Soul Journey

Last updated
Soul Journey
Gillian Welch - Soul Journey.png
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 9, 2003
Length39:07
Label Acony
Producer David Rawlings
Gillian Welch chronology
Time (The Revelator)
(2001)
Soul Journey
(2003)
The Harrow & the Harvest
(2011)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 78/100 [1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Blender Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Entertainment Weekly A− [4]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [6]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [7]
Pitchfork 7.1/10 [8]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [9]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [10]
Uncut Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [11]

Soul Journey is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Gillian Welch. It was released on June 9, 2003 by Acony Records. As with all of her previous releases, it is a collaboration with David Rawlings.

Contents

Background

The album was something of a departure from previous albums by Welch and Rawlings in terms of instrumentation, including a larger band and instruments like drums and an electric bass. [12] Welch has described the album as "more spontaneous" than some of her previous works. [13]

Reception

Soul Journey received generally favorable reviews. [14]

Several outlets, including Mojo called it "perfect", with reviewers praising the wistful tone and instrumentation of the album. The Guardian said of her work "[Welch] strips country back to its spiritual and storytelling roots... Welch has refined her bare and beautiful songs and on Soul Journey embraces the blues. Loss and loneliness are her closest friends" [15] [16]

Upon the vinyl re-release in 2018 Relix said the album contained "some of their most indelible songs... Soul Journey makes it equally hard to tell where the past ended and the present began, or remember why anybody ever thought there was a difference." [17]

However, some have expressed disappointment in the album. Pitchfork described it as "a tad raptureless" and others were displeased with the fuller, multi-instrument sound. [13] Welch has said in response that "on some level, it should be a departure from other albums... Everything's not supposed to sound the same, you want it to reflect change and growth." [12]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings unless otherwise noted. [18]

Soul Journey track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Look at Miss Ohio" 4:16
2."Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor"Traditional; additional lyrics by Welch2:45
3."Wayside/Back in Time" 3:28
4."I Had a Real Good Mother and Father"Traditional; additional lyrics by Welch3:14
5."One Monkey" 5:36
6."No One Knows My Name" 3:16
7."Lowlands" 3:19
8."One Little Song"Welch3:12
9."I Made a Lovers Prayer" 5:03
10."Wrecking Ball" 4:56

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Soul Journey
Chart (2003)Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA) [19] 69
UK Albums (OCC) [20] 65
US Billboard 200 [21] 107
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [22] 1
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [23] 10

Related Research Articles

<i>Heartbreaker</i> (Ryan Adams album) 2000 studio album by Ryan Adams

Heartbreaker is the debut solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Ryan Adams, released September 5, 2000, by Bloodshot Records. The album was recorded over fourteen days at Woodland Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. It was nominated for the 2001 Shortlist Music Prize. The album is said to be inspired by Adams' break-up with music industry publicist Amy Lombardi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gillian Welch</span> American musician (born 1967)

Gillian Howard Welch is an American singer-songwriter. She performs with her musical partner, guitarist David Rawlings. Their sparse and dark musical style, which combines elements of Appalachian music, bluegrass, country and Americana, is described by The New Yorker as "at once innovative and obliquely reminiscent of past rural forms."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Rawlings</span> American singer-songwriter

David Todd Rawlings is an American guitarist, singer, and record producer. He is known for his partnership with singer and songwriter Gillian Welch. He and Welch were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 91st Academy Awards for "When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings" from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. In 2020, Welch and Rawlings released All the Good Times , which won the 2021 Grammy Award for Best Folk Album.

<i>Dark Chords on a Big Guitar</i> 2003 studio album by Joan Baez

Dark Chords on a Big Guitar is the twenty-fourth studio album by Joan Baez, released in September 2003. The album is more rock-oriented than her prior releases, and it is mostly composed of work by Generation X songwriters, including Natalie Merchant, Ryan Adams and Steve Earle. The title was taken from a line in Greg Brown's song "Rexroth's Daughter". Critics and listeners were surprised that Baez's voice had lost little of its original power and beauty, given that she was sixty-two when she made the album.

<i>Time (The Revelator)</i> 2001 studio album by Gillian Welch

Time (The Revelator) is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Gillian Welch. All songs were written by Welch together with David Rawlings and were recorded at RCA Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee, with the exception of "I Want to Sing That Rock and Roll", which was recorded live at the Ryman Auditorium as part of the sessions for the concert film Down from the Mountain.

<i>Hell Among the Yearlings</i> 1998 studio album by Gillian Welch

Hell Among the Yearlings is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Gillian Welch, released on July 28, 1998.

<i>Revival</i> (Gillian Welch album) 1996 studio album by Gillian Welch

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.

<i>New Favorite</i> 2001 studio album by Alison Krauss & Union Station

New Favorite is the fourth album by bluegrass music group Alison Krauss & Union Station, released August 14, 2001. The album peaked in the top 50 of the Billboard 200 and within the top 5 of the Billboard charts for both Country and Bluegrass and was certified gold. This album was released in the same year as the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, which Krauss appeared on, that had a large effect on bluegrass in the United States. At the 44th Grammy Awards, New Favorite would go on to win the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album and the single "The Lucky One" won the Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal as well as Best Country Song.

<i>Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian</i> 1964 studio album by Johnny Cash

Bitter Tears: Ballads of the American Indian is a 1964 concept album, the twentieth album released by singer Johnny Cash on Columbia Records. It is one of several Americana records by Cash. This one focuses on the history of Native Americans in the United States and their problems. Cash believed that his ancestry included Cherokee, which partly inspired his work on this recording. The songs in this album address the harsh and unfair treatment of the indigenous peoples of North America by Europeans in the United States. Two deal with 20th-century issues affecting the Seneca and Pima peoples. It was considered controversial and was rejected by some radio stations and fans.

<i>Down from the Mountain</i> 2000 film by D. A. Pennebaker

Down from the Mountain is a 2000 documentary and concert film featuring a live performance by country and traditional music artists who participated in the Grammy-winning soundtrack recording for the Joel and Ethan Coen film, O Brother, Where Art Thou? The concert, held at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee on May 24, 2000, was a benefit for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The documentary was directed by Nick Doob, Chris Hegedus and D. A. Pennebaker. The artists in the concert also participated in a Down from the Mountain concert tour.

<i>Cassadaga</i> (album) 2007 studio album by Bright Eyes

Cassadaga is the eighth studio album by Bright Eyes, released in the UK on April 9, 2007, and in the US on April 10. Around 25 to 30 songs were recorded in 2006, with 13 of these appearing on the final track list. The album is named after the town of Cassadaga, Florida. Z Berg of the Like, Sherri DuPree and Stacy King of Eisley, and singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata all appear on this album. The first single, "Four Winds", was released on March 6, 2007, taken from the Four Winds EP, which contains five B-sides not on Cassadaga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zac Brown Band</span> American country music band

Zac Brown Band is an American country music band based in Atlanta, Georgia. The lineup consists of Zac Brown, Jimmy De Martini, John Driskell Hopkins, Coy Bowles, Chris Fryar (drums), Clay Cook, Matt Mangano, Daniel de los Reyes (percussion), and Caroline Jones.

"One Monkey Don't Stop No Show" is the title of several different songs, mostly in the R&B genre, deriving from a common African-American phrase with the general meaning of "one setback should not impede progress". The first known recording with this title was by Stick McGhee and His Buddies in 1950. Commercially successful songs with this title were recorded by Joe Tex (1965), Honey Cone (1971) and Little David Wilkins (1975).

<i>Sara Watkins</i> (album) 2009 studio album by Sara Watkins

Sara Watkins is the debut solo album by Sara Watkins. It was released by Nonesuch Records on April 7, 2009. The album reached No. 13 on the Heatseekers Albums chart at Billboard magazine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amber Rubarth</span> American musician and actress

Amber Rubarth is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She has toured extensively throughout Europe, North America, Japan, South Korea and South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gillian Welch discography</span>

Gillian Welch is a singer-songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee. Welch plays with her music partner David Rawlings, whom she met while they were both students at The Berklee College of Music. The first two Gillian Welch albums were released through the label Almo Sounds. After Universal Music Group purchased Almo, Welch started her own label, Acony Records.

<i>The Harrow & the Harvest</i> 2011 album by Gilliam Welch

The Harrow & the Harvest is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Gillian Welch. Released on 28 June 2011, it was Welch's first album in eight years and is her most recent album of original material. The album was nominated for Best Folk Album for the 54th Grammy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loving You Easy</span> 2015 single by Zac Brown Band

"Loving You Easy" is a song recorded by American country music group Zac Brown Band. It was released as the third single from the band's fourth studio album, Jekyll + Hyde, on May 4, 2015. The song was written by Zac Brown, Al Anderson and Niko Moon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caroline Jones</span> American singer-songwriter

Caroline Jones is an American country music singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and radio host. Jones has released a number of albums, the most successful one being Bare Feet released in 2018. Her most recent album, Homesite, was released on October 20, 2023. She became an official member of the Zac Brown Band in 2022.

<i>Blue Water Road</i> 2022 studio album by Kehlani

Blue Water Road is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Kehlani. It was released through Atlantic Records and TSNMI on April 29, 2022. The album features guest appearances from Blxst, Justin Bieber, Syd, Jessie Reyez, Ambré, and Thundercat. Production was handled by Pop Wansel, Wesley Singerman, Some Randoms, Mike Wavvs, Jack LoMastro, Sam Wish, Rogét Chahayed, DaeDaePIVOT, Daoud, and Grades. It was executive produced by Wansel and serves as the "lighter" follow-up to Kehlani's previous album, It Was Good Until It Wasn't (2020).

References

  1. "Reviews for Soul Journey by Gillian Welch". Metacritic . Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  2. Johnson, Zac. "Soul Journey – Gillian Welch". AllMusic . Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  3. Berger, Arion (June–July 2003). "Gillian Welch: Soul Journey". Blender (17): 147. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved December 15, 2006.
  4. Hermes, Will (June 6, 2003). "Soul Journey". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  5. Clarke, Betty (May 30, 2003). "Gillian Welch: Soul Journey". The Guardian . Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  6. Appleford, Steve (June 29, 2003). "Minimalist style, plentiful talent". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  7. "Gillian Welch: Soul Journey". Mojo (116): 100. July 2003.
  8. Bowers, William (October 7, 2003). "Gillian Welch: Soul Journey". Pitchfork . Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  9. "Gillian Welch: Soul Journey". Q (205): 116. August 2003.
  10. Caramanica, Jon (June 12, 2003). "Gillian Welch: Soul Journey". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on January 1, 2004. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  11. "Gillian Welch: Soul Journey". Uncut (75): 96. August 2003.
  12. 1 2 "Boston.com / News / Boston Globe / Living / Arts / Gillian Welch thrives in an old-time niche". archive.boston.com. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
  13. 1 2 "Gillian Welch - Soul Journey | RECORD STORE DAY". recordstoreday.com. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
  14. Soul Journey by Gillian Welch , retrieved 2022-06-17
  15. "CD: Gillian Welch: Soul Journey". the Guardian. 2003-05-30. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
  16. "Vinyl Reviews: Gillian Welch - Soul Journey". Vinyl Reviews. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
  17. "Gillian Welch: Soul Journey". Relix Media. 2018-10-01. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
  18. Johnson, Zac. Gillian Welch: Soul Journey at AllMusic. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
  19. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 298.
  20. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  21. "Gillian Welch Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  22. "Gillian Welch Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  23. "Gillian Welch Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2021.