Friday, August 24, 2007

What I'm Listening to These Days



I didn't think I would be able to find this cd anywhere but Amazon.com, but strolling through downtown Homewood one day on my lunch break, I walked lazily into a music store. The cds were scattered everywhere in "orderly disorder" (if you ask me), but I felt certain that this was the kinda place where you could find any kind of music you were looking for. When the gentleman at the counter first asked me if he could help me find anything, I declined, but later, feeling inspired, I popped the question - "Do you happen to have any Gillian Welch?"

I had discovered Gillian Welch very randomly, happening to catch a bit of a biography on her on CMT late one night. Her music and voice caught my ear - a mixture of bluegrass and folk, and completely filled with emotion. Songs that you didn't just hear, but felt. According to the show, she was rejected by Nashville, so she built her own recording studio. She writes her own music with her good friend, David Rawlings, and you may have heard her on the O Brother Where Art Thou Soundtrack.

I was thrilled to hear the gentleman respond that he did have some of her cds, and he actually seemed to know her. He didn't have to look through a computer to see who she was and if he had any of her cds. He went straight over to where they were. Then, I had to decide which one I wanted: Revival, or Time: The Revelator. I settled on Revival, because it seemed to be just as the title would indicate - more songs about redemption, or a focus on religion. Time: The Revelator seemed to be more dark. I discussed this with the store owner, and he concurred, describing her work as "cyclical".

In short, I haven't been disappointed. I can't even give you a favorite song on the cd, because I love them all. She has truly been blessed with a gift. If you're interested, check out some of the samples of her songs on Amazon.com.

3 comments:

Hewy Nosleep said...

Cool, you should put a sound sample on your blog.

Dani said...

ditto.

I'm going to see if I can find her now...

strem said...

I love Gillian Welch and have been blessed to hear her in person. Just like you said... one can feel the music when she is playing and singing.