Soul Journey
Studio album by
Gillian Welch
ReleasedJune 9, 2003
Length39:07
LabelAcony
ProducerDavid Rawlings
Gillian Welch chronology
Time (The Revelator)
(2001)		 Soul Journey
(2003)		 The Harrow & the Harvest
(2011)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic78/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Blender[3]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[4]
The Guardian[5]
Los Angeles Times[6]
Mojo[7]
Pitchfork7.1/10[8]
Q[9]
Rolling Stone[10]
Uncut[11]

Soul Journey is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Gillian Welch. It was released on June 9, 2003 by Acony Records. As with all of her previous releases, it is a collaboration with David Rawlings.

Background

The album was something of a departure from previous albums by Welch and Rawlings in terms of instrumentation, including a larger band and instruments like drums and an electric bass.[12] Welch has described the album as "more spontaneous" than some of her previous works.[13]

Reception

Soul Journey received generally favorable reviews.[14]

Several outlets, including Mojo called it "perfect", with reviewers praising the wistful tone and instrumentation of the album. The Guardian said of her work "[Welch] strips country back to its spiritual and storytelling roots... Welch has refined her bare and beautiful songs and on Soul Journey embraces the blues. Loss and loneliness are her closest friends"[15][16]

Upon the vinyl re-release in 2018 Relix said the album contained "some of their most indelible songs... Soul Journey makes it equally hard to tell where the past ended and the present began, or remember why anybody ever thought there was a difference."[17]

However, some have expressed disappointment in the album. Pitchfork described it as "a tad raptureless" and others were displeased with the fuller, multi-instrument sound.[13] Welch has said in response that "on some level, it should be a departure from other albums... Everything's not supposed to sound the same, you want it to reflect change and growth."[12]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings unless otherwise noted.[18]

Soul Journey track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Look at Miss Ohio" 4:16
2."Make Me a Pallet on Your Floor"Traditional; additional lyrics by Welch2:45
3."Wayside/Back in Time" 3:28
4."I Had a Real Good Mother and Father"Traditional; additional lyrics by Welch3:14
5."One Monkey" 5:36
6."No One Knows My Name" 3:16
7."Lowlands" 3:19
8."One Little Song"Welch3:12
9."I Made a Lovers Prayer" 5:03
10."Wrecking Ball" 4:56

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Soul Journey
Chart (2003) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[19] 69
UK Albums (OCC)[20] 65
US Billboard 200[21] 107
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[22] 1
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[23] 10

References

  1. ↑ "Reviews for Soul Journey by Gillian Welch". Metacritic. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  2. ↑ Johnson, Zac. "Soul Journey – Gillian Welch". AllMusic. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  3. ↑ Berger, Arion (June–July 2003). "Gillian Welch: Soul Journey". Blender (17): 147. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved December 15, 2006.
  4. ↑ Hermes, Will (June 6, 2003). "Soul Journey". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  5. ↑ Clarke, Betty (May 30, 2003). "Gillian Welch: Soul Journey". The Guardian. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  6. ↑ Appleford, Steve (June 29, 2003). "Minimalist style, plentiful talent". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Gillian Welch: Soul Journey". Mojo (116): 100. July 2003.
  8. ↑ Bowers, William (October 7, 2003). "Gillian Welch: Soul Journey". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Gillian Welch: Soul Journey". Q (205): 116. August 2003.
  10. ↑ Caramanica, Jon (June 12, 2003). "Gillian Welch: Soul Journey". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 1, 2004. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Gillian Welch: Soul Journey". Uncut (75): 96. August 2003.
  12. 1 2 "Boston.com / News / Boston Globe / Living / Arts / Gillian Welch thrives in an old-time niche". archive.boston.com. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
  13. 1 2 "Gillian Welch - Soul Journey | RECORD STORE DAY". recordstoreday.com. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
  14. ↑ Soul Journey by Gillian Welch, retrieved 2022-06-17
  15. ↑ "CD: Gillian Welch: Soul Journey". the Guardian. 2003-05-30. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
  16. ↑ "Vinyl Reviews: Gillian Welch - Soul Journey". Vinyl Reviews. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
  17. ↑ "Gillian Welch: Soul Journey". Relix Media. 2018-10-01. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
  18. ↑ Johnson, Zac. Gillian Welch: Soul Journey at AllMusic. Retrieved August 31, 2015.
  19. ↑ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 298.
  20. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Gillian Welch Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  22. ↑ "Gillian Welch Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Gillian Welch Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
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