278:
359:
354:
273:
268:
263:
258:
349:
344:
339:
334:
329:
324:
319:
314:
421:, surely there is room for Washington’s Kelly Joe Phelps. His eighth album of solo acoustic guitar improvisation should be enough to land him status in the company of legends, if he isn’t there already... there is something undeniably moving about Western Bell... Phelps speaks directly to your soul. If that isn’t the stuff of legends, I don’t know what is."
380:
is among the most unique acoustic guitar recordings out there today... Cryptic, hushed, confoundingly beautiful, this is a brilliant, deeply moving work by an artist who has created a new language on the acoustic guitar, culled from the discontinued speech fragments of
American music's own mysterious
385:
wrote: "... while Phelps' lyrical work may sometimes be a little too intense for its own good, you find yourself missing his rasp. Such technically dazzling stuff can often be hard to really love, and it is a little over-egged. But when it's properly balanced with the glow of familiar chord
29:
376:, offered listeners a complete synthesis of his musical vision as a guitarist... Phelps infuses his own music with such comfort, space, and gentleness in his playing that what comes out is his own inviting but subjective history of blues as it has evolved in his spirit...
407:
would drop his microphone and just play. There is definitely a sense of connection to those prior masters of acoustic guitar with folk and modernist ideas."
395:
praised the Phelps' change in direction, writing "... often exquisite, and always intriguing, that his commercial divergence is our gain...
646:
413:
critic Alan Ranta praised the album within the small niche of solo guitar: "In a world adequately full of praise for the likes of
670:
386:
progressions as on the appropriately-named 12-string track, Hometown With Melody, it's simply wonderful. One for fans."
804:
639:
599:
738:
678:
776:
632:
580:
391:
295:
212:
702:
694:
686:
571:
418:
400:
799:
8:
74:
710:
146:
82:
726:
655:
220:
192:
164:
133:
126:
41:
757:
208:
204:
121:
114:
78:
793:
185:
70:
731:
541:
109:
86:
508:
65:
607:
414:
410:
404:
306:
216:
624:
516:
473:
Kelly Joe Phelps - 6 and 12-string guitars, lap steel guitar, bells
369:
250:
200:
28:
486:
Cover photograph, graphics, and layout by
Anthony Saint James
188:
36:
399:
may be something more for those who miss the late, great
382:
368:Music critic Thom Jurek praised the release in his
791:
199:is entirely instrumental. After five discs on
60:June 2008 at Hop Walter, Vancouver, Washington
640:
311:
195:, released 2009. Unlike his previous albums,
255:
483:Produced and engineered by Kelly Joe Phelps
647:
633:
27:
16:2009 studio album by Kelly Joe Phelps
429:All songs written by Kelly Joe Phelps.
792:
628:
535:
533:
236:
654:
593:
591:
569:
565:
563:
502:
500:
13:
530:
313:
14:
816:
597:
588:
560:
539:
506:
497:
442:"American Exchange Hotel" – 2:27
257:
424:
372:review, writing "Phelps has, on
357:
352:
347:
342:
337:
332:
327:
322:
317:
312:
276:
271:
266:
261:
256:
439:"Blowing Dust 40 Miles" – 4:46
1:
490:
460:"Blue Daughter Tattoo" – 4:47
445:"Hometown with Melody" – 4:19
739:Brother Sinner and the Whale
467:
226:
7:
10:
821:
777:Tap the Red Cane Whirlwind
570:Pick, Steve (April 2009).
436:"Sovereign Wyoming" – 3:58
381:past." Chris Jones of the
768:
749:
662:
244:
241:
140:
132:
120:
108:
92:
64:
56:
48:
35:
26:
21:
213:independent record label
805:Kelly Joe Phelps albums
703:Slingshot Professionals
695:Sky Like a Broken Clock
457:"East to Kansas" – 3:56
451:"The Jenny Spin" – 4:47
463:"Little Family" – 3:57
687:Shine Eyed Mister Zen
448:"Hattie's Hat" – 4:27
433:"Western Bell" – 3:08
191:singer and guitarist
232:Professional ratings
679:Roll Away the Stone
233:
711:Tunesmith Retrofit
231:
147:Tunesmith Retrofit
787:
786:
478:Production notes:
366:
365:
177:
176:
173:
172:
812:
727:Magnetic Skyline
656:Kelly Joe Phelps
649:
642:
635:
626:
625:
619:
618:
616:
614:
595:
586:
585:
567:
558:
557:
555:
553:
537:
528:
527:
525:
523:
504:
362:
361:
360:
356:
355:
351:
350:
346:
345:
341:
340:
336:
335:
331:
330:
326:
325:
321:
320:
316:
315:
281:
280:
279:
275:
274:
270:
269:
265:
264:
260:
259:
234:
230:
221:British Columbia
207:, Phelps joined
193:Kelly Joe Phelps
165:Magnetic Skyline
142:
141:
134:Kelly Joe Phelps
127:Kelly Joe Phelps
104:
103:
99:
42:Kelly Joe Phelps
31:
19:
18:
820:
819:
815:
814:
813:
811:
810:
809:
790:
789:
788:
783:
764:
745:
658:
653:
623:
622:
612:
610:
596:
589:
568:
561:
551:
549:
538:
531:
521:
519:
505:
498:
493:
470:
427:
358:
353:
348:
343:
338:
333:
328:
323:
318:
277:
272:
267:
262:
229:
209:Black Hen Music
184:is an album by
168:
159:
150:
101:
97:
96:
44:
17:
12:
11:
5:
818:
808:
807:
802:
785:
784:
782:
781:
772:
770:
766:
765:
763:
762:
753:
751:
747:
746:
744:
743:
735:
723:
715:
707:
699:
691:
683:
675:
666:
664:
660:
659:
652:
651:
644:
637:
629:
621:
620:
587:
559:
540:Jones, Chris.
529:
495:
494:
492:
489:
488:
487:
484:
475:
474:
469:
466:
465:
464:
461:
458:
455:
454:"Murdo" – 4:41
452:
449:
446:
443:
440:
437:
434:
426:
423:
403:, or who wish
389:Steve Pick of
364:
363:
309:
303:
302:
299:
291:
290:
287:
283:
282:
253:
247:
246:
243:
239:
238:
228:
225:
175:
174:
171:
170:
161:
152:
138:
137:
130:
129:
124:
118:
117:
112:
106:
105:
94:
90:
89:
68:
62:
61:
58:
54:
53:
52:March 17, 2009
50:
46:
45:
40:
33:
32:
24:
23:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
817:
806:
803:
801:
798:
797:
795:
779:
778:
774:
773:
771:
767:
760:
759:
755:
754:
752:
748:
741:
740:
736:
733:
729:
728:
724:
721:
720:
716:
713:
712:
708:
705:
704:
700:
697:
696:
692:
689:
688:
684:
681:
680:
676:
673:
672:
668:
667:
665:
663:Studio albums
661:
657:
650:
645:
643:
638:
636:
631:
630:
627:
609:
605:
603:
598:Ranta, Alan.
594:
592:
583:
582:
581:No Depression
577:
575:
566:
564:
547:
545:
536:
534:
518:
514:
512:
507:Jurek, Thom.
503:
501:
496:
485:
482:
481:
480:
479:
472:
471:
462:
459:
456:
453:
450:
447:
444:
441:
438:
435:
432:
431:
430:
425:Track listing
422:
420:
416:
412:
408:
406:
402:
398:
394:
393:
392:No Depression
387:
384:
379:
375:
371:
310:
308:
305:
304:
300:
298:
297:
296:No Depression
293:
292:
288:
285:
284:
254:
252:
249:
248:
240:
237:Review scores
235:
224:
222:
218:
214:
210:
206:
202:
198:
194:
190:
187:
183:
182:
167:
166:
162:
158:
157:
153:
149:
148:
144:
143:
139:
135:
131:
128:
125:
123:
119:
116:
113:
111:
107:
95:
91:
88:
84:
80:
76:
72:
71:Country blues
69:
67:
63:
59:
55:
51:
47:
43:
38:
34:
30:
25:
20:
775:
758:Beggar's Oil
756:
737:
732:Corinne West
725:
719:Western Bell
718:
717:
709:
701:
693:
685:
677:
669:
611:. Retrieved
604:> Review"
602:Western Bell
601:
579:
574:Western Bell
573:
550:. Retrieved
546:> Review"
544:Western Bell
543:
520:. Retrieved
513:> Review"
511:Western Bell
510:
477:
476:
428:
409:
397:Western Bell
396:
390:
388:
378:Western Bell
377:
374:Western Bell
373:
367:
294:
289:(no rating)
203:and one for
197:Western Bell
196:
181:Western Bell
180:
179:
178:
163:
156:Western Bell
155:
154:
145:
87:instrumental
83:New Acoustic
37:Studio album
22:Western Bell
800:2009 albums
769:Live albums
613:December 6,
552:December 6,
548:. BBC Music
522:December 6,
301:(Favorable)
215:founded in
794:Categories
671:Lead Me On
608:PopMatters
491:References
419:John Fahey
415:Leo Kottke
411:PopMatters
405:Leo Kottke
401:John Fahey
307:PopMatters
211:, a small
136:chronology
572:"Review:
468:Personnel
286:BBC Music
227:Reception
217:Vancouver
115:Black Hen
79:Americana
517:Allmusic
370:Allmusic
251:Allmusic
201:Rykodisc
186:American
122:Producer
57:Recorded
49:Released
39: by
734:, 2010)
205:Rounder
169:(2010)
160:(2009)
151:(2006)
780:(2005)
761:(2002)
742:(2012)
730:(with
722:(2009)
714:(2006)
706:(2003)
698:(2001)
690:(1999)
682:(1997)
674:(1994)
245:Rating
242:Source
93:Length
189:blues
110:Label
66:Genre
615:2010
554:2010
524:2010
417:and
75:folk
750:EPs
383:BBC
796::
606:.
590:^
578:.
562:^
532:^
515:.
499:^
223:.
219:,
102:13
98:45
85:,
81:,
77:,
73:,
648:e
641:t
634:v
617:.
600:"
584:.
576:"
556:.
542:"
526:.
509:"
100::
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.