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Gillian Welch
Revival, Almo Sounds AMSD-80006, 1996
(41:37)
Old-fangled
Every once in awhile you stumble upon an artist who just
strikes a chord with you. Gillian Welch is one such person
for me. Welch left L.A. and transplanted herself in
Nashville from whence she cometh for Revival, her debut
effort. Some critics have suggested that her music is
inauthentic by virtue of the fact that her songwriting is
not always born from direct experience. I must admit I sense
a certain amount of detachment in some of these songs. For
instance, I have a hard time imagining Ms. Welch struggling
to make a living by running moonshine as is implied in "Tear
My Stillhouse Down." But I don't think that's the point, and
maybe it's part of what I like about this music. It is
simple narration and storytelling, usually in the first
person. "By The Mark" is a country gospel song of redemption
which sounds like it could have been handed down for several
generations. "Acony Bell" pays tribute to a "simple flower
so small and plain/With a pearly hue and a little known
name."
There's not a lot of analysis going on here, no one is
whining or looking to change the world. It's like a mini
vacation. It is, at the same time, an imitation and an
impression of a bygone era. A reminder of a time when the
world seemed just a little less complicated. Welch's voice
is warm with occasional warbles and the harmonies with
collaborator David Rawlings are straightforward and clean.
These original songs have simple melodies, the kind you find
yourself humming long after you've finished listening. So,
go forth and enjoy....and try not to analyze, if just for
forty minutes or so. - Heather Preston
- Glenn says... Yep. File this one next to the
Peter Rowan and Jerry Douglas album.
Welch and Rawling's songs have the same graceful
old-fashioned charm and memorability of the classic old
tunes on that album. And the same underlying sense of
longing and loss. "Paper Wings" is the most beautifully sad
songs I've heard in years - "Oh how could I expect to fly
with only paper wings." Demo-quality recording too, if that
matters.
production notes & song titles
Gillian Welch, vocals and guitars; David Rawlings,
guitar, bass, optigan, vocals; various others.
Produced by T-Bone Burnett; recorded by Rik Pekkonen and
others.
Orphan Girl | Annabelle | Pass You By | Barroom Girls |
One More Dollar | By The Mark | Paper Wings | Tear My
Stillhouse Down | Acony Bell | Only One and Only
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