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6 Degrees Entertainment

Title - A Boot And A Shoe [20th Anniversary Reissue]
Artist - Sam Phillips

For those not in the know, since the late 1980s Sam Phillips has been a poetic voice in the alternative/pop realm. She recorded a series of acclaimed albums for Virgin Records, including the Grammy-nominated Martinis And Bikinis (expanded and reissued by Omnivore Recordings in 2012), all produced by T Bone Burnett.

At the turn of the century, Sam was invited by Amy Sherman-Palladino, who was a fan of Sam’s music, to score her new television series, Gilmore Girls, on a new network, The WB. Sam’s unconventional score featuring vocal and acoustic guitar was likened to an onscreen character itself and dubbed “the La La’s” by the growing legion of Gilmore Girls fans. Around that time Sam signed a new deal with Nonesuch Records and continued to build her stellar catalog.

In 2004, Phillips released A Boot And A Shoe, featuring guest artists including Burnett, Marc Ribot (Tom Waits, Elvis Costello), Mike Elizondo (Fiona Apple, Eminem), legendary drummer Jim Keltner, and the Section Quartet. The album contained 13 tracks including “Reflecting Light” and “If I Could Write”—both featured prominently in the Gilmore Girls original series and, most memorably, the Netflix revival Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life.

2024 marks the 20th anniversary of A Boot And A Shoe and to commemorate the anniversary, it is being issued for the very first time on vinyl, and reissued on CD, both with new liner notes by Sam. On the occasion of its 20th anniversary, now is the time to reintroduce this incredible record, and on the format fans of Sam and Gilmore Girls have been waiting for.

1. How To Quit
2. All Night
3. I Dreamed I Stopped Dreaming
4. Open The World
5. Red Silk Five
6. Reflecting Light
7. Infiltration
8. Draw Man
9. I Wanted To Be Alone
10. Love Changes Everything
11. If I Could Write
12. Hole In My Pocket
13. One Day Late

While I personally (albeit only slightly) prefer the darker tones on her previous-to-this masterpiece Fan Dance, here on A Boot And A Show the always-dulcet Sam is still musically sublime. The track Reflecting Light is simply one of the most beautiful songs she has ever written, in my humble opinion.

Noticeably brighter and a little more playful than her previous aforementioned release, it is no less profound and if, anything, is just a bit better than the second half of Fan Dance; based on the quality of the songwriting progression.

Indeed, her husband T-Bone Burnett has produced every one of Sam’s albums since 1988, and the success of each release is due in part to his general vision, but Sam’s creative input is still the reason I look for every record she puts out, even today.

Funnily enough, because of the overloaded bass on the brilliant All Night, I would highly recommend listeners use that song as a guide to program their stereos to get the most effective settings for listening to the album. The song itself actually sounds like something on a 50’s transistor radio, which itself simply adds tuneful credence to this album.

Furthermore, I really think that this album was her most adult and sophisticated set to date, and most definitely her strongest since 1994’s rockier, country-tinged Martinis & Bikinis (perhaps even stronger, at times).

Now, sure, at first A Boot And A Shoe may seem slight, but it is for sure an album that got better and better the more you played it. I mean, it had only been a few months since it had been released, and I can recall that my subtly nagging inner ear, suggesting that a lot of the songs were understated, sparing of melodic interludes, was soon eradicated as the songs got better and better with each listen.

In closing, this album has proven to be one of the most lovely, subtly engrossing and stalwart albums of that year and to this day remains in my Top 20 of all-time.

Official Purchase Link

www.samphillips.com

www.omnivorerecordings.com





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