Welder is the fifth studio album by American country musician Elizabeth Cook. It was produced by Don Was and released on May 11, 2010 on 31 Tigers Records. The album's title is a reference to Cook's father's former occupation as a welder.[1] Artists performing on the album include Dwight Yoakam, Rodney Crowell, Bones Hillman, and Cook's husband Tim Carroll.[2] Welder was Cook's final album before she was forced to attend rehab for drug addiction and an eating disorder following the collapse of her marriage and death of six family members. Cook would not release another studio album until 2017.[3]
| Welder | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 11, 2010 | |||
| Genre | Americana, Country | |||
| Length | 43:12 | |||
| Label | 31 Tigers | |||
| Producer | Don Was | |||
| Elizabeth Cook chronology | ||||
| ||||
Critical reception edit
Welder received mainly favorable reviews from critics, and was ranked the 23rd best album of 2010 (out of 30) by Rolling Stone.[4]
Welder was nominated for the Album of the Year award and Song of the Year (for El Camino) at the 2011 Americana Awards and Elizabeth Cook was also nominated for Artist of the Year because of the album.
The Washington Post described the album as Cook's best yet, because it was "rawer [than her previous four albums] in all the best senses of that word."[5]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [6] |
| The Guardian | [9] |
| Paste | 8.4/10[7] |
| PopMatters |   [8] |
| Robert Christgau | A[10] |
Track listing edit
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "All the Time" | Elizabeth Cook | 2:53 |
| 2. | "El Camino" | E. Cook | 2:43 |
| 3. | "Not California" | Gary Maurer, Dan Messe | 3:52 |
| 4. | "Heroin Addict Sister" | E. Cook | 4:01 |
| 5. | "Yes to Booty" | E. Cook | 2:04 |
| 6. | "Blackland Farmer" | Frankie Miller | 2:35 |
| 7. | "Girlfriend Tonight" | E. Cook | 3:09 |
| 8. | "Rock N Roll Man" | E. Cook | 3:11 |
| 9. | "Mama's Funeral" | E. Cook | 4:00 |
| 10. | "I'm Beginning to Forget" | Joyce Cook | 3:08 |
| 11. | "Snake in the Bed" | E. Cook | 2:05 |
| 12. | "Follow You Like Smoke" | Tim Carroll | 3:35 |
| 13. | "I'll Never Know" | E. Cook, Jim McBride, Jerry Salley | 2:51 |
| 14. | "'Til Then" | Carroll | 3:05 |
Personnel edit
- Tim Atwood - keyboards, background vocals
- Tim Carroll - banjo, electric guitar, harmonica, slide guitar, background vocals
- Matt Combs - fiddle, mandolin, strings, background vocals
- Elizabeth Cook - acoustic guitar, lead vocals, background vocals
- Rodney Crowell - background vocals
- Marco Giovino - drums, background vocals
- Bones Hillman - bass guitar, background vocals
- The Carol Lee Singers - background vocals
- Gary Maurer - acoustic guitar
- Buddy Miller - background vocals
- Tony Paoletta - steel guitar, background vocals
- Dwight Yoakam - background vocals
Chart performance edit
| Chart (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Top Country Albums (Billboard)[11] | 43 |
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[12] | 23 |
References edit
- ^ Tucker, Ken (3 June 2010). "Elizabeth Cook: Transcending A Cult Career". NPR. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
- ^ Mueller, Andrew (2010). "Elizabeth Cook Welder Review". BBC. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
- ^ "Elizabeth Cook on Rehab, David Letterman and New Album".
- ^ "30 Best Albums of 2010: Elizabeth Cook, Welder". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
- ^ Himes, Geoffrey (7 May 2010). "CD review: Elizabeth Cook's 'Welder'". Washington Post. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
- ^ Allen, James. "Welder Review". Allmusic. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
- ^ Dovey, Rachel (13 May 2010). "Elizabeth Cook: Welder". Paste. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
- ^ Leftridge, Steve (12 May 2010). "Elizabeth Cook: Welder". PopMatters. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
- ^ Denselow, Robin (6 May 2010). "Elizabeth Cook: Welder". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
- ^ Christgau, Robert (2010-06-01). "Consumer Guide: June 2010". MSN Music. Retrieved 2017-10-25.
- ^ "Elizabeth Cook Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard.
- ^ "Elizabeth Cook Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard.