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.
