Time (The Revelator)

This is not bad. But it is also not very interesting. 2.5

Entspannter Pop-Country Mix. Klingt zeitlos und unaufgeregt. Sehr angenehme Stimme. 4/5

Sorry, what happened? I fell asleep

Tremendous nostalgia. Welch's voice and music will always be close to my heart.

So deep Adele could roll into it

I'm not really the biggest country fan myself, so I feel that any review I make on country albums is slightly biased towards my taste, but then at the end of the day, it is my review, and I'm only writing down my own personal opinions on the album. I enjoyed the vocals; Gillian Welch has some lovely vocal delivery, and her harmonies throughout are beautiful. The only thing I actually am not a fan of is the actual songs themselves, due to my just not really loving this genre. There were obviously a few songs that I thought were really lovely, like 'I Dream a Highway', a 15-minute album-closer, but nothing I would choose to go back and listen to again. I was surprised by doing the '1001 Albums' that I hadn't had a sudden awakening of a new love for different genres, such as country, but so far I've only found a new liking for jazz, strangely. However, with this album, there is some lovely songwriting, and especially beautiful singing; it is just my own taste that has let this down for me. Favourites: I Dream a Highway I Want to Sing That Rock and Roll April the 14th Pt. 1

Solid enough folk album. Gillian has a great voice and the songs have plenty of emotion. Could have been a bit shorter. 3.5

richtig schön aber iwie etwas christlich? aber schön...

Nothing to suggest I wouldn't like this, until she started singing and my god, I was bored stiff. A little bit too twee for me

A revelation. Loved it!

She’s a phenomenal talent, this is a great record.

I like a number of these tracks. My first Lover, Elvis Presley Blues, Everything is Free all stand out. Solid folk album if you like that kinda thing.

Boring and torturously bad!!!

Couldn't do it to myself.

Gran disco, la voz de Gillian Welch es relajante y muy facil de disfrutar, sus canciones de country suave, bluegrass, con toques sombríos son para relajarse y escuchar. Hace unos años comencé a escuchar country y me gusta bastante, descubrir nuevos artistas con música de calidad siempre es una bendición!

I don't have "Time (The Revelator)" in my record collection, but I've listened to it on Spotify a few times before. An excellent record that works as background music but really comes into its own when listened to with concentration.

Very chill, very pleasant, good songs. I think the opening track, "Revelator", was my favourite.

Time (the Revelator) is the fan favorite album from Gillian Welch. For good reason. It's 10 Americana songs of simple poetry that's easy to understand, with an interplay between Welch and Rawlings on guitar that's very easy on the ears. It exudes easy seriousness: from the bitter remark on Revelator, and the theme of the 14th of April across two songs, and the events that transpired on said date. And that "easy" feeling is why I love it. Goes to show that simplicity can go a long way. On a bit of a tangential note, "Everything Is Free" talks about piracy, which is funny to me to see on a country album. Goes to show how much artists, far and wide, were pissed off about Napster and the sort.

A rather beautiful album from start to finish. Nothing particularly ground-breaking, but not every album needs to be that. There's a very pleasant sparsity to some of the tracks which allow the songs to breathe. Adding this to the playlist to revisit in the future.

me duermo. No sabía que odiaba este género!!

Gillian Welch is a relatively recent discovery for me. Love her work.

Pleasant enough country pop but far too easy listening for my tastes I'm afraid

Cardinal Sin. Did not finish.

I love Gillian Welch. This isn’t my favorite album of hers, and don’t think it showcases her raw emotional vulnerability in her songwriting like later albums do, but this is still a beautiful addition to her discography.

Great songwriter but the music is way too slow at times and is not very catchy.

Better than I expected, but not music that moves me. ★★★

Stunning vocals and guitar work. 4.5/5

smetne az mi sie spac zachcialo ale zle nie jest

This is exactly why I'm doing this album challenge - I already know how I feel about Morrissey and Iggy Pop and Eminem and all the other extremely well represented artists. Give me something I've never even heard of! I loved this, I really appreciated its meandering pace and I thought her voice was beautiful.

Really nice album, good songs top to bottom. Will revist.

Not mine but maybe something for you

On first listening I hadn't realised that this album is just guitar, banjo and Gillian Welch's voice. Each song sounds so rich and full that I almost didn't notice that, in fact the songs are quite raw and stripped back. This comes in direct contrast to the overlapping, contrasting and quarrelling sound of the past few jazz albums in this list (very well done list writer). This is how I imagine country music came into being. Just a person with an amazing voice singing songs about things that they know about and being able to relate that to others. And nothing is more relatable than sorrow and heartbreak. And this album has both of these in vast amount. I enjoyed the beauty and clarity of this album. But may not be able to listen to it regularly on account of how much emotion that it conveys. (3.456

This is a very sweet but sleepy album. All of the songs could have been like 2 min shorter. Esp the last song like why was that 11 min long. Her voice absolutely carries though. The country/folk sound is undeniable Highlight: Everything Is Free

Man, this is probably the most disappointing album on this thing so far. From its Wikipedia I had imagined some sort of female Nick Cave with murder ballads and characters and stories and drama. Instead it’s dull, insipid, samey and oh so slow. I had to resist the urge to switch it off, I got so annoyed. Absolutely not for me

Pass

Maso

Having grown up on my mother’s collection of country and folk LPs, I want to like Gillian Welch more than I do. I bought ‘Hell Among The Yearlings’ after hearing ‘Caleb Meyer’ but that was the one song I really liked and the rest didn’t really do much for me, this album is similar.

its nice and chill but nithing super special again

I Want To Sing That Rock And Roll

When I first got together with my now wife, we bought an old van to drive between tree-planting camps. The van had last been used by some young women road tripping around Australia and had spent the last few years decomposing in a field in northern British Columbia. It came with an old Alison Krauss album in the CD player. I love Alison Krauss to this day. How much of that has to do with her music and how much the particular circumstances of our introduction I will never know. If this Gillian Welch album had have been in that old van when we bought it I may have just as strong an attachment to her as I do Krauss, it is that good.

What a treat - I forgot how much I liked Gillian Welch’s sound. Nice to have some Americana folk on here too.

Ok folk country

Musically proficient but slow and soulless

This was the most bland country folk album I've had yet. Not offensive to the ears (for the most part) but I got nothing out of this. At least it went by quickly, apart from the last song being like 14 minutes long.

Aburrido. No me interesa

Doo! I can't read that book! Its got them big gal dern awful words in it! Luggit that word there, it gotta be a foot long!

So much better than I expected. Really, really liked it

Nice acoustic folk/country music

Kinda just a bit too slow for me 3/5

Nah, I did't like this one. Sorry Gillian.

Too sombre and one paced for me

A fine alt country/bluegrass early 2000s album with decent lyrics. Nonetheless, it didn't move me that much compared to the many other genres the generator gives you. The 14 minute extended bluegrass song at the end was also cool to listen to.

Just found it a bit dull, this type of slow country music isn't my thing at all, nothing on the music, just not my thing.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed that last song.

Pretty boring to be honest

This was not much to write home about, but it did lead me down a wormhole which ended with ‘Mermaid Avenue’ by Billy Bragg and Wilco which I don’t think will be on this list, but really ought to be.

A masterpiece of Americana from start to finish.

- A bit too slow and acoustic for my taste - Revelator gives Crosby, Stills, Nash vibes, I like the minor key - Would fit well in Fallout

Boring & annoying country folk

Some good vocal harmonies, but a whole album of just singing and acoustic guitar gets boring fast

Never heard of Gillian Welch before this morning, but damn, this absolutely knocked it out of the park. It’s not my favorite genre, but I’ve always had an appreciation for bluegrass and Appalachian culture overall. While I was listening I thought this would fit as a soundtrack to a Coen brothers movie, only to find out she contributed to O Brother, Where Art Thou? and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs.

the references to folk song canon are annoying. there are too many songs about being a musician. Berklee college straight to Nashville is a very boring way to make folk music. it's not very nice to call my birthday ""'ruination day'"". music: hated. (⌐■_■)

Nice to listen to, nice songs, but also sort of comes off like someone’s ethnomusicology project. Are there accompanying essays for each song? It sounds like there would be

The Revelation of this album and artist is a gift from this project. What a great album!

Maudlin

Straddles the line between country and indie folk. Not bad but I am struggling to see what sets this apart from so many other artists.

SO BORING!!! there were moments i thought could be enjoyable but it never quite got there, also, fuck that last song

3 stars on headphones, 2 stars on speakers.

Slow burn emotionally scaring album for when your in need of a real down time.

Fantastic! Modern indie-folk is my wife's favorite genre, and I only really got into it once we started dating. Gillian Welch can be very traditional, but she can also do things like "Revelator" and "April the 14th Part 1" that feel very modern, even 25 years later. FOUR STARS

I hate this genre but I enjoyed the album so that sounds like a 4* to me

Wanted to like it, but I didn’t really.

Day 13/14 — Gillian Welch — Time (The Revelator) (2001) Listened: Mar 8–9, 2026 Genre: Americana / Folk / Alternative Country Vibe: Stark, sparse, literary — two guitars and two voices painting dark American portraits Highlights: • Revelator • I Dream a Highway Impression: Lyric driven folk that grows each listen. Not my favorite. Rating: 2.2/5 Keep songs? Yes Revisit album? Maybe

An amazing album! Beautiful!

Honestly quite dull

I really enjoyed this album. While parts of it can be hard to distinguish between other "Americana" (I kind of hate that name) there are enough songs "My first lover" "The Revelator" and "Elvis Presley Blues" that really stand out in a positive way. This was a real treat to listen to.

This was someone unknown to me and I really liked this album.

The Good: We are getting things revealed! The Bad: It’s not what I was hoping for… The Ugly: The fucking seat… horrid… Right, modern country, sung by a NYC/LA raised “hillbilly”… not that there’s anything wrong with that, kinda… However, for me, it’s like listening to Billy Joe Armstrong pretend like he’s a pissed-off lad in 1970s UK punk scene… sk8tr boi… Anyway, not my thing, this musicality. If I have to listen to something like this, then give me the true Apalaccian queen of Dolly P, so that I can at least be a filthy bastard and admire how she would fill out that flowery dress… Sue me… not happy with my string of bad luck albums as we currently have had 12 in a row that I’ve scored 2* or lower… except for that album 2 days ago, by Siouxsie, which I am going to play again now and hopefully rate with a 4* to get out of this rut… 2*

Максимально не моє. Я ледь дослухав. Музично повз мене на 100%, тексти мені не видались цікавими. Бачу, що у альбому дуже хороша преса, тому можна зробити висновок, що я не викупаю.

Мені сподобалось. Якщо не брати пару вже зовсім хілбілі-кантрі пісень, то прям непогано.

I like a lot of this but there are a few songs I don't like much at all. 3 stars or C+.

An absolutely wonderful album. These songs feel timeless, as though they could have come from any era. Another excellent example of how good music can be when it is stripped down to its bare bones: just guitars and voices.

This was bad country music to me

Wow how did I miss this?! Absolutely amazing!! Will be downloading the whole discography.

Absolutely gorgeous stuff. Gillian's voice and lyrics are a treat, and combined with the country-tinged folk arrangements and really nice acoustic playing, this makes for one hell of an album. Easy 9/10.

I struggled to get through this. Rating: Yeehaw/5

I loved Gillian's voice here. Dear Someone is an adorable song! I'm happy that the Country enjoyers get an album like this, which to be fair is some of the most beautiful stuff I've heard in the genre. Unfortunately the yeehaw tinges are still too much for me, and as beautiful as the singing may be, I don't get anything out of these 4, 6, even *14* minute-long slow folk songs. Sorry! Standout: Dear Someone

Such a solid bit of Americana. Gillian Welch feels like a world weary observer who is both imparting stories to us about distant people we don't know and will never meet, as well as personal reflections on herself.

ehhhhhhh I liked some at the end, others were just kinda in the background music

A tonic for the crazy times we are in right now.

This is so boring. So. Boring. 2/5

I love country. I love good solid old country. I even like some modern country. This just sounds like someone’s cat being strangled.

Recall the afternoon time waiting for the laundry, it’s beautiful and calm, I can fall asleep smoothly.

Igen en lille 3'er. Der er flere ret fine numre på, men generelt for meget umotiveret banjo. I Dream a Highway er også et fint nummer, det er bare 10 minutter for langt.

Stripped down country. Clear songwriting and earnest singing. This is what folks/country music should be. ...and its not really my thing. I imagine a lot of others would really love this.

This was just okay. It was a bit dour and downbeat for me. I did really like one song though.

I quite enjoy Gilliam Welch from what I have heard, but had never listened to this album before. I enjoyed it. It seemed to go by very quickly which is always a sign of enjoying an album. Couple of notable songs, but the standout was probably Red Clay Halo. 3.5 stars

мне понравилось про 14 апреля

Alternative country... The question immediately arises: "Alternative to what?" Well, probably to traditional country. "And what is the alternative?" It's a bit more complicated. It's well known that the main themes of classic country are homeland, love, family, work. Alternative country is about the same thing, but with a touch of negativity, depression... Emo-country, basically. This album could be called just that: emo-country. Songs in which Gillian Welch expresses her feelings in a slightly dark manner — love, longing for the past, admiration for Elvis. Nothing superfluous, just her pleasant voice and acoustic guitar — these are more like poems than songs. Boring? Perhaps, the fifteen-minute last song alone is worth it. Will I listen to this album again? Probably not. Did I like it? Yes, I did. If your soul is yearning for something calm and acoustic, give it a chance.

Really, really good. I’ve not heard of this artist before. I didn’t realize Elvis Presley Blues was not written by Jimmy Buffett. 5 stars

Interesting.

Country mixed with folk = if you listen carefully you can hear both the cowboy hats and hairy armpits

the bad part of folk music.

Boring and derivative. For a songwriter's album I would expect more than clichés, here they are all in attendance. The only honest song to me is the Elvis one, and it's not even interesting. Horrible, no, worth listening to, no

Decent folk. Had a few songs I liked alright

I have a feeling I'm going to really like this. I was right.

A beautiful album, just not sure it develops music in any way 2 - a good album just not my thing

Good

Eli tuollaista hidasta mandoliini ja nainen, tyyppistä kantria. Ihan mukava

indie, country-ish, hippie, dance in the woods by a fire type ish.

Reminds me of home in SW Virginia. Not my usual jam, but mostly nice to listen to.

Love it on a melancholy day at least.

I enjoy acoustic guitar and folk music, but I really didn't care for this album. Welch's voice is relatively pleasant, but she doesn't really ever stretch it and the album generally slogs along as a result. This is also true of the songs as well which aren't very challenging. They generally stay centered and that leads to an overall boring feel throughout this record. Just nothing terribly interesting in any of the tracks.

Kinda boring

I thought this was fairly decent when it was more folk-y, and really poor when it got too country Best Song: I Dream a Highway Rating: 5/10 Stars: 3/5

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

⭐ Trodde detta skulle vara min grej då jag har hört lite av Gillian Welch tidigare som jag gillat. Men detta albumet tycker jag bara står och stampar långsamt på samma plats, värst är I dream a highway som är 14 minuter lång. Det är möjligt att tyngden ligger i texterna men efter ett par lyssningar tycker jag det mest är tråkigt. Bäst är Everything is free.

Nope. I have tried to approach everything on this list with an open mind, but something about this type of music just rubs me up the wrong way. Maybe it's the vocal stylings. Maybe it’s the banjos. Maybe it’s the turgid pace. I don’t know but I really do think one could live a full life without having to listen to this.

Not really my thing, pleasant but M,eh

Incredible music, really loved the folk twang and rhythm. She had a great concept with every song.

Didnt do mutch for me. Its okay to listen to but kind of too repetitive for me

One song of this americana singer songwriter country adjecent music is fine. I dont wanna listen to an hour of this though. 3/10

I guess, it was not the worst country album on here, but absolutely nothing remarkable about it. Don't get why this is on the list. It's just another random country album. 5/10

Not a huge fan, a bit too twangy and annoying at times.

Eh! Ok

Bastante hippie, lo que me queda del primer tema es que time es un revelator, pero lo dice el álbum también, así que... En fin, la guitarra mucho punteo, not bad, la voz de la mina medio andrógina, tiene sus momentos

What a pleasant listen! I don’t typically care for much country from that era, but she is a breath of fresh air

started off ok with the first couple of songs but then just became a drag of standard country dirge.

Hippy dippy country crap

Not for me.

Really tough listen. Slow, folky, boring.

I think I'll come back to several of these songs. There were a few that were really, really good, but as an album I was a little bored by about half of it. Probably says more about my preferences than the quality of the music.

Thank goodness I've got to go to a funeral later, it might cheer me up a bit after listening to this depressing nasal whining.

it was pretty decebt

strong first half

I guess the list wants me to go on a bit of a Country binge, and if the albums keep sounding this good then I guess I am here for it!! Gillian Welch is yet another artist I know absolutely nothing about and yet was utterly impressed by the work she had on display here with Time (The Revelator) and found it to be a very compelling piece of a more personal and thoughtful piece of Americana. I also think this album being so close to what most would consider a turning point for Country music as a whole with the September 11th attacks also puts this album in a really strange place as it is a new album in a new millennium that was just starting to find its' overall sound and yet feels easily 40 years older than it is. While the somber singing and acoustics are pretty much a staple of this album, I do really like when Gillian plays around with the production like with the "live" pieces on I Want To Sing That Rock And Roll. Ending this album off with such a tranquil and lucid track that is I Dream A Highway is such a bold move to make and yet also the perfect one in my eyes, even with the nearly 15 minute runtime. It can definitely feel a bit long but if you are willing to fully admerse yourself into Mrs. Welch's mind for 54 minutes I promise it will pay off beautifully with yet another underrated piece of Americana that will surely take you back to a much simpler time musically speaking.

lovely 5 stars for me

Nice Americana/roots album. Everything is free was my favourite.

Pretty squarely in a genre that I have paid very little attention to. It's a nice listen though, very skilled musicians and plenty of thoughtful lyrics / song arrangements. I don't think I'd reach for this to put it on again but I'm glad to have crossed paths and have an understanding of what sort of thing I was almost completely ignoring hahaha

Everage singer-songwriter Album in countdown style

Simply beautiful. Haunting, lilting at times, harmonious. Reminds you that simple music is good and wholesome and sorrowful and beautiful all at once. Yes, it's country. Get over yourself. Not all country is twangy yee-haw Nashville crap. My Rating: 5/5

Alr

First time hearing this artist. Some really nice accompianment by David Rawlings. It's well recorded, the songs are well crafted. I liked it. But it's not really my cup of tea.

not my type of music, very slow but good voice, favorite song is probably Elvis Presley blues

Low key acoustic folk.

в начале интересно и свежо звучит, но под конец эта меланхолия сильно затягивает.

un poco aburrido la neta

I think her voice is amazing. I don't particularly care for the crooning ballads from top-to-bottom. That being said, there are some good songs that she sings very well on. It is a good record that I'm glad I heard but most likely wouldn't re-visit any time soon.

Nice folk music.

A very chill album. I enjoyed listening with my morning coffee.

gentle

Well, I might be a bit speechless. Admittedly, never heard of Gillian Welch before and was not really expecting much. Also, I started listening to this album at a terrible time - at end of work day with a frazzled brain so initially I was not pleased… but then I took a few minutes, got my head on straight and tried again. SO GLAD I DID. This is magical. I don’t know what else to say. It’s completely taken over my brain and heart. I’m on third round of listening and it’s getting better and better - how is that possible? I will be adding this to my collection immediately. Love love love. Thank you thank you thank you. This is why we have music in the world. Standouts (because impossible to pick one!): Red Clay Halo, I Want to Sing that Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley Blues 01-27-2026

Unfortunately quite boring. The only song that stood out to me was the Elvis one.

Unique and excellent, through and through. This album was a force in preserving an entire genre of music. The themes fit with the music perfectly. Revelator is one of the greatest songs ever.

Not bad at all, but a bit slow and boring for me at the moment.

There are some really beautiful moments and details. It has a timeless quality to it as a more traditional country/folk album, seems representative of the continued art and craft of the style, as opposed to more radio-friendly country music of the 2000s.

Beautiful voice. Good lyrics. Not really my type of music but I enjoyed this album. Found her voice soothing.

Maybe not my thing. Could see the appeal while camping.

I had a friend in college who was a fan of Gillian Welch long before I had the capacity to appreciate the music. Eventually I heard enough around the apartment that any resistance was worn down. Without her I don't think I would've opened myself up to listening to Alt-Country/Americana anything. This is a way of saying that a lot of our experience listening to music has more to do with us than we often care to admit. I can't do anything to change your mind about how you listen or feel. It doesn't take long into Time (The Revelator) to be captivated. Welch and Rawlings demonstrate all they've mastered on this record. At this point, it's become an album whose songs can strike an emotional chord just whispering their names out loud.

βαρετο

2 weird country, not my kind of music

Great voice, good vibes. It’s a 3 because I respect it and could envision myself putting it on while recovering from pneumonia or childbirth.

Hey, not bad! I liked this album, and will have to check out some of her others.

boring at times but ended up appreciating the album more than i thought i would. the atmosphere is consistent and i think her voice is amazing and fits the mood of the album perfectly

Shes very reminiscent of Adrianne Lenker. Very folky vibe. Her voice is very well used. I wish she made better songs because I see the potential in her.

Favorite Track: Revelator

Wow loved this album. I knew I would though as soon as I saw it was an early 00s folk album. The 15 minute close I Dream a Highway really sealed the deal though.

Love.

Not terrible, just not really my thing.

Brilliant, wonderful songs and absolutely incredible acoustic guitar interplay between the two artists (although most impressively Dave Rawlings on lead). Lack of diversity in the songs themselves is keeping it from being rated higher.

slow c&w, yawn

Precious time on earth wasted listening to this btw

Middle of the road

Calm and lyrical

Fav tracks: revelator, my first lover, red clay hero, I want to sing that rock and roll, everything is free, I dream a highway Love the incorporation of banjo on “my first lover.” while this album has more pop/rock influence, you can still hear her folk tradition in her singing and playing style. such a beautiful album.

'Leaving the valley / Fucking out of sight / I'll go back to Cali / Where I can sleep out every night.' Her looks remind me of Frances McDormand, and her voice is a power of understatement: it's not a matter of her not doing too much, but doing what she can, which is a lot thru a fragile little. Gil's a rare artist for whom the progression from quiet to quieter is an increase in power and meaning - that she cultivates her dominion via the most serene and steady singing I've heard. And she knows she's a quiet queen: 'I want to sing that rock 'n' roll / I want to 'lectrify my soul / 'Cause everybody been making a shout / So big and loud, been drownin' me out.' She's like Audrey Hepburn doing 'Moon River' + the lilting and aching of gutting country.

I immediately recognized that she was one of the sirens from O Brother Where Art Thou and that was more exciting than the album itself. 5/10

After the first track I thought I was settling into a decent modern country record, but as this went on each track decided it wanted to sound like a different era of country, which felt disjointed.

The beautiful use of the acoustic guitar on the opening track ‘Revelator’, and the soft, delicate vocals, really set this album up well and made me feel like I was in for a lovely, pleasant folk album. For the most part I was right, the album is ‘lovely’ it I was looking for a single word to describe it. But realistically as the album progresses I couldn't help but feel increasingly bored, as if I was waiting for a bit more variety or excitement. 7/10.

Beautiful songs, i just wasn't feeling the sad vibes

Driving home down empty roads on a Sunday morning and this album has you making a few extra turns just so you can marinate in it for a little bit longer.

Great album, I typically wouldn’t go for this type of folk

Whenever I rate lyrics, I think about one thing - could I write this? I'm not good with words, so if the answer is "yes", then the lyric is probably trash. Now, could I write "time's the revelator"? Easily. If I knew the word, but yeah, easily. But could I write "Every time it rains, it rains"? No fucking chance I guess that settles it Well, the songs that weren't country were alright

Pretty. If I were laying down on a nice grassy field with my eyes closed and nothing but summer winds and the smell of flowers brushing my face, I would have rated this a 5

Pretty nice country/folk album. Started strong but lost me a bit at the Elvis song. Wouldn’t say it’s one of the best albums of all time but a decent listen.

This is a slow album, or more precisely an unhurried one. It’s timeless in its sound but very much about time and history lyrically. Both big history (April 14th) and small/ personal history (my first lover), how they blend together and hopes for the future. There are both rock songs (minus a band) and poetic pieces. It’s not a album to just throw on in the background but one that requires active listening. That active listening is very much rewarded.

I’ve spent many hours with Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings’ Time (The Revelator) over the years, and whenever I put it on it sounds like time well spent. For the new listener, there’s much to discover, but it takes patience and a few spins to get inside a collection of songs that don’t come with much in the way of production frills, but pack plenty of emotional punch. Its style is best described as American folk music, and like the best of its genre, it relates on multiple levels, from the personal to the political, and does so in a way that feels both timeless and immediate. Our foremost anxieties and fears, for the most part, remain constant, from love and death to putting food on the table, and these concerns resonate in this beautifully understated collection. 8/10

"Time (The Revelator)" is the third studio album by by American singer-songwriter Gillian Welch. Alternative country is the sole Wiki-listed genre. All songs were written by Welch with David Rawlings and both are the band members on this album with Welch on vocals and playing the guitar and banjo and Rawlings playing the guitar and on backing vocals. The album was critically acclaimed making many best album of decade lists. Commercially, it reached #157 on the US Billboard 200. The self-titled "Revelator" opens the album: acoustic guitars and stark and strong vocals by Welch. She's wondering who she's supposed to be. Light vocal harmonization and nice guitar interplay. The pace picks up in "Red Clay Hero." More of a Appalachian or square dance vibe. A spiritual tone as she's finding humility and grace in life. "Elvis Presley Blues" compares the tragic life of Presley to John Henry. An overriding theme of this album is commenting on the devaluation of music due to digital piracy. This is a reminder of when this album came out (2001) and the Napster presence. "Everything is Free" is their most direct song on this subject. The album ends with nearly 15-minute epic "I Dream a Highway." Welch takes us on a ride in her search for authenticity in a changing world. The music on this album is mostly stark and melancholic with acoustic guitars and sometimes a banjo. Welch has clear and emotional vocals. The lyrics are compelling dealing with digital piracy and more personal issues such as longing, disillusionment, loss and death. The best comparison I thought of was "Powderfinger" by Neil Young. I did find this album much better on a second listen and decent overall. I'd say that if you're a folk and country music fan, you should find a lot to like on this album.

Started out very slow acoustic but turned out to be very good.

Keech!

Dull.

Fine, a few nice guitar parts, just doesn't do much for me.

Another album that’s no where near my usual tastes. The more I listened the less I was interested in it, 2 stars.

Eh, it’s fine. I like her voice but I’m just not a slow country/slow bluegrass person.

I hadn’t heard of Gillian Welch until she popped up on my album generator this morning. As someone new to the world of folk music, I’ve been discovering many new albums within the genre that I’ve been enjoying. Initially, I was indecisive about how much I appreciated “Time (The Revelator).” Some parts felt a bit boring, but other parts captured my attention. My first rating was a 3, but after giving it a second listen later in the day, I found a much deeper appreciation for its minimalist approach and overall simplicity. The album grew on me, and I started to really enjoy the subtleties and the depth of the music. Over all it’s a solid 4

Gentle. Sweet but lacking drums for me

Første sporet er americana done right. Elsker det. Minner en del om Mark Kozelek's greier når han gidder å prøve i stedet for å bare ramble som en unhinged 50-åring som akkurat har oppdaget Facebook. Kanskje med en klype Sufjan Stevens av Seven Swans perioden...? Men så blir skiva frustrerende. Jeg kan tollerere litt run of the mill cuntry og muricana, men hun beviser jo at hun kan bedre enn låter som My First Lover (ugh) og Red Clay Halo (helt jævlig), så det er synd hun skal drive å cosplaye som cuntry gal. Dear Someone og April the 14th er fine sanger som ligger akkurat litt utenfor hva jeg liker. Avril 14 tror jeg egentlig ikke jeg ville stusset over om den kom imellom feks. Revelator og Everything Is Free, men det er lettere å legge merke til det jeg ikke like når den kommer imellom fullbarka cuntry og et pesudo-ironisk nostalgi-runk. Klarer akkurat å grine til seg en treer på grunnlag av gjennomgående godt lydbilde. Selv en ikke-så-bra låt som I Want to Sing That Rock and Roll har elementer ved seg som høres ut som den friske pusten country trenger for å ikke være en misfornøyelig lytteopplevelse. Samme gjelder Elvis Presley Elvis. Utrolig døvft materiale, idiotiske country-harmonier, men et gitarspill som kan gi gåsehud og en vokalpresetasjon som backer det opp. Det er synd hun ikke har en censor som stopper henne fra slike uheldige innfall. De siste to låtene på skiva er slowcore med litt mer country-harmoni på vokalen enn jeg foretrekker, men det er såpass bra at jeg kan gjøre et unntak. På I Dream a Highway synes jeg hun treffer en god balanse med vokalen, og jeg tenker på det som kunne ha vært. Den hadde kanskje ikke trengt å være 15 minutter da, tror hun kunne fått til det samme på 8.

Gillian Welch er et navn jeg har hørt mange ganger, men aldri blitt nysgjerrig nok til å sjekke ut. Nå er jeg tvunget og glad for det. Det er et herlig nedstrippet album, som har et slags tidløst countrypreg. Låtene kunne vært skrevet for 100 år siden eller de kunne vært skrevet i dag. Det er nok en del tradisjoner i countrymusikken, og når du stripper det ned til gitar, banjo og sang så får du det i sin pureste form. Tiåret jeg tenker mest på er 70-tallet, 90-tallets altcountry og til og med helt tilbake til Hank Williams og Blind Willie McTell (noe blues er det jo i country også). Det er en melankolsk plate, men det er en melankoli jeg får lyst til å være i. De lengre låtene er som meditasjoner. Selv etter nesten 15 min med "I Dream A Highway" hadde jeg lyst på mer. Det er en kjærlighet for musikken som hele tiden skinner gjennom, og den plata her bør finnes i samlingene til alle oss som har en tilbøyelighet for å like countrymusikk.

Johan er sjuk. Han har blitt forkjølet for første gang og nesa hans er pottetett. Det resulterer i at det for ham til tider blir umulig å sove. Som igjen resulterer i at det blir umulig å sove for meg. Dermed ble jeg nødt til, i et desperat forsøk på å få han til å slappe av og sove, å ta han med ut i vogna og gå en tur i den iskalde morgenluften. Grytidlig en dag i Oslo. I det minuttet Johan fikk den kalde luften i ansiktet sovnet han umiddelbart, og jeg turte ikke gå hjem igjen, av frykt for at han skulle våkne når vi gikk inn. Så da var det bare å sette på dagens album, og traske rundt i Oslos gater med en snorkende baby. Vi trasket rundt så tidlig at byen akkuratt var på ferd med å våkne, men ikke tidlig nok til at den var i søvne. Det kan argumenteres for at de omstendighetene jeg hørte dette albumet forvrenger mitt syn på det. Det kan hende, men jeg la i hvert fall si at jeg fant de perfekte omstendighetene å høre dette albumet i.

good solid stuff

has some enjoyable songs. 2.90

1.0 - Awful

Slow country is boring.

I liked the first song in the album. Don't recall much afterwards.

It’s not for me

I have quite a bit of Gillian Welch on my playlists, but listening to a whole album in one sitting can get a little boring.

This is exactly what I don’t like

No, Gillian.

This is like the good witch side of Liz Phair. A non ear bleeding Joni Mitchell. I feel like she is a product of the Lilith fair era. It’s not bad but easily forgotten

Pænt pisse kedelig syng, og skriv artist.

Egentlig en interessant lyd når den er mest folket. Desværre står jeg helt af på den når der går country i den.

I was kind of looking forward to listening to this one and the first song was pretty nice. This album got boring real quick though, I really had to fight falling asleep. 50 minutes isn't long but there's almost no variety and every song is about 1 or 2 minutes longer than it needs to be. There was an applause somewhere in the middle, the rest of the album is really forgettable. Perhaps I would've liked it more another time, but this wasn't it. I guess it's nice that it's an old school country album.

An all time great album, beautiful and haunting. April 14th and I Dream a Highway are the standouts, but it is great start to finish.

Wow, really good. Loved the americana country sound and Welch has a lovely voice for the genre. Will be listening again.

I dig the harmonies. Little too sleepy for me in total. I like the folkiness.

Her third album. Country. Nice vocals, nice songs and nice musicianship. It was all...nice. no more, no less.

I love the feeling of this whole album. Every song evokes such a specific feeling and is a treat to listen to. I especially like My First Lover, Red Clay Halo, and Everything is Free. Everything is Free was ahead of its time in commenting on where the music industry was heading. Gillian Welch is a national treasure.

Quiet and nice

Oof, this one was really bad. Another one that I didn’t make it all the way through… I just couldn’t take it anymore. I found myself dissociating to my happy place while I patiently waited for the sound of someone strangling a cat to be over. This was a horror movie mashup of country, bluegrass, folk, and blues, but done by a little white girl instead of an old black man or a weathered cowboy. Where does she get off with this kind of blatant appropriation? I actually found myself getting mad while listening to this. Not only because it sucks, not only at the nerve of this woman, but also at the obvious manufacture fakeness of it all.

This was fairly terrible. And any hope of a merciful 2 was lost with that never-ending stunt of a last track.

I get it, and can respect it. Not for me.

A nice album, very poignant I enjoyed April 14th, Ruination Day and Everything is Free. As the lyrics for those tracks are very poignant backed by a rock-like folk bg. I really enjoyed this album all in all. Still thinking about what else I could write about it. I love Gillian Jacobs for real.- GEMV (16.12.2025) Rating: 4/5

Wasn’t minding it too much as a folky album but it just felt so repetitive after a while. 2 star rating got locked in with the final 14 minute song

"Dear Someone" is a cool song....shes got a nice voice and they are good tunes, I like this kind of music more than the frequency I listen to it. Feels like something my Dad likes and would listen to on WXPN. I enjoy it, and I would go 3.5 with maybe a round down to preserve my snobbish reviewer credibility.

Not for me

It was an almost perfect 50/50 split between 'this is quite nice' and 'this is quite boring'. It screams of 3 stars to me.

unexpectedly really enjoyed this album. her voice has that old school appalachian and effortless grace. 4.5/5

Well this isn't for me, but I'm sure there's some pretentious music journo that will inform me I lack the necessary to appreciate the banjo. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ Nope ★★☆☆☆ (4/10)

solid Americana

Decent

So smooth and skilled. Every harmony and guitar note on point. It’s a honey salve that soothes the rough parts of the soul. Everything Gillian and Dave do is a five.

I enjoyed this album. It was folsky which I like.

Kind of meh. All songs similar

There’s country, there’s “Americana”, and then there’s Gillian Welch’s floating above both with a lyrical wisdom and voice that both recalls her predecessors (Emmylou Harris comes to mind) without sacrificing her own perspective. The more I listen the more intoxicated I am by this one, a stark and simple album that’s rich and dense in its lyrics and tone. And thats before you get to her magnum opus of “I Dream a Highway”, a stunner of a closer that breezes past its 13 minute run time. Amazing stuff, and gets better the more listens you give.

This is nice folk/country and Gillian Welch has a great voice. I can't say this is one I'd come back to often, but it's also hard to find any real fault with it. Good 'doing chores at night" music.

i aint listening to all that

You know it's not great when I forgot I wasn't listening to the last album

Not my vibe

Dreary

I really wanted to like the album more than i did. I enjoy the style and Gillian intent. My issue is with her voice tone and her long notes do grate on me after a while. Perhaps there is insufficient variety in the album for me?

Welcome to background coffee shop music vol 19

Meh. 1.9

Yeah this got old about two songs in. Not my thing 2/5

Beautiful voice, sweet lullaby music. Perfect for a winter evening. Could even be a 5 on repeat listens.

I like :) soft n cute

Never heard of Gillian Welch. Her name sounds more like belonging to an English girl you first met at primary school from a council estate rather than an US Country singer. First impressions is that this music is ideal for putting on when you’ve gone to bed, switched off the lights to relax as sleep takes over and not filling your head with too much complexity. I like to do this when I’ve had a really raucous and exciting evening when my senses have been at 100% and I need to come down. Such as last night when my team, the mighty Leeds United, beat the sickeningly entitled Chelsea 3-1. For that fact 3 stars go to Gillian because it is quite an enjoyable album and I will be listening again tonight as I slip off still bathed in the glow of that magnificent win. 3/5 4/12/25

Bof bof

on ronfle

Vraiment pas d'intérêt, j'ai pas détesté non plus c'était pas inécoutable mais juste y'a pas grand chose

I listened to this album once and just thought 'meh' but something about it stuck with me and I gave it another listen and really liked it. It's soft and quiet and nothing really stands out, but it was calming and mesmerizing.

Americana at its finest

what is this heavenly sound gracing my ears

Gillian Welch's voice is pretty and unique, and while there were some parts of this album, I really enjoyed, overall it was just a solid three for me. It's one I would like to go back and give a full listen to another time, however.

The lyricism in this album is really good, but still a little slow. I don't think that it is anything crazy, but solid enough that you aren't completely bored.

First time listener - love

Cool

This is probably Gil and Dave’s best record, every song is great…until we reach I Dream A Highway which is one long boring repetitive dream. Sorry, it’s a big drop off from the rest for me. One demerit.

A bit too country for me. Some pretty songs on here though.

calm as hell. usually don't like this type of stuff but if it mellow enough i can get down with. good background music.

*2001. Country. *I wanted to like this, but I just don’t. *This is a throw back to old country ala patsy cline and Loretta Lynn, which is pretty cool, but it just didn’t do anything for me. RATING - 6/10

Fav song: Everything Is Free Slow, reflective and sombre Americana. Amazing harmonies, great lyrics, fantastic guitar playing and just all round a very satisfying listen. Loved it.

Gillian Welch is really good at this kind of thing.

my 1001th album.. What a journey, and to mark it with an album called Time is very fitting. A calm singer songwriter album, perfect for an evening at home in a blanket, her voice is gentle but has a strong presence, quite deep at points and hits good high notes. 3.5

I appreciate it...but like it?

Cozy, same category as Norah Jones. Could be 4 but it lacked standouts

Boring AF 2/5

Gillian Welch has a charming voice. I especially enjoyed 'Revelator' and 'I Dream a Highway'. The lyricism on the latter specifically was beautiful. That being said, most of the album was just okay for me. I wouldn't mind hearing it somewhere, but I probably would not think to listen to it myself.

I mean, it's nice on the ears? Mundane lyrics (especially because 90% of them get repeated 3 times) and doesn't do anything special in regards to instrumental either. I don't love folk or country (which this is kind of a blend of, but mostly folk I guess), but I don't really hate either of them either. But this simply gets very boring after a while with the repeating lyrics, folk will have to have good lyrics or producing/instrumentals to appeal. This has neither in my opinion, but she does have the calming voice down pat. ( I did like the first and last songs of the album somewhat, but that isn't enough to redeem the album for me )

This was pretty good. Maybe not quite 4 stars good.

I like the vibes.

Loved the vocals and music. High 3 maybe growing to a 4.

More country

Need artist to me. Unique style, great songs and musicianship. Looking forward to hearing more of theory music.

What keeps Time (The Revelator) so fresh is its even split between folk and country. It is able to reel you in with one and then entertain you with another, never settling on too strict a formula. There is an authentic emotional core to Gillian Welch’s singing which makes the more serious and probing numbers the stand outs, with the opening and closing tracks being particularly stunning vocally, the former even being a bit gnarly at points on the guitar - which is a surprise! However, I appreciate the light hearted numbers for how they add extra dimension to the LP, increasing its overall impact. It's interesting how much of the album she dedicates to singing about rock music and its icons, although the Elvis tribute might be the only cut on this LP that I could have done without.

Today is a solid 4 for me, I’ve never heard her before to my knowledge but Gillian Welch absolutely touches a part of me that only the best folk and Americana can I don’t enjoy the straighter country tracks hence the 4, but the title track and a good 3/4 of the album got me very emotional

A little too soft and quiet to grab me.

Weird stuff. I liked every song but found the album as a whole kinda… boring?

Good album. Probably a 7 or 8 for me. Not sure I’ll revisit. Slow and no songs really stuck in my head. Just not my style overall.

Nice album really but a bit too country to match my vibe right now

While I appreciate the simple approach and instrumentation, this album was boring and uninspired. Not a single song, lyric, or message connected with me…felt like something anyone could produce. 1/5

Not my cup of tea. Quite country but I was surprised I got through the whole album no problem

Gillian Welch’s voice is fantastic — as much control as Emmylou Harris, but with more grit & character. The harmonies on this album are great but there’s a little too much twang. I’m not sure that all the songs are exceptional; some seem fairly simple and most are very slow moving. I’d have to listen more, but I’m interested in listening again. It’s a 3 for now, but might become a 4 with more familiarity.

One banger, lots of snoozers

Its a nice album very similar all songs good songwriting but too country for my taste

Love 'Everything Is Free', the rest unfortunately not as much.

Smart lyrics, beautifully sung by Welch. These aren’t folk songs of the kind that populated her previous (also wonderful) albums. These are contemporary songs, or songs directed at contemporary things, anyway, that just happen to be delivered in Welch’s trademark mountain-folk style. It’s a startlingly good combination. I recently put Time (The Revelator) on my list of the best 10 albums (so far) of the 21st century. The quality here is just that high.

Very pretty sparse country music, and Gillian Welch delivers great playing and singing to make for an album way more engaging than it should be.

Best Song: Everything Is Free. A very softly beautiful song. Worst Song: Red Clay Halo. This tipped too far into (what I consider) "ordinary country" for me. Overall: Really enjoyable folk-country. Not a genre that I typically gravitate towards, but it is clearly very thoughtfully written. Very evocative music. Her voice is wonderful, and the arrangements are just sparse enough to highlight that, but also interesting enough to hold their own.

Among the most banal recordings ever produced. I don't understand how people who can clearly play and sing could be comfortable making something so aggressively bland. Put Americana in its rightful place alongside post-WWII Big Band, Easy Listening, and New Age as music made for/ marketed to very earnest people who want to like music but find artistry jarring.

This was fine. Good singer and some interesting songs but I don't think I'd return to it.

I’m learning. When I rolled a “Country, Singer Songwriter” album with a somewhat low rating this morning, I decided not to just write it off before listening to it. For that, I was rewarded with an album that more or less surprised me a ton. It was a dark, gross, and very rainy day outside today. Somehow, listening to this peaceful album with the rain pouring outside was just the vibe I needed to get through the day. The rain actually added to the experience, which was cool and unexpected. Listening to Gillian and her soothing voice made the rain feel more serene, peaceful and less chaotic, if that makes any sense. This album is a fairly mixed bag of genres and tone shifts at random points, so it also gets bonus points for feeling unique and interesting. It will shift between a soft spoken Singer Songwriter piece, more traditional Modern Country, or sometimes even some Country Rock, that last one of course being my favorite. Every song stands out from the last for both better and worse, which as I’m finding out over the course of this project, is actually pretty hard to do. The more Modern Country drawl ditty songs like “Elvis Presley Blues” don’t really do it for me, but even those I don’t straight up dislike. The opener, “Revelator”, was so good that I added it to my playlist. It’s got a killer riff at the end, and is both peaceful and also kicks ass. The song builds on itself and culminates in a song that ends up just being fantastic from start to finish. So, yeah. I’m learning. Never judge a book by its cover, go in with an open mind, and you might just end up being very surprised. Great album you have here Gillian!!

Loved revelator thought this was going to really surprise me then it was just bland from then on

I wasn't ready for this one on Friday. But over the weekend I ended up listening to it 3 or 4 times. Beautiful. Haunting. Unique. 5

not impressed

Pretty good bluegrass. 4/5

This was very pleasant. I enjoyed the more modern sound of alt country bleeding into indie americana. Her voice was velvet and the songs were well constructed if a bit sparse at some points. I'll listen to this again as my wife would like it.

Not my bag, mostly acoustic/country western ditties in the form of female-centered folk. I bet someone else really likes this! But not for me.

If the hills have eyes, they are listening to this while watching you

Mehhhh, a little too slow in country for my liking. Good music, but not my cup of tea. Two star stars.

Very nice album, made me want to grab more by the artist. Mellow acoustic singer songwriter but sounds great!