Revival (Gillian Welch album)

Last updated

Revival
GillianWelch Revival.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedApril 9, 1996
Studio
Genre Country, folk, bluegrass
Length41:21
Label Almo Sounds
Producer T Bone Burnett
Gillian Welch chronology
Revival
(1996)
Hell Among the Yearlings
(1998)

Revival is the first album by American singer-songwriter Gillian Welch, released on April 9, 1996. Revival was nominated for the 1997 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. [1]

Contents

The plant described in the song, "Acony Bell" appears to be Shortia galacifolia , also known as the Oconee bells. Welch later began her own record label under the name Acony. To celebrate the album's 20th anniversary, Welch re-released Revival as Boots No 1: The Official Revival Bootleg which included demos, outtakes and alternate versions of the tracks in addition to eight new songs.

Music

Josh Jackson of Paste Magazine wrote: "Gillian Welch and her musical partner may have hailed from Los Angeles and Rhode Island, respectively, but they arrived on the alt-country scene in 1996 as if they’d just melted out of Depression-era Appalachian Mountain ice." [2]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Chicago Sun-Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Entertainment Weekly A [5]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [6]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Uncut Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]
The Village Voice B− [10]

Mark Deming of AllMusic called it a "superb debut" and wrote, "Welch's debts to artists of the past are obvious and clearly acknowledged, but there's a maturity, intelligence, and keen eye for detail in her songs you wouldn't expect from someone simply trying to ape the Carter Family." [3] Bill Friskics-Warren of No Depression praised the album as "breathtakingly austere evocations of rural culture." [1] Ann Powers of Rolling Stone gave Revival a lukewarm review and criticized Welch for not singing of her own experiences, and "manufacturing emotion." [7] Robert Christgau wrote Welch "just doesn't have the voice, eye, or way with words to bring her simulation off." [10] Josh Jackson of Paste Magazine wrote: "Every subsequent album has contained alt-country gems, but it’s nearly impossible to surpass this perfect debut." [11]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Orphan Girl"Gillian Welch3:57
2."Annabelle"Gillian Welch4:03
3."Pass You By" 3:57
4."Barroom Girls" 4:14
5."One More Dollar" 4:34
6."By the Mark" 3:40
7."Paper Wings" 3:57
8."Tear My Stillhouse Down"Gillian Welch4:32
9."Acony Bell" 3:06
10."Only One and Only" 5:33

Personnel

References

  1. 1 2 Friskics-Warren, Bill (Summer 1996). "Orphan Girl of the Hollywood hills finds a high lonesome musical home in the heart of the Appalachians". No Depression . Archived from the original on July 19, 2009. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  2. "The 70 Best Alt-Country Albums of All Time". Paste Magazine. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  3. 1 2 Deming, Mark. "Revival – Gillian Welch". AllMusic . Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  4. Houlihan-Skilton, Mary (September 15, 1996). "Gillian Welch, 'Revival' (ALMO Sounds)". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on November 19, 2018. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  5. Willman, Chris (May 3, 1996). "Gillian Welch: Revival". Entertainment Weekly : 78.
  6. Hilburn, Robert (April 14, 1996). "Spinning Heartfelt Tales". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  7. 1 2 Powers, Ann (May 30, 1996). "Gillian Welch: Revival / Patti Rothberg: Between the 1 and the 9". Rolling Stone (735). Archived from the original on January 8, 2002. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  8. Berger, Arion; Caramanica, Jon (2004). "Gillian Welch". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp.  866–67. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  9. "Gillian Welch: Revival". Uncut (54): 124. November 2001.
  10. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (March 11, 1997). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice . Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  11. "The 70 Best Alt-Country Albums of All Time". Paste Magazine. Retrieved June 5, 2025.