Time (The Revelator)

Really lovely overall. Gillian Welch has a wonderful voice. At first this one was a little too slow and felt kind of generic, but I got more into it as the album went along. The music also came into its own more and more as the album went along. I was able to get lost in the closing track ("I Dream a Highway") and I ended up really enjoying this one a lot more than I expected at the beginning. Favorite track: "Everything Is Free"

This is normally precisely my thing, but it was a bit too same-y and low tempo throughout to hold my interest.

Beautiful country album. No song particularly stood out to me but it was an enjoyable, easy listen. Lots of interesting notes and chords, sliding into more dissonant sounds, creating an eerie feeling. There’s a song from the movie The Strangers, My First Lover — I will always remember that song.

This was worth revisiting. Favorite track: I Want To Sing That Rock And Roll 3.5/5

If I had a 0 available, I'd vote that lol just too stringy and slow for my liking.

I'm not a huge country music fan, but this album was excellent. It's acoustic-based, gentle, and meloncholic. The music has a very folk feel to it because of its sound with dark undertones and its simplicity. My favorite track was "April the 14th, Pt. 1", but the majority of the songs were beautiful and the storytelling was amazing. "I Dream a Highway" sounded so cozy and eerie, especially.

It's fine, but only fine. Lovely voice paired with pretty uninspiring guitar. It's not offensive or bad or anything, but it nothing here gets my attention or sparks any interest in me to invest it in this bland texture.

A soft and comforting hammock woven from long beautiful flowing notes. treasure of a voice paired with stripped down barebones strings.

Not for me but I can see why a country fan would enjoy it? It wasn’t any different or stand-apart from any other music from that genre imo.

Man I love me some bluegrass, also known as Appalachia Music. I like to think that this is the devils music compared to country and western. Like this is some people who have seen some shit in the deep darkness of the pine forests and are shook.

Almost unbearably sad. Gorgeous and heartbreaking.

Not what I needed for my first day back at work after 11 days off and being full of man flu! Banjo/ ukulele- not sure which it was but it felt like the wrong strings kept getting plucked. No problems with the vocal itself- a beautiful voice but it just felt the same right through the album, no change in style or tempo and by the end I was bored and depressed with the dark lyrics- I also have a downer on the fact the tracks that are part 1 and 2 of said tragedy have different names, if they are part one and two why is the track title not the same. Maybe it’s my general mood but this one wasn’t for me. Best track- ‘I want to sing that rock and roll’ Worst track- the dreary opener ‘revelator’ 2/10

Gillian Welch - Time (The Revelator) Pleasant enough. I liked the purity of the dual guitar approach but it the lack of variation did mean it dragged at times. Still, I started it again as soon as I got to the end so it must have had something about it. Best Track - almost that Elvis one but the closer I Dream a Highway just pulled and pulled me in. Worst Track - I Want to Sing that rock and roll. 7/10

Listened

I don’t know much about this genre, and I don’t have the knowledge to articulate why this album worked for me when similar albums didn’t, but I was mesmerized and listened to this back-to-back. Great album.

Nice

Unexpected. Lovely. Just what I needed as background to keep my head straight at work. So gentle and longing. Definitely coming back for this. April 14!

beautiful

I was pleasantly surprised at this one. It's a bit dark and slow, but if that's the vibe you want, this is the album for you. Certainly, has a time & place. I'd love to dive into some of her other materials to see if this is a consistency across her discography.

Decent start, strong finish. Middle is fairly nondescript.

Good for what it was

Average

I am a fan of the banjo, that is about it. Some songs were ok though it kinda sounds like coffee shop county? It reminds me of the family guy peter griffin and quagmire country duo bit they did for an episode.

You can torture me with Country. How this is seen as a top 1000 album is beyond me

Muy aburrido. No me gustó. Ni siquiera pude terminar la última canción (de 14 minutos).

Feel bad saying it but the lyrics drag this one down. Her voice is beautiful, I love the instruments, I’ve been desperate for good folk or country on this list.

All timer!

Lovely. I'd put it on again. Lyrically and musically it kept pulling me back to attention.

Its fine its pretty. Is it so distinct as to be on this list?

1/5 Slow and samey

Listening to this is hard work.

I enjoyed this. But probably not well enough to revisit it honestly.

Would be a strong 4 but track 1 is transcendent.

Really good update on American roots music. Beautiful vocals and picking. 🕰️🕰️🕰️🕰️ / 5

Nice enough but a bit too samey and too slow.

Would not have expected to enjoy this. But I did

Gillian Welch and David Rawlings are simply one of the best singer/songwriter duos of our time, and as much as they are a product of their influences, their own influence on folk, americana, and (good) country music are innumerable. This is not my favorite of their albums, but it still deserves a 5.

Loveley voice, but the music is too traditional.

Nice in parts but overall boring and very forgettable.

2001 alternative country I want to sing that rock and roll

Enjoyment: 7/10 Replayability: 6/10 Cohesion: 8/10 Flow/Pacing: 6/10 Artistic Merit: 7/10 Weighted Average: 6.8/10 Review: Slow, melancholy, yet peaceful. Initially, this album comes off as simple, but Gillian's reminiscent lyrics speak volumes. I appreciate this modern bluegrass. Liked Song(s): Revelator, Red Clay Halo, I Dream A Highway Disliked Song(s): My First Lover, Elvis Presley Blues Recommend? Maybe Heard Before? No

Good, anachronistic folk. Needs another listen.

Much better than I expected. Pleasant sparse meandering melancholy. Rating: strong 7/10

This was somewhat more palatable when it leaned more closely into folk than country, and for what it's worth it's probably well performed, but my ears just do not agree with this sort of stuff whatsoever. It's my musical equivalent of being stuck on a bus with a crying baby. Also I really don't see what this contributes to the list that earlier country/folk offerings hadn't already expressed.

Calm, reflective, almost meditative. There's some sweet country tunes here and some others that are just a little boring. I quite liked the song Dear Someone.

After the first song, I was convinced this would be a 5. I loved the songwriting, willingness to let a song be slow. Sometimes the raw, accoustic sound, slow and repetitve as it was, could grate on me just a touch. The banjo was not my favorite instrument in this album. But Welch is a talented songwriter whom I will gladly listen to more in the future.

A phenomenally great album. It's hard to stand out in the crowd when you make music like this, and somehow Gillian Welch has done it.

Boring

Sort of like a less enjoyable Suzanne Vega, but not significantly so. 2/5

Mooi minimalistisch, nummers lijken af en toe teveel op elkaar

Solid bluegrass album. Doesn't seem to define or greatly influence the genre but a solid and subtle listen.

I’ve always heard that Gillian Welch is one of the best bluegrass musicians out there today, but I had never taken the time to listen to her music aside from her tracks on the O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack. Honestly, I’ll Fly Away is such a great song, so I have no idea why it has taken me this long to listen to anything else she has released and it’s a real shame because this album is amazing! The opening track has some of the best acoustic guitar playing I’ve heard. I love the dissonant, out of tune opening notes. The rest of the phrasing throughout reminds me that I am no where near this level of a guitar player. Absolutely wonderful singing that fits in perfectly with the guitar too. The second track introduces a simple and reserved banjo, but overall, the top notch singing and playing really doesn’t let up for the rest of the album. This album feels like a late summer campfire jam. One that’s taking place at the end of the night, embers burning low, after the party has wound down and everyone is feeling a bit melancholic and reflective. Adding this to my list of favourite discoveries on the list so far.

This is gonna sound silly but Gillian Welch doesn't sing with a vibrato and it really kinda killed the listening experience for me. Otherwise, the bluegrass moments were really good.

Way too boring

Relentless melancholy of the lonely life of the prairie

Malo

Brilliant. The title track just buries itself in my brain. An album I need on vinyl.

Folk with gospel and country vibes. Blech. Not for me.

Equal parts Country, folk, blues, and Americana. I adored this album, despite being completely unfamiliar with Welch. Will be looking to pick this one up on vinyl whenever I get the opportunity. This was right up my alley. 5/5

Excellent album. Lyrics like hangnails and sweet melodies. Bluegrass with a modern woman at the helm.

I'm really liking how minimal the album is.

chatice

Very nice change of pace.

Gillian Welch is undoubtedly talented. But while I get that this fits certain environments, I find it peaceful but boring. Also, most songs (especially the last track) could stand to be shorter.

Душевно и милл, но непонятно почему здесь.

I’m fine with country music - I’ve loved the Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash albums I’ve heard - but I guess I need it to have more pep. Also, ideally, murder. And no bluegrass. Sadly, there’s not a single peppy, murderous, un-bluegrassy song to be found here. Gillian Welch isn’t for me, but she’s good at what she does. Favorite song was “Dear Someone,“ which sounded like a lullaby. 2.5/5

When a personal fave comes up it's hard to properly evaluate. Iistened to this 25 years ago when it came out and still listen today.

I enjoyed it, it was an interesting mix of genres, both of which I'm fond of. Some of the songs seemed a little long but they all worked well. Would listen again!

Some good some bad. Pretty fine album

It’s maybe not the most exciting album but I really enjoyed it. Her voice was lovely and there were some really nice harmonies. The instrumentation was great, sparse but in a way that really worked for the songs. Just a very nice chill vibe. Fav song: Revelator Least fav: Ruination Day, Pt.2

Starts out with a great earworm but didn’t really like how it slowed down. Good country though. Can see songs from this being played over a travel scene in a movie. Specific rating - 4.1 Fav song - revelator Least fav- dear someone

Awesome intro song, thought I'd get more of this precisely composed stuff, but the following three songs are much simpler. Still pretty music, though. April the 14th Part 1 had a strong allure to me as well, but what's mind blowing right now to me is that I didn't notice I Dream A Highway was 15 minutes until I had a re-listen. She obviously had a talent with setting an atmosphere for songs, but it's written in stone after hearing such a long song not wear out its welcome, so smooth, sad, but warming.

So human. Come back for a reality check.

i was in the mood for something slow today and this delivered. rather than yeehaw-country vibes, this is more smoky appalachian mountains-country vibes, which really worked for me. listened to it twice and added it to my library.

This was a lot better than I expected it to be. Some of the tracks were beautiful folk landscapes, really evocative and grand. But then she'd drop in a fairly stereotypical country track complete with twangy vocals and that ubiquitous harmony they use. Whatever that is I hate that. But then it went back to the great stuff. The last few tracks were lovely too, so slow, almost dragging, but that sort of drew you in too. Really good for the most part.

A pleasant enough listen, but not particularly memorable. Decent American folk music, I guess. Heard it before? ❌ Listen again? ❌ Rating out of ten? 4️⃣

Very similar but probably not superior to The Milk Carton Kids, which would be a better inclusion in my opinion. Still, quite liked it after April 14th part 1 onwards

This one really grew on me, spectral and sparse but also enchanting and a little psychedelic, really picked up from the Elvis song on and pulled off a 14mins closer.

Some beautiful music on this album. Enjoyed the opener and it also finishes strongly. The middle of the album is a bit generic and lets it down.

A lot of surprises recently, I could just live in some of these songs they are so nice

meh

Gillian done sung me the fuck to sleep

Really good and sleepy for me. 4 easy stars.

The opening title track is great - the rest is a bit mopey and filler-y but still the instrumentation and performances were very very good. I guess this is my kind of 'mopey'

Despite her voice and whatever talent she may have, and despite the songs and the music, she’s just another one of those artists I could easily do without listening to. I don’t know - after more than two years of following this project, I’m really starting to question the purpose of this list more and more; and it deeply bothers me to listen to so many albums that, in my very humble opinion, aren’t essential albums that anyone should hear before they die :-( And, to wrap things up, I have to say once again: country music really, REALLY isn't my thing :-(

Erste Track hät Hoffnige gmacht. Nachher aber virel generic Country :(

erstes lied isch ok. alles andere tönt gliich langwiilig. han agfange skippe

Really nice and peaceful, different sort of feminine than im used to.

Time (The Revelator) is an album that's fine but it's not one i have a whole lot to say about. This album gave me severe deja vu to an album i listened to earlier this month, that being Gram Parsons' Grievous Angel as they have a lot of things in common. They both mostly have fairly slow moving country songs, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings have similar qualities in their vocals to Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris and they even have a live song mixed in there as well. This album was certainly a pleasant listen and there isn't too much i can complain about except for the fact that it doesn't have much going for it as it just feels like it's imitating other country records. Best Song: Elvis Presley Blues Worst Song: I Dream a Highway

Clever songwriting, crisp production and really clean bango plucking. I’m a little ashamed I hadn’t listened to Welch’s work previously but this was a fantastic folk album. Her partner David Rawlings deserves a nod for some fine guitar work and production as well. 4 stars

This would be 3.5 but the draconian system of ranking has tied my hands. It’s real nice, and I’m sure much more interesting in 2001 before the wave of minimalist, melancholic alt country.

Another familiar one that I haven't listened to straight through in ages. These songs are ridiculously good. "Everything is Free," the depressingly sharp Napster-critique that is relevant to all of us in gig economies serving the oligarchs. The epic "I Dream a Highway." Two songs about(ish) the assassination of Lincoln echoing through time. Elvis Presley. Classic folk tunes like "Red Clay Halo" and existential blues like "Revelator." Also, David Rawlings is such a brilliant emotive guitarist, and the recording shows off the tones he can get from his instrument. They're a phenomenal and unique duo. Lyrically profound and musically lovely. When this popped up I was a little surprised this was here instead of *Soul Journey* with its sunnier hit, "Look at Miss Ohio," that I think is know by more people and resonates easier with people's radio/playlist desires. But this album is definitely a monumental folk album, and it might be the greatest thing recorded in Nashville in the 2000s.

Listen again

Captivating in its acoustic simplicity also a record “out of time” could have been written and performed any time in the last 60 years or so

Eintönig irgendwann

Revelator - 87 My First Lover - 77 Dear Someone - 83 Red Clay Halo - 82 April The 14th Part 1 - 85 I Want To Sing That Rock And Roll - 87 Elvis Presley Blues - 74 Ruination Day Part 2 - 78 Everything Is Free - 81 I Dream A Highway - 93 Time (The Revelator) - 79

jerma...

Great artistry on this album.

Great album with some great instrumentation. Truly reminded me of Big Thief and Adrianne Lenker - i’m sure there’s some influence there

Hoo boy did I ever have trouble getting into Welch and Rawlings. The deliberately imitative vocal affect and instrumentation from these 2 carpetbaggers really, really, really was a tough sell for me. Hey, I’m a New Yorker/Englander musician myself, it would’ve never occurred to me to try on an Appalachian guise in a million years. But...after over 20 years...I finally got over myself and embraced Time, if not wholly, at least in part. I Dream a Highway is a masterwork.