation of her earliest recordings: guitars, banjos, harmonica, and hand-and-knee slaps. The album illustrates a near-symbiotic guitar interplay; rhythms, melodies, and even countermelodies are exchanged organically, interlocked in the moment. The protagonists in these ten songs are desperate, broken, and hurt individuals; some stubbornly cling to shreds of hope while others resign themselves to tragedy even as they go on; still others, like the one in the opener "Scarlet Town," reflect anger and the wish for vengeance. What they hold in common is their need to tell their stories through Welchs plaintive contralto. "Dark Turn of Mind," a painful love song, embodies the truth in confessing the past as a warning even as its subject wills a new future. "The Way It Will Be," a fatalistic folk ballad, is the first of three songs with the words "The Way..." in their titles; its line "Youve got me walking backwards/Into my home town..." sum up each of their sentiments, albeit in different ways. "Tennessee" is among the finest songs Welch has ever written. A sultry, darkly sexual ballad that has more in common with rock than country in its musical framework, its subject is conflicted between learned morality and an instinctive desire that expresses no need for redemption: "I kissed you cause Ive never been an angel/I learned to say hosannas on my knees...I always try to be a good girl/Its only what I want that makes me weak....Of all the ways Ive found to hurt myself, you may be my favorite one of all...." The knee slaps, banjo, vocal harmony, and harmonica in "Six White Horses" is startlingly, and paradoxically, mournful and defiant; its melody rooted in the Appalachian tradition, she transcends it with a particularly poignant lyric. Despite its gentle presentation, "Hard Times" is steely and determined, even as its languid presentation displays evidence to challenge the protagonists spirit. "Silver Dagger" is not the Joan Baez song of the same name, but a midtempo murder ballad that proclaims "I cant remember when I felt so free"; so much so that the subject welcomes her killer. The set closes on "The Way the Whole Thing Ends," a shimmering blues, with Welchs protagonist leaning wryly into the lyric with an ironic shrugged-shoulders acceptance at the inevitable return of a faithless lover. The Harrow & the Harvest is stunning for its intimacy, its lack of studio artifice, its warmth and its timeless, if hard won, songcraft. Its only equal in her catalog is Time (The Revelator), making it well worth the long wait. (Note: the provocative cover art by Baroness guitarist and vocalist John Dyer Baizley is peerlessly brilliant.) | ||
 | Album: 7 of 7 Title: Boots No. 1: The Official Revival Bootleg Released: 2016-11-25 Tracks: 21 Duration: 1:16:44 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Orphan Girl (alternate version) (03:29) 2 Annabelle (alternate version) (03:55) 3 Pass You By (alternate version) (03:55) 4 Go on Downtown (Revival outtake) (05:45) 5 Red Clay Halo (Revival outtake) (03:24) 6 By the Mark (alternate mix) (03:40) 7 Paper Wings (demo) (03:13) 8 Georgia Road (Revival outtake) (03:04) 9 Tear My Stillhouse Down (home demo) (03:52) 10 Only One and Only (alternate version) (04:20) 1 Orphan Girl (home demo) (03:28) 2 I Dont Want to Go Downtown (Revival outtake) (03:29) 3 455 Rocket (Revival outtake) (04:02) 4 Barroom Girls (live radio) (04:10) 5 Wichita (Revival outtake) (02:50) 6 One More Dollar (alternate version) (04:33) 7 Dry Town (demo) (02:55) 8 Paper Wings (alternate mix) (03:56) 9 Riverboat Song (Revival outtake) (03:17) 10 Old Time Religion (Revival outtake) (02:06) 11 Acony Bell (demo) (03:15) |
| Boots No. 1: The Official Revival Bootleg : Allmusic album Review : When Gillian Welch released her debut album, Revival, in 1996, plenty of listeners and critics were taken aback by her strikingly accomplished re-creation of the sound and mindset of country music of the 20s and 30s, as if shed miraculously stepped out of Harry Smiths Anthology of American Folk Music into Nashville in the late 20th century. It soon became common knowledge that Welch was born in New York City and had attended the Berklee School of Music, leading many to question the sincerity of the artist and the validity of the work. Twenty years later, Welch has released Boots No. 1: The Official Revival Bootleg, a collection of outtakes, demos, and alternate versions committed to tape before or during the making of Revival. The front cover of Boots No. 1 features a photo from the same sitting that produced Revivals cover art, except this time Welch is holding an electric guitar. The shot is a subtle but cheeky reminder of what should have been the point all along: Gillian Welch wasnt a savant but an artist, one who drew clear inspiration from the sounds of Americas past, but used them as a starting point to tell powerful and eloquent stories of her own. And while Welch could pass for the lost member of the Carter Family when she saw fit, Boots No. 1 reveals there are plenty of other directions she could have taken that would have been just as compelling and just as valid. Most of the tracks here follow the essential template of Revival -- Welch and her constant collaborator David Rawlings blending their vocals and guitars with minimal accompaniment, sometimes in glorious mono. But the ragged but right rock & roll of "455 Rocket," the sinewy midnight groove of "Pass You By," and the evocative Patsy Cline-isms of "Paper Wings" (which appears in two versions, one featuring ethereal pedal steel work from John R. Hughey) testify to Welchs versatility, as well as her unerring skill as a singer and tunesmith. And while Welch had plenty of gifted accompanists on board (no surprise with T-Bone Burnett producing the sessions), youd be hard-pressed to name two people who are as musically simpatico as Welch and Rawlings, and his graceful, lively guitar work is a joy to behold here. Boots No. 1 plays less like an expansion of Revival than a document of a fertile period of creativity in the life of Gillian Welch, and while fans of the original album will revel in it, you dont have to be familiar with it to be dazzled by the subtle passion, intelligence, and eloquence of this music. | ||