O sister, where art thou? The bluegrass-tinged pop of singer/songwriter Gillian Welch is featured in an assortment of music videos and live performances. Includes "My First Lover," "Revelator," "Red Clay Halo," "White Freight Liner Blues," the previously unreleased "Wichita" and more. 59 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo.

Average Customer Review: ( 26 customer reviews )
Write an online review and share your thoughts with other customers.

Not that there's anything wrong with these performances (from Cat's Cradle in NC and The Bijou Theater in Knoxville, TN), but I think the clips don't quite capture the excitement of being in a packed theatre with them and a crowd of a couple thousand hanging on their every note and word for 2 hours. The footage here is shot mostly with a steady, single camera, maybe 20-30 feet from stage in the middle of the floor. You don't see anybody in the audience, and only occasionally hear them.

As somebody has pointed out, the cuts between clips take out much of the applause, audience interaction and banter between songs. One notable exception being the point where someone asks, "What's in the box?" That leads to a discovery of a harmonica, which leads to some fooling around and what seems like a spontaneous decision by Gillian to play "Pocahontas."

I love the moment after David's messed around with the harp and then put it away, thinking that "playtime's over" (he's admitted he doesn't really know how to play it), and then she tells him to get it back out. The way she says it, and the way he responds, is amusing and sweet, and feels like a genuine glimpse into their relationship. I love concert moments like that. It's too bad the director didn't just let the tape roll for two hours to let us see more of those moments.

This is coming out like a bad review, isn't it? I don't mean to make it sound like the DVD isn't worthwhile. The performances are wonderful, and include some songs not otherwise available on Gillian's own albums. I would get this if only to have a recording of them singing Townes Van Zandt's "White Freightliner Blues," but fortunately there is so much more. David's feature is "I'm On My Way Back to the Old Home" (in St. Paul he sang "Big Rock Candy Mountain") and it's a treat to hear him take the lead for a number. The three videos shot in the studio are fun to watch, too.

Highly recommended. Next time I just hope the concert footage runs twice as long, doesn't leave out the moments between songs, and does a better job of capturing the crowd ambience. And, Gillian, please come back to Minnesota soon....

17 of 18 found the following review helpful:

Great disc but way too shortNov 15, 2002

Gillian Welch is one of my favorite artists today. This disc of 3 videos and 9 songs recorded live show her and David Rawlings in top form. But, I was very disappointed in the length of the disc. It clocks it at under one hour. Why not show a whole concert? The disc is shot in black and white which I suppose is for some sort of effect but after a while it gets on your nerves. There are also no shots of the crowd so you really don't even realize it's a live show except for the crowd noise at the end of each song. Also, the disc fades in and out between songs so there is no continuity between songs like you would experience in a live show. The camera angles used a little annoying as well and seem to be a litte out of focus. Maybe that's because of it being in black and white. The music is stunning, offering versions of songs by Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and Townes Van Zandt in addition to several by Welch-Rawlings.
This could have been a really awesome DVD but unfortunately there are enough bothersome things about it to make it only rank 3 stars in my opinion.

14 of 15 found the following review helpful:

Straightforward live concert DVD.Oct 17, 2003
By cplewis "cplewis"
"The Revelator Collection" includes both videos and live performances and was shot entirely in black-and-white film by still photographer Mark Seliger (chief photographer for "Rolling Stone" magazine). Others have complained about the B&W format, but I actually like it -- it gives the performance that old-timey feel that Welch's music reflects. The fact that it was shot all at one angle makes it a little too visually static, but it gives you the feel of actually being in the audience watching the show, which is nice.

The DVD features all 3 videos from Welch's album "Time (The Revelator)" and live performances of five previously-unreleased songs: Welch's "Wichita" and covers of songs by Bob Dylan ("Billy"), Neil Young ("Pocahontas"), Bill Monroe ("I'm On My Way Back to the Old Home"-- sung by David Rawlings), and Townes van Zandt ("White Freightliner Blues").

Overall, highly recommended, even though it may just end up being one of those DVDs you play in the background (rather than something you watch from start to finish without budging), it captures the Welch/Rawlings concert experience beautifully.

9 of 10 found the following review helpful:

Beauty in black and whiteNov 15, 2003
By Jonathan S. Howdeshell
This collection showcases the profundity that these two conjure up on stage, and it is magical. I have seen them perform on several occasions and this DVD is everything excepting the part where they are genuinely happy to meet you after the show. David Rawlings is quite possibly the best guitar player alive, and his quirky playing style is captured vividly on this collection. The videos are eccentric and interesting, but the live performances are what this package is all about. The songs "Wichita" and Bob Dylan's "Billy the Kid" are worth the price alone.

See all 26 customer reviews on Amazon.com