Gillian Welch and David Rawlings have been making music together for a long time. You may remember that I reviewed their “The Harrow & The Harvest” album earlier this year. If you like American Roots music even a little bit, here are two more must have albums. If you have a turntable, these are also two albums that you owe it to yourself to own as LPs, even if you already have them in a digital format.
“Soul Journey”
I already knew that I liked the “Soul Journey” album a lot since I have listened to it for years on CD. All I can say is that I had no idea how much more I would like it as an LP. “Soul Journey” was Gillian Welch’s fourth album, and it was originally released in 2003 on CD-only. The LP release is not just a digital recording cut onto vinyl. It is a pure analog (AAA) LP.
It seems that Welch and Rawlings are musicians who care about how their recordings sound. They purchased an Ortofon VMS-80 cutting lathe, and Welch had it restored. The LP was cut by Stephen Marcussen on this Ortofon lathe, and it was pressed at Quality Record Pressings. It’s been released by Acony Records, produced by David Rawlings and engineered by Matt Andrews.
I love this album and have for a while, but I must warn you that it is a very sad album that doesn’t have a single upbeat song. Even the new songs on this album are deeply embedded American Roots music. If you’re like me and have a melancholy streak, you’ll find you can have a real pity party listening to this album, which is better than having one in front of others.
I find Welch’s voice to be evocative and deeply emotional. The album has mostly acoustic backings with Welch and Rawlings and joined by Mark Ambrose on guitar, Jim Boquist playing bass guitar, Ketcham Secor playing a mean and melancholic fiddle and Greg Leisz playing the dobro.
Welch’s voice and these great musicians playing acoustic instruments are a perfect fit for an all analog recording. This is one great LP, and both the music and the sound are simply incredible!
“Poor David’s Almanack”
David Rawlings has led his own band, the Dave Rawlings Machine, but I am more familiar with Rawlings from the eight albums he has played and sung on with Gillian Welch.”Poor David’s Almanack” on Acony Records is his third solo album, and it is incredible. The album has ten new songs engineered by Ken Scott and Matt Andrews on analog tape at the legendary Woodland Sound Studios in Nashville. The LP was plated and pressed at Quality Record Pressings.
Rawlings and longtime compatriot Gillian Welch joined together with Willie Watson, Paul Kowert, Brittany Haas, Ketch Secor, and Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith of Dawes to make this wonderful music.
This album is very different in tone from the “Soul Journey” album above. It starts out very upbeat and exciting, but by the third cut, it moves deeply and wonderfully into Appalachian music. Not only is the music great, but the quality of the recording and the pressing are also as good as any audiophile label.
These are two wonderful and emotionally involving albums; my recommendation is to buy them both as soon as possible.
Hi Jack and Becky,
If you listen closely to the second track on the Gillian Welch Soul Journey LP there’s a very distinct distortion in the groove. At least, it repeatably sounds as if it’s in the groove on each of the 5 copies I’ve listened too. Not sure if it’s from a bad stamper, or what? Can you find out? Michael Fremer Ghosted the question.
Check it out and let me know that you too hear it. Too bad, it’s an otherwise well-done album.
Cheers,
David Hicks
David, we will look into it and let you know if we hear it. Thanks for the info!
I just listened to that cut three times, I hear nothing wrong on my LP. So, I guess I can’t help either.
jack