Gillian Welch reboots

Gillian Welch's Boots No. 1 revisits her landmark first album

by Jay Lewis, Reviews Editor
first published: February, 2017

breathtakingly pure and intimate

Jason Lewis is going to listen to way more albums - mainly so you don't have to. However, when he says you should listen, you know you gotta do it right! Of course, Jason, perversly, is kicking off January's selections, deep into February, with an album from November. Because he can.

Gillian Welch
Boots No.1 (the Official Revival Bootleg)
(Acony Records)

Boots No.1 (the Official Revival Bootleg)
Albums of outtakes and demos can often delight and frustrate in equal measure. For every previously unearthed gem there can be a wealth of extraneous material. Not so 'Boots No. 1 (the official Revival Bootleg)' by Gillian Welch, which brings together alternative recordings of songs from her landmark debut album. The result is breathtakingly pure and intimate. Welch's evocative song writing and bluegrass tinged vocals creates vivid images of faith, love and dustbowl era strife whilst David Rawlings stark guitar playing brings these passionate folk tales to life.

Dry Town from Boots No.1

As well as the alternative versions, there's a handful of unreleased numbers that didn't make it to the Revival album. It's remarkable that the delightful 'Wichita' and the thrilling swing of '455 Rocket' have not seen the light of day until now.'Boots No. 1' is a perfect accomplishment to a classic album.

Jay Lewis
Reviews Editor

Jason Lewis is a Birmingham based music, movie and arts obsessive. Jason's encyclopedic knowledge of 80s/90s Arts films is a debt to his embedded status in the Triangle Arts Centre trenches back then.

about Jay Lewis »»

breathtakingly pure and intimate

The Totally Random Read →

GOD'S COUNTRY - The acclaimed 3rd novel from KERRY HADLEY-PRYCE (Salt Publishing)

"In God's Country, the Black Country doesn't just operate as background scenery, but as a resonant, ever-present figure, and my characters have to deal with that." - Kerry Hadley-Pryce
Launch event: Voce Books, Digbeth, Thursday, Feb 23rd

the weekly guide to new releases

see it here every week →

10 clickable things

☉ Bruce's Beach. Reparations really, or what? (NYT) ☉ Drag Shows are banned ☉ QPR: Promotion push to relegation fight, 474,000 a week losses and a rescue mission ☉ How to talk like a Chelsea coach ☉ De La Soul Streaming at Last (Gothamist) ☉ Why 1997 Changed Everything (NYT) ☉ Robert Forster: why Venus by Television is the most perfect song of all time (Guardian) ☉ Magentaverse ☉ Elvis returns to the Las Vegas Hilton ☉ Marc Newson designs a toilet ☉

RECENT STORIES

Ancient Champion: Early Encounter with the Bard

I can't remember the last time there was an Ancient Champion column

OUTSIDELEFT at SXSW - SHORT FILMS ROUND-UP

Lake's notes from a dozen short films shown as part of SXSW Film 2023

Film News - The World We Knew - Now Available in the UK

Longtime Outsideleft favourite finally hits UK streaming platforms and DVD racks

John Robinson's Exhaustive, Masochistic and Entertaining (For Us), Chart Survey

John Robinson listens to this week's Top 40 Countdown, so you don't have to

Track by Track: 'Stanford' by Senestra

Alan Rider talks us through Senestra's new Dark Electronic production, Stanford

Outsideleft Week in Music: Trombone Universe

We're hearing from - Kalia Vandever, Kokoroko, David Bowie, Eric Bibb, Edward Ka-Spel, Depeche Mode, Angel Olsen, Tinariwen, Yves Tumor, Sleaford Mods ft Perry Farrell, Fever Ray, Fenne Lily, Rodriguez, Sudden Infant, The Luka State, Lonnie Holley, David Benjamin Blower, Media Giant, Psyclon Nine, Miles Davis, Sam Gellaitry, Ghost Love, Blue Statue, Telecom, Grandma's House and Cosmic Crooner

Cosmic Crooner...

Tim London gives some thought to the Perks of Being a Hypocrite... That's the title of Cosmic Crooner's LP

Outsideleft at SXSW - The New Americans: Gaming a Revolution - Documentary Review

Lake on the meme-filled scattergun doc on the gamification of American culture

Edward Ka-Spel is a national treasure

Alan Rider seeks Permission to Leave the Temple

Outsideleft at SXSW: Angel Applicant - Documentary Review

Lake looks at the winning doc in the SXSW Grand Jury Awards

Adventures in the archives

MUSIC
CULTURE
LIT
SCREENS
PRODUCT
SSH

RANDOM READS

300 Words From London: Opera vs Football - No Contest

Lake at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden going Top C Turvy. Or something.
January 2007

Little Earl

The Delines return with their first new material since The Imperial
October 2021

And The Sticker Really Does Smell Like Laundered Money

Chicago unleashes some of its more virulent cororate citezens in the grindcore of HeWhoCorrupts
October 2005

Busarus Saturday Morning

Get on the Bus with Joe Ambrose.
May 2010

Wilco: For Your Love

Wilco feels about as dangerous as cozy suburban library branch anymore, but like that library, within its walls lay a comprehensive and powerful energy.
June 2009

Love is the Greatest Common Factor

On Finding Forever, Common offers some last words of wisdom before we destroy ourselves.
September 2007

All About and Contributors

HELP OUTSIDELEFT

Outsideleft exists on a precarious no budget budget. We are interested in hearing from deep and deeper pocket types willing to underwrite our cultural vulture activity. We're not so interested in plastering your product all over our stories, but something more subtle and dignified for all parties concerned. Contact us and let's talk. [HELP OUTSIDELEFT]

WRITE FOR OUTSIDELEFT

If Outsideleft had arms they would always be wide open and welcoming to new writers and new ideas. If you've got something to say, something a small dank corner of the world needs to know about, a poem to publish, a book review, a short story, if you love music or the arts or anything else, write something about it and send it along. Of course we don't have anything as conformist as a budget here. But we'd love to see what you can do. Write for Outsideleft, do. [SUBMISSIONS FORM HERE]

WRITERS thru' the Years

Alan Devey, Alan Rider, Alex V. Cook, Ancient Champion, Andy Allison, Annemiek, Belle Plankton, Bruce Bailey, Caiomhin Millar, Chantal, Cheiron Coelho, Chris Connolly, Christian Present, Damon Hayhurst, Dan Breen, David Hackney, Denni Boyd, Dirty Lillie, DJ Fuzzyfelt, Dr. Richard Bennett, Duncan Jones, Erin, Erin Pipes, Erin Scott, Gracey Babs, Graham Baker, Guilaine Arts, H.xx, Hamilton High, Henderson Downing, Holly Martins, J. Charreaux, Jay Lewis, Jaycentee, Jennifer Lynn, Jenny McCann, Jeremy Gluck, Jez Collins, Joe Ambrose, John Robinson, Julie O, Karl Morgan, Katherine Pargeter, Kelsey Osgood, Kevin McHugh, Lake, Lee Paul, Luke Skinner, Malcolm, Marek Pytel, Mark Piggott, Meave Haughey, Michelle Williams, mindy strouse, Neil Campbell, Neil Scott, Ogglypoogly, OL House Writer, Pam, Paul Hawkins, Paul Quigley, Peter Williams, Pixie McMowat, Pixievic, Rene Williams, Rick Casson, Ronan Crinion, Ruby Lake, Ryan 'RJO' Stewart, Samantha Charles, Seth Sherwood, Shane O'Reilly, Sheridan Coyle, Sofia Ribeiro Willcox, Sophia Satchell-Baeza, Spanish Pantalones, Speedie John, Spencer Kansa, Steve McCarthy, The Conversation, Tim London, Tim Sparks, Toon Traveller, Wayne Dean-Richards, and founders, Alarcon & Lamontpaul