Emmylou Harris | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Blessed with a crystalline voice, a remarkable gift for phrasing, and a restless creative spirit, few artists had as profound an impact on contemporary music as Emmylou Harris. She traveled a singular artistic path, proudly carrying the torch of "cosmic American music" passed down by her mentor, Gram Parsons, which made a profound mark on both country and rock. Beginning as a folk singer in New York City, Harris released her first album in 1970, only to see it disappear with the bankruptcy of her record label. But a year later, she was playing a folk club in Washington D.C. when Chris Hillman saw her perform, and he recommended her to his former bandmate Gram Parsons. Harris would contribute superb vocals to Parsons solo albums, 1972s G.P. and 1974s Grievous Angel, and he would be her guide in country music until his death in September 1973. Harris moved on to a solo career with albums like 1977s Pieces of the Sky and Elite Hotel, and 1977s Luxury Liner, where she blended an abiding respect for country musics history with a passion and flair informed by rock. While Harris was a superb interpretive vocalist, she would later come into her own as a songwriter with 1985s ambitious concept album The Ballad of Sally Rose, and in 1987 she enjoyed a major critical and commercial success with Trio, a collaboration with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt. With 1992s At the Ryman, Harris revitalized her muse with a superb acoustic session, and on 1995s Wrecking Ball, she teamed with producer Daniel Lanois to create a strikingly atmospheric set informed by alternative rock as much as country. Moving into the 2000s, Harris continued to explore her creative boundaries, keeping one foot in country while also finding inspiration in rock and alternative sounds. She also found time for collaborations with Mark Knopfler (2006s All the Roadrunning) and Rodney Crowell (2013s Old Yellow Moon and 2015s The Traveling Kind). With the exception of Neil Young -- not surprisingly an occasional collaborator -- no other mainstream star established a similarly large body of work as consistently iconoclastic, eclectic, or daring; even more than four decades into her career, Harris latter-day music remained as heartfelt, visionary, and vital as her earliest recordings. Harris was born on April 2, 1947, to a military family stationed in Birmingham, Alabama. After spending much of her childhood in North Carolina, she moved to Woodbridge, Virginia while in her teens and graduated high school there as class valedictorian. After winning a drama scholarship to the University of North Carolina, she began to seriously study music, learning to play songs by Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. Soon, Harris was performing in a duo with fellow UNC student Mike Williams, eventually quitting school to move to New York, only to find the citys folk music community dying out in the wake of the psychedelic era. Still, Harris remained in New York, traveling the Greenwich Village club circuit before becoming a regular at Gerdes Folk City, where she struck up friendships with fellow folkies Jerry Jeff Walker, David Bromberg, and Paul Siebel. After marrying songwriter Tom Slocum in 1969, she recorded her debut LP, 1970s Gliding Bird. Shortly after the records release, however, Harris label declared bankruptcy, and while pregnant with her first child, her marriage began to fall apart. After moving to Nashville, she and Slocum divorced, leaving Harris to raise daughter Hallie on her own. After several months of struggle and poverty, she moved back in with her parents, who had since bought a farm outside of Washington, D.C. There she returned to performing, starting a trio with local musicians Gerry Mule and Tom Guidera. One evening in 1971, while playing at an area club called Clydes, the trio performed to a crowd that included members of the country-rock pioneers the Flying Burrito Brothers. In the wake of the departure of Gram Parsons, the bands founder, the Burritos were led by ex-Byrd Chris Hillman, who was so impressed by Harris talents that he considered inviting her to join the group. Instead, Hillman himself quit to join Stephen Stills Manassas, but he recommended her to Parsons, who wanted a female vocalist to flesh out the sound of his solo work, a trailblazing fusion of country and rock & roll he dubbed "cosmic American music." Their connection was instant, and soon Harris was learning about country music and singing harmony on Parsons solo debut, 1972s G.P. A tour with Parsons backup unit, the Fallen Angels, followed, and in 1973 they returned to the studio to cut his landmark LP Grievous Angel. On September 19, just weeks after the album sessions ended, Parsons fondness for drugs and alcohol finally caught up to him, and he was found dead in a hotel room outside of the Joshua Tree National Monument in California. At the time, Harris was back in Washington, collecting her daughter for a planned move to the West Coast. Instead, she remained in D.C., reuniting with Tom Guidera to form the Angel Band. The group signed to Reprise and relocated to Los Angeles to begin work on Harris major-label solo debut, 1975s acclaimed Pieces of the Sky, an impeccable collection made up largely of diverse covers ranging in origin from Merle Haggard to the Beatles. Produced by Brian Ahern, who would go on to helm Harris next ten records -- as well as becoming her second husband -- Pieces of the Skys second single, a rendition of the Louvin Brothers "If I Could Only Win Your Love," became her first Top Five hit. "Light of the Stable," a Christmas single complete with backing vocals from Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Neil Young, soon followed; Harris then repaid the favor by singing on Ronstadts "The Sweetest Gift" and Youngs "Star of Bethlehem." For her second LP, 1976s Elite Hotel, Harris established a new backing unit, the Hot Band, which featured legendary Elvis Presley sidemen James Burton and Glen D. Hardin as well as a young songwriter named Rodney Crowell on backup vocals and rhythm guitar. The resulting album proved to be a smash, with covers of Buck Owens "Together Again" and the Patsy Cline perennial "Sweet Dreams" both topping the charts. Before beginning sessions for her third effort, 1977s Luxury Liner, Harris guested on Bob Dylans Desire and appeared in Martin Scorseses documentary of the Bands legendary final performance, The Last Waltz. Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town followed in 1978, led by the single "Two More Bottles of Wine," her third number one. The record was Crowells last with the Hot Band; one of the tracks, "Green Rolling Hills," included backing from Ricky Skaggs, soon to become Crowells replacement as Harris vocal partner. Released in 1979, Blue Kentucky Girl was her most country-oriented work to date, an indication of what was to come a year later with Roses in the Snow, a full-fledged excursion into acoustic bluegrass. In the summer of 1980, a duet with Roy Orbison, "That Lovin You Feelin Again," hit the Top Ten; a yuletide LP, Light of the Stable, followed at the end of the year. Shortly afterward, Harris quit touring to focus on raising her second daughter, Meghann. Evangeline, a patchwork of songs left off of previous albums, appeared in 1981. Shortly afterward, Skaggs left the Hot Band to embark on a solo career; his replacement was Barry Tashian, a singer/songwriter best known for fronting the 60s rock band the Remains. In 1982, drummer John Ware, the final holdover from the first Hot Band lineup, left the group; at the same time, Harris marriage to Ahern was also beginning to disintegrate. After 1981s Cimarron, Harris and the Hot Band cut a live album, Last Date, named in honor of the albums chart-topping single "(Lost His Love) On Our Last Date," a vocal version of the Floyd Cramer instrumental. Quickly, they returned to the studio to record White Shoes, Harris final LP with Ahern at the helm. Her most far-ranging affair yet, it included covers of Donna Summers "On the Radio," Johnny Aces "Pledging My Love," and Sandy Dennys "Old-Fashioned Waltz." After leaving Ahern, she and her children moved back to Nashville. There, Harris joined forces with singer/songwriter Paul Kennerley, on whose 1980 concept album, The Legend of Jesse James, she had sung backup. Together, they began formulating a record called The Ballad of Sally Rose, employing the pseudonym Harris often used on the road to veil what was otherwise a clearly autobiographical portrait of her own life. Though a commercial failure, the 1985 record proved pivotal in Harris continued evolution as an artist and a risk-taker, and she would release an expanded edition of the album in 2018. It also marked another chapter in her personal life when she and Kennerley wed shortly after concluding their tour. Angel Band, a subtle acoustic collection of traditional country spirituals, followed, although the record was not issued until 1987, after the release of its immediate follow-up, Thirteen. Harris, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt had first toyed with the idea of recording an album together as far back as 1977, only to watch the project falter in light of touring commitments and other red tape. Finally, in 1987, they issued Trio, a collection that proved to be Harris best-selling album to date, generating the hits "To Know Him Is to Love Him" (a cover of the Phil Spector classic), "Telling Me Lies," and "Those Memories of You." The records success spurred the 1990 release of Duets, a compilation of her earlier hits in conjunction with George Jones, Willie Nelson, Gram Parsons, and others. (In 1999, Harris would reunite with Parton and Ronstadt for a second collaborative album, Trio II, and the two albums and a number of unreleased tracks were later compiled into a box set, 2016s The Complete Trio Collection.) Fronting a new band, the Nash Ramblers, in 1992, Harris issued At the Ryman, a live set recorded at Nashvilles legendary Ryman Auditorium, the former home of the Grand Ole Opry. At the time of the records release, Harris was also serving a term as president of the Country Music Foundation. In 1993, she ended her long association with Warner Bros./Reprise to move to Asylum Records, where she released Cowgirls Prayer shortly after her separation from Paul Kennerley. Two years later, during a stage in her career when most performers retreat to the safety of rehashing their greatest hits again and again, Harris issued Wrecking Ball, perhaps her most adventuresome record to date. Produced by Daniel Lanois, the New Orleans-based artist best known for his atmospheric work with U2, Peter Gabriel, and Bob Dylan, Wrecking Ball was a hypnotic, staggeringly beautiful work comprised of songs ranging from the Neil Young-penned title track (which featured its writer on backing vocals) to Jimi Hendrixs "May This Be Love" and the talented newcomer Gillian Welchs "Orphan Girl." A three-disc retrospective of her years with Warner Bros., Portraits, appeared in 1996, and in 1998 Harris resurfaced with Spyboy. Following the release of Trio II later that year, she and Ronstadt again reunited, this time minus Parton, for 1999s Western Wall: The Tucson Sessions. In 2000, Harris returned with Red Dirt Girl, her first album of original material in five years, featuring appearances from Bruce Springsteen, Patti Scialfa, Jill Cuniff, and Patty Griffin. She also made an appearance on the soundtrack for O Brother, Where Art Thou?, along with a number of traditional blues, country, and folk artists. In 2003, Harris released Stumble Into Grace; two years later, she collaborated with Conor Oberst on Im Wide Awake, Its Morning, as well as recording a version of "The Scarlet Tide" with Elvis Costello for the soundtrack to Cold Mountain. The retrospective The Very Best of Emmylou Harris: Heartaches & Highways was also released in 2005 on Rhino. All the Roadrunning, a collection of songs written with Mark Knopfler over the course of seven years, was released in 2006. In 2007 Harris sang a duet with Anne Murray, which appeared on Murrays 2008 album Duets: Friends and Legends. The Brian Ahern-produced All I Intended to Be arrived in 2008 as well. Hard Bargain, Harris 21st studio album, was released by Nonesuch early in 2011. Produced by Jay Joyce, the album featured the striking Harris originals "Darlin Kate" (written for Kate McGarrigle) and "The Road" (written for Gram Parsons). She contributed vocals to three songs on the Nick Cave/Warren Ellis-composed score to the film Lawless, including "Cosmonaut" and "Fire in the Blood," as well as a reading of Townes Van Zandts "Snake Song." Harris also recorded Old Yellow Moon, a duet album with songwriter Rodney Crowell, a reunited version of her Hot Band, and producer Brian Ahern, performing the work of songwriters they admired. The album was issued in February of 2013. The pair followed it with The Traveling Kind, produced by Joe Henry. A mirror image of its predecessor, it showcased the pairs writing in collaboration with Mary Carr, Cory Chisel, Will Jennings, and Larry Klein, among others, as well as covers of songs by Lucinda Williams and Amy Allison. Nonesuch released the album in May 2015. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 44 Title: Pieces of the Sky Released: 1975 Tracks: 10 Duration: 37:48 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Bluebird Wine (03:18) 2 Too Far Gone (04:05) 3 If I Could Only Win Your Love (02:37) 4 Boulder to Birmingham (03:36) 5 Before Believing (04:43) 6 Bottle Let Me Down (03:18) 7 Sleepless Nights (03:27) 8 Coat of Many Colors (03:42) 9 For No One (03:42) 10 Queen of the Silver Dollar (05:16) |
| Pieces of the Sky : Allmusic album Review : Emmylou Harris major-label solo debut quickly establishes the pattern that the vast majority of her subsequent work would follow: Pieces of the Sky is bravely eclectic, impeccably performed, and achingly beautiful. Amid a collection of songs that ranks among her most well-chosen -- ranging from the catalogs of the Beatles ("For No One") to Boudleaux and Felice Bryant ("Sleepless Nights") and the Louvin Brothers (the hit "If I Could Only Win Your Love") -- the records centerpiece is one of Harris rare original compositions, "Boulder to Birmingham," her stirring tribute to fallen mentor Gram Parsons. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 44 Title: Elite Hotel Released: 1975-11 Tracks: 12 Duration: 43:20 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Amarillo (03:01) 2 Together Again (03:54) 3 Feelin Single-Seein Double (02:28) 4 Sin City (03:58) 5 One of These Days (03:05) 6 Till I Gain Control Again (05:37) 7 Here, There and Everywhere (03:42) 8 Ooh Las Vegas (03:44) 9 Sweet Dreams (04:07) 10 Jambalaya (03:10) 11 Satans Jewel Crown (03:18) 12 Wheels (03:12) |
| Elite Hotel : Allmusic album Review : While Emmylou Harris spent much of her career carrying on the legacy of Gram Parsons, Elite Hotel ranks among her most overt tributes to his genius, thanks to its covers of the Flying Burrito Brothers "Sin City" and "Wheels," along with "Ooh Las Vegas" from the Grievous Angel album. In addition to the usual eclectic mix of covers -- which includes the Beatles "Here, There and Everywhere" and Hank Williams "Jambalaya" this time out -- Elite Hotel offers renditions of the country perennials "Together Again" and "Sweet Dreams," which were, respectively, Harris first two number one chart hits. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 44 Title: Luxury Liner Released: 1977 Tracks: 10 Duration: 39:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Luxury Liner (03:42) 2 Pancho & Lefty (04:52) 3 Making Believe (03:38) 4 Youre Supposed to Be Feeling Good (04:06) 5 Ill Be Your San Antone Rose (03:45) 6 (You Never Can Tell) Cest la Vie (03:31) 7 When I Stop Dreaming (03:16) 8 Hello Stranger (04:02) 9 She (03:20) 10 Tulsa Queen (04:47) |
| Luxury Liner : Allmusic album Review : Luxury Liner ranks as Emmylou Harris best-selling solo record to date, and its one of her most engaging efforts as well; her Hot Band is in peak form, and the songs are even more far afield than usual, including Chuck Berrys "(You Never Can Tell) Cest la Vie" and Townes Van Zandts painterly tale of aging outlaws, "Pancho & Lefty." | ||
 | Album: 4 of 44 Title: Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town Released: 1978 Tracks: 12 Duration: 42:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Easy From Now On (03:09) 2 Two More Bottles of Wine (03:07) 3 To Daddy (02:50) 4 My Songbird (03:09) 5 Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight (04:20) 6 Defying Gravity (04:16) 7 I Aint Living Long Like This (04:06) 8 One Paper Kid (02:57) 9 Green Rolling Hills (03:40) 10 Burn That Candle (04:26) 11 New Cut Road (04:10) 12 LaCassine Special (02:44) |
| Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town : Allmusic album Review : Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town is a transitional effort that bridges the curveballs of Emmylou Harris earliest solo work with the more traditional country albums that comprise the bulk of the second phase of her career. For the first time, she covers no Gram Parsons tunes or pop music chestnuts, relying instead on newly exited Hot Band member Rodney Crowell for two songs ("Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight" and "I Aint Living Long Like This") and Dolly Parton for another (the devastating "To Daddy"); the highlight is a gorgeous cover of Jesse Winchesters "Defying Gravity." | ||
 | Album: 5 of 44 Title: Profile: The Best of Emmylou Harris Released: 1978 Tracks: 12 Duration: 40:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 One of These Days (03:05) 2 Sweet Dreams (03:10) 3 To Daddy (02:50) 4 (You Never Can Tell) Cest la vie (03:30) 5 Making Believe (03:38) 6 Easy From Now On (03:09) 7 Together Again (03:54) 8 If I Could Only Win Your Love (02:40) 9 Too Far Gone (03:31) 10 Two More Bottles of Wine (03:10) 11 Boulder to Birmingham (03:36) 12 Hello Stranger (03:57) |
 | Album: 6 of 44 Title: Blue Kentucky Girl Released: 1979 Tracks: 10 Duration: 34:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Sisters Coming Home (02:52) 2 Beneath Still Waters (03:44) 3 Rough and Rocky (03:54) 4 Hickory Wind (04:05) 5 Save the Last Dance for Me (03:42) 6 Sorrow in the Wind (03:32) 7 Theyll Never Take His Love From Me (02:36) 8 Everytime You Leave (03:01) 9 Blue Kentucky Girl (03:21) 10 Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (03:56) |
| Blue Kentucky Girl : Allmusic album Review : In response to criticism that her records werent "country" enough, Harris recorded Blue Kentucky Girl, one of her most traditional outings. Relying on a more acoustic sound, the album largely forsakes contemporary pop songs in favor of standard country fare, including the Louvin Brothers "Everytime You Leave" and Leon Paynes "Theyll Never Take His Love from Me." The cover of Dallas Fraziers "Beneath Still Waters" earned Harris her fourth number one single. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 44 Title: Light of the Stable (The Christmas Album) Released: 1979-07 Tracks: 13 Duration: 41:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Christmas Times a Coming (02:55) 2 O Little Town of Bethlehem (03:43) 3 Away in a Manger (02:40) 4 Angel Eyes (03:21) 5 The First Noel (02:40) 6 Beautiful Star of Bethlehem (03:08) 7 Little Drummer Boy (04:03) 8 Theres a Light (02:54) 9 Cherry Tree Carol (03:33) 10 Golden Cradle (02:07) 11 Silent Night (03:35) 12 Man Is an Island (04:45) 13 Light of the Stable (02:31) |
| Light of the Stable (The Christmas Album) : Allmusic album Review : Emmylou Harris is an artist with the rare sort of voice that communicates an honest and firmly grounded humanity while possessing a crystalline purity that verges on the angelic. In short, she was a singer born to make a great Christmas album, and in 1979 she did just that with Light of the Stable, in which she fused the high-lonesome traditional sound shed been exploring on Roses in the Snow and Blue Kentucky Girl with songs that honored the spiritual and emotional roots of the holiday season. The albums gestation began with a 1975 single of "Light of the Stable," with most of the material recorded years later, but Harris and producer Brian Ahern gave the project an admirably unified sound, which speaks of Christmas with a quiet dignity thats celebratory but reverent -- this is one of the few Christmas albums from a secular artist that scarcely mentions Santa Claus while focusing clearly on the birth of Christ. Harris and Ahern assembled a stellar cast for these sessions -- the pickers include Ricky Skaggs, James Burton, and Rodney Crowell, while Willie Nelson, Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, and Neil Young pitch in backing vocals -- but the results are a marvel of restraint, with precious little showboating and a handful of performances that rank with the performers best work. If youre looking for a disc that will kick up your Christmas party a few notches, Light of the Stable isnt it, but if you want to hear music of quiet but compelling beauty which warmly resonates with the true meaning of the holidays, then youll find this album is an experience to treasure. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 44 Title: Roses in the Snow Released: 1980 Tracks: 12 Duration: 38:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Roses in the Snow (02:37) 2 Wayfaring Stranger (03:32) 3 Green Pastures (03:12) 4 The Boxer (03:20) 5 Darkest Hour Is Just Before Dawn (03:25) 6 Ill Go Stepping Too (02:20) 7 Youre Learning (03:01) 8 Jordan (02:10) 9 Miss the Mississippi and You (03:47) 10 Gold Watch and Chain (03:16) 11 Youre Gonna Change (Or Im Gonna Leave) (02:40) 12 Root Like a Rose (04:45) |
| Roses in the Snow : Allmusic album Review : Combining acoustic bluegrass with traditional Appalachian melodies (and tossing one contemporary tune, Paul Simons "The Boxer," into the mix), Roses in the Snow ranks among Emmylou Harris riskiest -- and most satisfying -- gambits. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 44 Title: Cimarron Released: 1981 Tracks: 11 Duration: 45:07 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Rose of Cimarron (04:21) 2 Spanish Is a Loving Tongue (03:20) 3 If I Needed You (03:37) 4 Another Lonesome Morning (03:04) 5 The Last Cheaters Waltz (05:37) 6 Born to Run (03:47) 7 The Price You Pay (04:39) 8 Son of a Rotten Gambler (04:15) 9 Tennessee Waltz (02:30) 10 Tennessee Rose (05:34) 11 Colors of Your Heart (04:20) |
| Cimarron : Allmusic album Review : That Cimarron, Emmylou Harris ninth regular album, was assembled largely from recording sessions held for her previous couple of records is no necessary reflection on its quality. In fact, Cimarron was a typical effort for Harris, presenting her usual mix of country favorites, songs borrowed from the pop/rock arena, and singer/songwriter discoveries. Most prominent among the last category was Townes Van Zandts "If I Needed You," released as a single three months ahead of the LP. From the pop mainstream, Harris borrowed Pocos "Rose of Cimarron" and Bruce Springsteens "The Price You Pay." The recent T.G. Sheppard country number one hit "The Last Cheaters Waltz" and "Tennessee Waltz," best remembered for Patti Pages pop hit, were given respectful readings. And there was a lovely arrangement of the traditional ballad "Spanish Is a Loving Tongue." But the most memorable songs on the album were its two other country Top Tens, Karen Brooks and Hank DeVitos "Tennessee Rose" and Paul Kennerleys "Born to Run." On the whole, the album maintained the high standard Harris had set with her previous releases, and it deserved its 1982 Grammy nomination for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female. Though it matched the success of recent Harris LPs on the country charts, hitting the Top Ten and remaining listed for more than nine months, it did not enjoy as great a pop crossover sale and became Harris first regular album since her 1975 breakthrough not to go gold. This was more indicative of the overall decline in countrys crossover success than of any deficiency of the album itself; nevertheless, Harris commercial success had crested. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 44 Title: Evangeline Released: 1981 Tracks: 10 Duration: 34:13 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 I Don’t Have to Crawl (03:48) 2 How High the Moon (03:24) 3 Spanish Johnny (03:54) 4 Bad Moon Rising (02:43) 5 Evangeline (03:12) 6 Hot Burrito #2 (03:08) 7 Millworker (04:08) 8 Oh Atlanta (03:02) 9 Mister Sandman (02:22) 10 Ashes by Now (04:29) |
| Evangeline : Allmusic album Review : Long considered a substandard effort due to its oddly brief running time (its just barely half an hour long) and scattershot feel (like its sister album, Cimarron, also released in 1981, it primarily consists of outtakes from earlier albums), Evangeline is not as bad as its detractors claim. Its true that the album has more than a couple of clunkers; the synthesizers and California rock guitars of Rodney Crowells "I Dont Have to Crawl" and "Ashes By Now" do neither singer nor songs any favors, the version of John Fogertys "Bad Moon Rising" adds nothing new to the song, and James Taylors "Millworker" simply isnt very good. On the other hand, two recordings from the then-unreleased Trio sessions with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt, a perky "Mr. Sandman" that was a minor pop hit and a reworking of Robbie Robertsons haunting "Evangeline" featuring some outstanding harmonies from Parton, are outstanding, as are "Spanish Johnny," a Springsteen-ish ballad sung with Waylon Jennings, and a dazzling version of the standard "How High the Moon" that uses the same pre-rock arrangement style as "Mr. Sandman." So, Evangeline is certainly uneven, but its not at all worthless. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 44 Title: Last Date Released: 1982-10 Tracks: 12 Duration: 39:36 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Im Movin On (02:56) 2 Its Not Love (But Its Not Bad) (02:37) 3 So Sad (to Watch Good Love Go Bad) (03:10) 4 Return of the Grievous Angel (03:40) 5 Restless (03:12) 6 Racing in the Streets (05:07) 7 Long May You Run (03:28) 8 Well Sweep Out the Ashes (In the Morning) (02:33) 9 Juanita (02:58) 10 Devil in Disguise (03:03) 11 (Lost His Love) On Our Last Date (03:34) 12 Buckaroo / Loves Gonna Live Here (medley) (03:18) |
 | Album: 12 of 44 Title: White Shoes Released: 1983 Tracks: 10 Duration: 34:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Drivin Wheel (03:10) 2 Pledging My Love (03:00) 3 In My Dreams (03:15) 4 White Shoes (03:30) 5 On the Radio (05:11) 6 Its Only Rock n Roll (02:55) 7 Diamonds Are a Girls Best Friend (03:39) 8 Good News (03:52) 9 Baby, Better Start Turnin em Down (03:04) 10 Like an Old Fashioned Waltz (03:11) |
| White Shoes : Allmusic album Review : Harris final album with longtime producer (and husband) Brian Ahern is among her most surprising and diverse, perhaps the closest shes ever come to a straightahead rock LP. Among the unusual cover choices: Johnny Aces "Pledging My Love" and Donna Summers "On the Radio." | ||
 | Album: 13 of 44 Title: Profile II: The Best of Emmylou Harris Released: 1984 Tracks: 10 Duration: 33:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Blue Kentucky Girl (03:20) 2 Wayfaring Stranger (03:28) 3 Beneath Still Waters (03:45) 4 Born to Run (03:47) 5 Someone Like You (03:18) 6 Mister Sandman (02:21) 7 Pledging My Love (03:02) 8 Im Movin On (02:51) 9 (Lost His Love) On Our Last Date (03:34) 10 Save the Last Dance for Me (03:39) |
 | Album: 14 of 44 Title: The Ballad of Sally Rose Released: 1985 Tracks: 13 Duration: 36:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Ballad of Sally Rose (02:48) 2 Rhythm Guitar (03:18) 3 I Think I Love Him / You Are My Flower (instrumental) (01:07) 4 Heart to Heart (02:31) 5 Woman Walk the Line (04:08) 6 Bad News (01:46) 7 Timberline (02:51) 8 Long Tall Sally Rose (01:32) 9 White Line (03:46) 10 Diamond in My Crown (02:55) 11 The Sweetheart of the Rodeo (03:41) 12 K-S-O-S (instrumental medley: Ring of Fire / Wildwood Flower / Six Day) (02:50) 13 Sweet Chariot (02:58) |
| The Ballad of Sally Rose : Allmusic album Review : In 1985, anyone with even a passing familiarity with Emmylou Harris work knew that she was one of the strongest and most insightful interpretive vocalists of her generation, capable of bringing a striking beauty and depth of meaning to anything she chose to sing. However, she very rarely wrote her own material, preferring to explore the nooks and crannies of the work of others. That changed with 1985s The Ballad of Sally Rose, an ambitious and semi-autobiographical album in which Harris told the tale of an aspiring singer and the musician who becomes her mentor, champion, and lover during their short time together. The Ballad of Sally Rose was inspired by Harris years working with Gram Parsons, who discovered her and helped give her a career, and with producer and co-writer Paul Kennerley she created an album that was part grand storytelling, part memoir, and part tribute to her fallen comrade (though in real life, Parsons and Harris were not romantically involved). Considering that the last time shed cut songs of her own was on her misbegotten (and largely disowned) 1968 debut, Gliding Bird, Harris shows impressive skills as a tunesmith on The Ballad of Sally Rose; studying the work of great writers was clearly not lost on her, and her lyrics on these tunes are consistently thoughtful, incisive, and emotionally intelligent, and the melodies roll with a graceful assurance that matches the understated sadness of many of the tunes. Kennerleys production is rich but never overstated, dressing the songs in what sounds like an updated variation on classic countrypolitan, and with her Trio partners Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt adding harmonies, Harris backing vocalists sound every bit as skillful as she does. The lack of an obvious single on The Ballad of Sally Rose prevented it from making much of a commercial impact when it was first released, and it was widely regarded as a dud, but the album later developed a loyal following among Harris fans, and with good cause. It still sounds like one of Emmylou Harris most heartfelt and personal works, and it opened the door for such late-career triumphs as Wrecking Ball and Red Dirt Girl. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 44 Title: Angel Band Released: 1987 Tracks: 12 Duration: 37:08 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Where Could I Go but to the Lord (03:34) 2 Angel Band (03:04) 3 If I Be Lifted Up (02:46) 4 Precious Memories (04:30) 5 Bright Morning Stars (02:36) 6 When He Calls (02:43) 7 We Shall Rise (02:14) 8 Drifting Too Far (04:49) 9 Who Will Sing for Me? (02:34) 10 Someday My Ship Will Sail (02:27) 11 The Other Side of Life (02:36) 12 When They Ring Those Golden Bells (03:11) |
| Angel Band : Allmusic album Review : Angel Band is yet another fascinating left turn, an acoustic record comprised of country-gospel songs like "We Shall Rise, " "If I Be Lifted Up" and "Someday My Ship Will Sail, " performed with great subtlety and nuance. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 44 Title: Trio Released: 1987-01 Tracks: 11 Duration: 39:04 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Pain of Loving You (02:34) 2 Making Plans (03:38) 3 To Know Him Is to Love Him (03:50) 4 Hobo’s Meditation (03:19) 5 Wildflowers (03:35) 6 Telling Me Lies (04:25) 7 My Dear Companion (02:57) 8 Those Memories of You (04:01) 9 I’ve Had Enough (03:32) 10 Rosewood Casket (03:01) 11 Farther Along (04:08) |
| Trio : Allmusic album Review : Bringing together Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt for the album Trio was a truly inspired idea, and not simply because they were three of the finest voices in country and pop music at the time. While a gifted entertainer, Parton is also a business-savvy professional who will willingly set aside her gifts as a pure country singer if she thinks her audience would rather hear something like "Nine to Five." However, give her a stage for old-school country material, and she will always rise sublimely to the occasion. Similarly, some of Linda Ronstadts finest work was on her early country-rock albums (especially Heart Like a Wheel), but she seems to operate best with strong collaborators; left to her own devices, shes just as likely to pick wrong-headed material in styles not comfortable to her, but in the right settings her gifts still dazzle. And while Emmylou Harris had as strong a track record as anyone in Nashville in the 1980s, its obvious she loves to collaborate with others, and sings harmonies with the same rich and affecting beauty that she brings to her headlining gigs. So you take two gifted artists who need proper direction, team them up with an excellent collaborative artist, and the results should fall neatly into place. In truth, thats a formula as likely as not to fail, but on Trio the experiment works brilliantly. The three vocalists display an obvious affinity and respect for one anothers talents, inspiring superb performances in one another, and while they all shine in their solo spots, some of the albums most pleasurable moments are when the three harmonize, with their distinct but equally impressive voices melding into a whole thats more than the sum of its parts. Harris, Parton, and Ronstadt also make the most of a set of fine songs (certainly a better program than Parton or Ronstadt had taken on in the studio in a while), and producer George Massenburg lined up a wonderfully subtle and intuitive backing group, with Ry Cooder, David Lindley, and Albert Lee picking gloriously without calling undue attention to themselves. In short, Trio is that rare example of an all-star collaborative effort that truly shows everyone involved to their best advantage, and it ranks with the best of all three headliners work. | ||
 | Album: 17 of 44 Title: Bluebird Released: 1988 Tracks: 10 Duration: 39:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Heaven Only Knows (03:36) 2 Youve Been on My Mind (02:54) 3 Icy Blue Heart (04:07) 4 Love Is (03:53) 5 No Regrets (05:39) 6 Lonely Street (03:13) 7 Heartbreak Hill (03:12) 8 I Still Miss Someone (02:53) 9 A River for Him (05:06) 10 If You Were a Bluebird (04:37) |
| Bluebird : Allmusic album Review : Like most of Emmylou Harris albums, Bluebird is an expertly performed album, featuring some truly startling and affecting tour de forces. However, the material -- while featuring a handful of truly great songs, like John Hiatts "Icy Blue Heart" and her original "A River for Him" -- is too uneven to rank among her finest efforts. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 44 Title: Brand New Dance Released: 1990 Tracks: 10 Duration: 37:53 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Wheels of Love (02:44) 2 Tougher Than the Rest (05:01) 3 In His World (04:14) 4 Sweet Dreams of You (03:56) 5 Easy for You to Say (03:23) 6 Rollin’ and Ramblin’ (The Death of Hank Williams) (03:29) 7 Better Off Without You (05:17) 8 Never Be Anyone Else But You (02:21) 9 Brand New Dance (03:28) 10 Red Red Rose (03:56) |
| Brand New Dance : Allmusic album Review : In 1990, Emmylou Harris run of superb mid-70s albums was over, and she hadnt yet assembled the Nash Ramblers, the acoustic band that gave her music a heady kick-start prior to her first striking collaboration with Daniel Lanois, Wrecking Ball. As a result, Brand New Dance captures Harris at the end of one cycle and just before the start of another, and the material and production suggest Harris was ready for some changes. Emmylou Harris probably couldnt make a truly bad album if she tried, and as always, shes in lovely voice on Brand New Dance, but she doesnt always sound especially engaged with the material, most of which falls into the "good-but-not-great" category (notable exceptions -- a strong cover of Bruce Springsteens "Tougher Than the Rest" and the title cut). In addition, producer Allen Reynolds puts a shade too much pop-friendly gloss on the arrangements and mix for several of these tunes, and despite the presence of a truly impressive team of accompanists, this album never quite catches fire as in Harris best work. Brand New Dance is a strong and professional piece of work, but Harris next few albums would remind fans she was capable of a lot more than that. | ||
 | Album: 19 of 44 Title: Duets Released: 1990-07-24 Tracks: 12 Duration: 41:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 The Price I Pay (02:59) 2 Love Hurts (03:40) 3 That Lovin’ You Feelin’ Again (03:59) 4 We Believe in Happy Endings (03:36) 5 Thing About You (03:52) 6 Star of Bethlehem (02:42) 7 All Fall Down (03:20) 8 Wild Montana Skies (04:06) 9 Green Pastures (03:08) 10 Gulf Coast Highway (03:10) 11 If I Needed You (03:33) 12 Evangeline (03:12) |
| Duets : Allmusic album Review : On the heels of Trio, Emmylou Harris smash studio collaboration with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt, comes the compilation Duets, which collects previously released performances recorded in conjunction with Neil Young, Willie Nelson and others. Obviously intended to cash in on the success of Trio, the record is by no means an essential addition to the Harris oeuvre: virtually everything included is readily available on other albums, and the selections are erratic at best. By and large, Harris finest material is her solo work, although the power of "Love Hurts," recorded during her all-too-brief period with Gram Parsons, remains undeniable. | ||
 | Album: 20 of 44 Title: Cowgirls Prayer Released: 1993-09-28 Tracks: 11 Duration: 42:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 A Ways to Go (03:40) 2 The Light (02:29) 3 High Powered Love (03:09) 4 You Don’t Know Me (03:08) 5 Prayer in Open D (04:19) 6 Crescent City (03:32) 7 Lovin’ You Again (05:33) 8 Jerusalem Tomorrow (04:19) 9 Thanks to You (03:58) 10 I Hear a Call (02:51) 11 Ballad of a Runaway Horse (05:35) |
| Cowgirl's Prayer : Allmusic album Review : Cowgirls Prayer, recorded in 1993, was the last album Emmylou Harris recorded before beginning a long association with producer and songwriter Daniel Lanois, creating her band Spyboy, and recording her exit from Elektra with Wrecking Ball. In other words, it was the last "traditional" Emmylou Harris record. Produced by Allen Reynolds and Richard Bennett, it features 11 stellar cuts by songwriters such as Lucinda Williams ("Crescent City"), Leonard Cohen ("Ballad of a Runaway Horse"), David Olney ("Jerusalem Tomorrow"), Kieran Kane ("The Light"), Eddy Arnold (the classic "You Dont Know Me"), and, in a welcome change, Harris herself ("Prayer in Open D"). This is also filled with Nashville session aces as well as Kane; backing vocalists who include Trisha Yearwood, Alison Krauss, and Ashley Cleveland; and famed bassist Edgar Meyer. The Arnold track, Harris own composition, and her reading of Williams "Crescent City" are standouts to be sure, in that Harris allows her voice to move deeper into the lyric than the arrangements would normally allow. But it is on Olneys "Jerusalem Tomorrow" that the weight of the album rests, with Al Perkins whining pedal steel and Sam Levines clarinet winding their way through the mix. The story involves a charlatan who heals the sick and makes a mute speak, a false prophet who feels his game is being eclipsed by a strange, wandering Galilean who doesnt charge for his works of wonder. When the false prophet encounters Jesus, he decides to go along with his game as long as his way is paid, and prepares to go into Jerusalem the next day. Given that it is spoken and not sung, Harris dislocates her way of conveying emotion in a song; that she becomes convincing as a male figure is another shapeshift, and finally that there is no overly moral tone in her delivery, but strictly one of empathy, opens up not only the song, but Harris and the rest of the album to an entirely different set of critical criteria. Cowgirls Prayer is one of Harris most emotionally honest and musically satisfying recordings that matches the intensity, diversity, and musical ambition of her earliest works. | ||
 | Album: 21 of 44 Title: Songs of the West Released: 1994-11-13 Tracks: 10 Duration: 35:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Ill Be Your San Antone Rose (03:42) 2 Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (03:58) 3 Amarillo (03:01) 4 The Sweetheart of the Rodeo (03:41) 5 Queen of the Silver Dollar (04:09) 6 One Paper Kid (02:57) 7 Rose of Cimarron (04:20) 8 Spanish Is a Loving Tongue (03:17) 9 Cattle Call (03:09) 10 Montana Cowgirl (02:55) |
| Songs of the West : Allmusic album Review : Following Harris departure from Warner Bros., the label saw fit to compile Songs of the West, a collection of previously-released performances linked thematically by their connection, however tenuous, to Western music, life and mythology. Stripped of their original album context, the individual tracks fail to happily co-exist; the records lone selling point is that a pair of cuts -- one culled from her autobiographical song cycle The Ballad of Sally Rose, the other a cover of Pocos "Rose of Cimarron" -- make their domestic CD bow herein. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 44 Title: Wrecking Ball Released: 1995-09-26 Tracks: 25 Duration: 1:39:50 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Where Will I Be (04:15) 2 Goodbye (04:52) 3 All My Tears (Be Washed Away) (03:41) 4 Wrecking Ball (04:49) 5 Goin Back to Harlan (04:52) 6 Deeper Well (04:17) 7 Every Grain of Sand (03:55) 8 Sweet Old World (05:05) 9 May This Be Love (04:44) 10 Orphan Girl (03:14) 11 Blackhawk (04:28) 12 Waltz Across Texas Tonight (04:46) 1 Still Water (03:55) 2 Where Will I Be (04:14) 3 All My Tears (03:21) 4 How Will I Ever Be Simple Again (03:36) 5 Deeper Well (02:18) 6 The Stranger Song (05:21) 7 Sweet Old World (05:56) 8 Gold (03:16) 9 Blackhawk (04:40) 10 May This Be Love (02:15) 11 Goin’ Back to Harlan (02:35) 12 Where Will I Be (02:13) 13 Deeper Well (03:06) |
| Wrecking Ball : Allmusic album Review : Wrecking Ball is a leftfield masterpiece, the most wide-ranging, innovative, and daring record in a career built on such notions. Rich in atmosphere and haunting in its dark complexity, much of the due credit belongs to producer Daniel Lanois; best known for his work with pop superstars like U2 and Peter Gabriel, on Wrecking Ball Lanois taps into the very essence of what makes Harris tick -- the gossamer vocals, the flawless phrasing -- while also opening up innumerable new avenues for her talents to explore. The songs shimmer and swirl, given life through Lanois trademark ringing guitar textures and the almost primal drumming of U2s Larry Mullen, Jr. The fixed point remains Harris voice, which leaps into each and every one of these diverse compositions -- culled from the pens of Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Steve Earle, and others -- with utter fearlessness, as if this were the album shed been waiting her entire life to make. Maybe it is. | ||
 | Album: 23 of 44 Title: Portraits Released: 1996-09-30 Tracks: 61 Duration: 3:42:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Boulder to Birmingham (03:36) 2 Before Believing (04:43) 3 Love Hurts (03:40) 4 In My Hour of Darkness (03:43) 5 Angels Rejoiced Last Night (02:23) 6 Sleepness Nights (03:22) 7 Too Far Gone (04:05) 8 If I Could Only Win Your Love (02:37) 9 Till I Gain Control Again (05:36) 10 One of Those Days (03:03) 11 Together Again (03:54) 12 Here, There and Everywhere (03:42) 13 You’re Still on My Mind (02:53) 14 Sweet Dreams (04:02) 15 Luxury Liner (03:42) 16 Making Believe (03:34) 17 Pancho & Lefty (04:50) 18 Two More Bottles of Wine (03:07) 19 You Never Can Tell (03:26) 20 Easy From Now On (03:07) 1 Hello Stranger (03:57) 2 Everytime You Leave (03:01) 3 Beneath Still Waters (03:44) 4 Blue Kentucky Girl (03:21) 5 To Daddy (02:50) 6 Evangeline (03:12) 7 Save the Last Dance for Me (03:42) 8 Mister Sandman (02:22) 9 And I Love You So (04:42) 10 If I Needed You (03:33) 11 Roses in the Snow (02:37) 12 The Boxer (03:20) 13 Wayfaring Stranger (03:32) 14 Millworker (04:08) 15 Dimming of the Day (03:28) 16 Heaven Ain’t Ready for You Yet (03:57) 17 Juanita (02:44) 18 Born to Run (03:47) 19 The Price You Pay (04:39) 20 Sweet Chariot (02:58) 21 That Lovin’ You Feelin’ Again (03:59) 1 In My Dreams (03:15) 2 Love Is (04:40) 3 To Know Him Is to Love Him (03:50) 4 The Pain of Loving You (02:34) 5 Farther Along (04:08) 6 Angel Band (03:04) 7 I Still Miss Someone (02:53) 8 A River for Him (05:06) 9 Heartbreak Hill (03:15) 10 Icy Blue Heart (04:07) 11 Gulf Coast Highway (03:10) 12 We Believe in Happy Endings (03:36) 13 West Texas Waltz (03:34) 14 Rollin’ and Ramblin’ (The Death of Hank Williams) (03:29) 15 Casey’s Last Ride (03:58) 16 Hard Times (03:27) 17 Calling My Children Home (03:02) 18 Walls of Time (04:47) 19 When I Paint My Masterpiece (04:20) 20 No Regrets (05:39) |
| Portraits : Allmusic album Review : Portraits is a three-disc, 61-track box set covering Emmylou Harris entire career for Reprise and Warner Records, which spans from 1974 to 1992. Not only does the box select highlights from classic albums like Luxury Liner, Roses in the Snow, and Blue Kentucky Girl, but it also features her early duets with Gram Parsons and selections from the Trio album she recorded with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt. Portraits doesnt dwell too long on unreleased material -- there are only five unearthed tracks on the entire set -- preferring to sketch out a full overview of her career. While there might be a few favorite tracks missing, the box nevertheless fulfills its goals quite nicely -- anyone looking for a comprehensive compilation of Emmylous career will not be disappointed. | ||
 | Album: 24 of 44 Title: Trio II Released: 1998-11-17 Tracks: 10 Duration: 41:23 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Lover’s Return (04:00) 2 High Sierra (04:22) 3 Do I Ever Cross Your Mind (03:17) 4 After the Gold Rush (03:31) 5 The Blue Train (04:59) 6 I Feel the Blues Movin’ In (04:31) 7 You’ll Never Be the Sun (04:44) 8 He Rode All the Way to Texas (03:07) 9 Feels Like Home (04:49) 10 When We’re Gone, Long Gone (03:59) |
| Trio II : Allmusic album Review : Widely agreed upon as technically perfect, this five-year-in-the-making collaboration among these Oprytown divas should be a diamond -- or three diamonds: a Trio II tiara. But this album, for all its harmonic, sopranic vibrato perfection, is not a glassy ride across the entire lake. Let Linda Ronstadt covet the tracks for her own album projects as much as she reportedly had -- Dolly Parton walks all over this record in true Dollywood fashion, with Emmylou Harris and Ronstadt chirping deliciously behind her. There are plenty of exceptions to this, as "Feels Like Home" is really Ronstadts, and Harris treats "Youll Never Be the Sun" with crystal, bitter prayer-book reverence. Even contributing fiddles and pedal-steel guitars drop by to accompany Parton without a flaw. It isnt her fault her voice, as distinct as the rarest and loudest bird in a forest populated by rare and loud birds, outsculpts the tone and impact of any song she sings with others. She and the gals score a soaring version of the old Carter Family classic "Lovers Return" in a heartbreaking three-parter; the baffling choice to include a Parton-heavy Neil Young standard about the survival and solitude of the dope-drenched 60s, "After the Gold Rush," is, well, baffling. Parton changes his lyrics to say, "I felt like I could cry," instead of voicing the songs former urge to procure some mind-altering substances. In general, a gem along the beautiful lines of cubic zirconium, from the most well-intended and loving of real-deal songbird girlfriends. | ||
 | Album: 25 of 44 Title: Western Wall: The Tucson Sessions Released: 1999-08-24 Tracks: 13 Duration: 50:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Loving the Highway Man (03:31) 2 Raise the Dead (03:18) 3 For a Dancer (04:43) 4 Western Wall (02:35) 5 1917 (05:25) 6 He Was Mine (03:19) 7 Sweet Spot (03:35) 8 Sisters of Mercy (03:58) 9 Falling Down (03:15) 10 Valerie (04:03) 11 This Is to Mother You (03:16) 12 All I Left Behind (03:23) 13 Across the Border (06:19) |
| Western Wall: The Tucson Sessions : Allmusic album Review : Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris have frequently collaborated over the course of their long careers. Their voices are made for each other in a yin-yang meeting of Ronstandts rich velvet alto and Harris songbird-sweet soprano. The Tucson Sessions takes their collaborations to new heights. A collection of covers and originals tracing various paths of love and loss, the performances seem to have breathed in the desert where they were recorded. Arrangements airy as the space between desert and sky are grounded by gritty guitars, splashed with color from folk instruments and filled with glorious harmonies. Well known singer/songwriters are covered -- Patty Griffin, Andy Prieboy, Rosanne Cash, Leonard Cohen, and Bruce Springsteen. Traditional presentations of Cohens "Sisters of Mercy" and Springsteens "Across the Border" take on new dimensions as sung by women. The spare arrangement and delicate harmonies lend a wonderful wistfulness to Cashs "Western Wall." A surprising cover choice with beautiful results is Sinead OConnors "This Is to Mother You." The albums best track, "1917," was written by folk singer David Olney. Its impossible to imagine anyone else singing this haunting tale of soldiers and women in WWI. Fragile and breathtaking, Harris voice is buoyed by the angelic harmonies of Ronstadt and Kate and Anna McGarrigle. Harris also contributes, along with some collaborators, three tracks to the album, notably the spirited "Raise the Dead." | ||
 | Album: 26 of 44 Title: Singin With Emmylou, Volume 1 Released: 2000-04-18 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:11:11 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Angel Eyes (02:45) 2 Only the Heart May Know (04:11) 3 Thats All It Took (live) (02:54) 4 What Could Have Been (03:45) 5 Oh Carolina (03:18) 6 Here We Are (02:52) 7 Woman Walk the Line (04:34) 8 Walk Through the Bottomland (04:11) 9 You Are (02:36) 10 Spanish Johnny (03:50) 11 Mexican Wind (03:53) 12 Anyhow, I Love You (03:56) 13 Just Like You (04:11) 14 Nobodys (04:57) 15 Just Can’t Believe It (02:23) 16 Rachel (03:39) 17 Our Babys Gone (02:48) 18 Hometown Blues (02:57) 19 Streets of This Town (Ode to Fernwood) (02:59) 20 Fourteen Days (04:21) |
 | Album: 27 of 44 Title: Red Dirt Girl Released: 2000-09-12 Tracks: 12 Duration: 55:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Pearl (05:02) 2 Michelangelo (05:14) 3 I Dont Wanna Talk About It Now (04:47) 4 Tragedy (04:24) 5 Red Dirt Girl (04:19) 6 My Baby Needs a Shepherd (04:39) 7 Bang the Drum Slowly (04:51) 8 Jai Fait Tout (05:31) 9 One Big Love (04:33) 10 Hour of Gold (05:01) 11 My Antonia (03:43) 12 Boy From Tupelo (03:48) |
| Red Dirt Girl : Allmusic album Review : On her 29th album, Emmylou Harris continues the evolution from innocent folkie to present day renaissance woman. Alternately sparse and lush, Red Dirt Girl can be seen as a companion piece to 1995s Wrecking Ball with the production credits going to Malcom Burn (who previously worked with Harris engineering and mixing Wrecking Ball). Here, drum loops and middle eastern melodies nestle in comfortably next to warm guitar work and Harris gently wavering voice. Her extensive guest work on dozens and dozens of recent releases (showing up on albums by everyone from Guy Clark to Midnight Oil) pays off with great help from Bruce Springsteen, Patti Scialfa, Buddy and Julie Miller, Guy Clark, Kate McGarrigle, and even alt-rock upstarts Dave Matthews and Luscious Jacksons Jill Cunniff. The diverse production only adds to Harris earthy songwriting, adding interest to what could otherwise be lulls during the more subdued songs, and really showcases the understated lyrics that the singer has slowly become recognized for. The teary dirge "Bang the Drum Slowly" written for her father (who died in 1993) wrings with emotion and ethereal atmosphere, while "Jai Fait Tout" (co-written with Cunniff) is an upbeat and jangly pop song, complete with hip-shakin tambourine. While this is a big departure from her rootsy 70s releases like Blue Kentucky Girl and Roses in the Snow, it still burns with an honest intensity and clear voice that Harris is known for 20 years later. | ||
 | Album: 28 of 44 Title: Nashville Country Duets Released: 2000-11-24 Tracks: 16 Duration: 51:58 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Gone, Gone, Gone (03:39) 2 To Keep Your Memory Green (03:32) 3 Under Your Spell Again (02:58) 4 Walk Through This World With Me (02:44) 5 I’ll Never Love Another (02:55) 6 Something Draws Me to You (02:54) 7 When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again (03:27) 8 You Made a Memory of Me (02:47) 9 I Take the Chance (02:28) 10 Before I Met You (03:08) 11 I’ve Always Needed You (03:17) 12 We Must Have Been Out of Our Minds (02:34) 13 Dying on Sorrow’s Wine (03:26) 14 The Best We Could Do (03:46) 15 Nobody’s Darling but Mine (03:48) 16 Love Hurts (04:30) |
 | Album: 29 of 44 Title: Anthology Released: 2001-04-30 Tracks: 44 Duration: 2:28:42 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Too Far Gone (03:32) 2 If I Could Only Win Your Love (02:37) 3 Boulder to Birmingham (03:36) 4 Together Again (03:54) 5 Here, There and Everywhere (03:42) 6 One of These Days (03:05) 7 Sweet Dreams (live) (03:04) 8 (You Can Never Tell) Cest la Vie (03:28) 9 Making Believe (03:11) 10 Easy From Now On (03:07) 11 To Daddy (02:46) 12 Two More Bottles Of Wine (03:10) 13 Save the Last Dance for Me (03:44) 14 Beneath Still Waters (03:44) 15 Blue Kentucky Girl (03:21) 16 Wayfaring Stranger (03:28) 17 That Lovin You Feelin Again (04:10) 18 The Boxer (03:31) 19 Precious Love (03:45) 20 Fools Thin Air (04:16) 21 Mister Sandman (02:21) 22 Colors of Your Heart (04:22) 1 If I Needed You (03:37) 2 Tennessee Rose (03:45) 3 Born to Run (03:47) 4 Another Pot O Tea (03:02) 5 Im Movin On (live) (02:57) 6 (Lost His Love) On Our Last Date (live) (03:26) 7 So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad) (live) (03:26) 8 Maybe Tonight (02:59) 9 Drivin Wheels (03:10) 10 In My Dreams (03:15) 11 Pledging My Love (03:00) 12 Someone Like You (03:18) 13 White Line (03:46) 14 Rhythm Guitar (03:09) 15 Timberline (02:51) 16 I Had My Heart Set on You (03:11) 17 Today I Started Loving You Again (03:24) 18 To Know Him Is to Love Him (03:50) 19 Heartbreak Hill (03:12) 20 Heaven Only Knows (03:43) 21 I Still Miss Someone (02:53) 22 Wheels of Love (02:44) |
 | Album: 30 of 44 Title: Memories Released: 2002-03-11 Tracks: 16 Duration: 49:29 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 To Keep Your Memory Green (03:14) 2 When Mr Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again (02:52) 3 Nobodys Carling but Mine (03:28) 4 The Best We Could Do (02:40) 5 We Must Have Been Out of Our Minds (02:50) 6 Dyin on Sorrows Wine (03:23) 7 I Take the Chance (02:32) 8 Something Draws Me to You (02:23) 9 Gone, Gone, Gone (03:34) 10 Under Your Spell Again (02:55) 11 Ill Never Love Another (02:44) 12 Ive Always Needed You (03:47) 13 Walk Through This World With Me (03:42) 14 You Made a Memory of Me (03:22) 15 Before I Met You (03:04) 16 Silver Haired Daddy of Mine (02:51) |
 | Album: 31 of 44 Title: Singin With Emmylou 2 Released: 2003-04-21 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:09:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 As Long as I Live (Johnny Cash) (02:59) 2 The Last Time (Geh Nicht Allein) (Tom Astor) (02:34) 3 My Babys Gone (The Kendalls) (03:26) 4 High Lonesome (The Woodys) (03:25) 5 Greenville (Lucinda Williams) (03:21) 6 Im Going Crazy in 3/4 Time (Billy Joe Shaver) (03:25) 7 Sweet Believer (T. Graham Brown) (03:21) 8 Dreamin My Dreams (Mike Auldridge) (03:02) 9 Only a Womans Heart (Mary Black) (03:42) 10 Appalachian Rain (Matraca Berg) (03:38) 11 Too May Tears Too Late (Bobby Cryner) (03:32) 12 Beyond the Blue (Patty Griffin) (04:29) 13 Ill Take My Time Going Home (Barry Tashian, Holly Tashian) (03:01) 14 Flower in the Desert (Jesse McReynolds, Jim McReynolds) (03:05) 15 Kentucky Waltz (Bill Monroe) (03:09) 16 Billy Tyler (Albert Lee) (04:36) 17 Beneath a Painted Sky (Tammy Wynette) (02:56) 18 When You Get a Little Lonely (Nicolette Larson) (03:31) 19 Stormy Weather (Tanya Tucker) (03:33) 20 Sweet Bed of Feeling (Rita Coolidge-Priscilla Jones) (04:16) |
 | Album: 32 of 44 Title: Stumble Into Grace Released: 2003-08-25 Tracks: 11 Duration: 45:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Here I Am (03:48) 2 I Will Dream (05:02) 3 Little Bird (03:14) 4 Time in Babylon (04:37) 5 Can You Hear Me Now (05:36) 6 Strong Hand (03:16) 7 Jupiter Rising (03:03) 8 O Evangeline (05:41) 9 Plaisir dAmour (02:22) 10 Lost Unto This World (04:36) 11 Cup of Kindness (03:55) |
| Stumble Into Grace : Allmusic album Review : Theres something just the slightest bit comic about calling an Emmylou Harris album Stumble into Grace. While Harris has always sounded as if both earthly and spiritual grace were created with her in mind, when she sings, it seems she can no more stumble than a dolphin can be taught to walk on dry land. Stumble into Grace finds Harris following in the same creative path she began to pursue with Wrecking Ball and Red Dirt Girl, which is to say that the influence of her country-influenced material is more felt than heard as she dips her toes into the spectral and atmospheric accents of folk, indie pop, and world music. While Harris has long been just as interested in nuance and blank spaces as the notes of her songs, producer Malcolm Burn (who also collaborated with her on Red Dirt Girl) knows what to make of the purposefully spare surfaces of these new songs (which, again, like Red Dirt Girl, were, for the most part, written by Harris herself), and the results are splendid. Part of the revelation of Wrecking Ball and Red Dirt Girl was hearing Harris moving in a startling new direction, and while Stumble into Grace seems less novel in the context of its immediate predecessors, the bitter clarity of "Time in Babylon," the gentle but energetic textures of "Little Bird," and the funky shuffle of "Jupiter Rising" confirm that she hasnt run out of new avenues to explore. After three decades as a world-class talent, whats most heartening is that Harris is not only making some of the finest music of her career at a time when many artists would be treading water, but shes delightfully confounding expectations at the same time. Stumble into Grace shows shes still playing at the top of her game. | ||
 | Album: 33 of 44 Title: The Very Best of Emmylou Harris: Heartaches & Highways Released: 2005-07-18 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:15:12 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Love Hurts (03:40) 2 Boulder to Birmingham (03:36) 3 Making Believe (03:37) 4 Pancho & Lefty (04:50) 5 One of These Days (03:05) 6 (Lost His Love) On Our Last Date (live) (03:32) 7 Born to Run (03:47) 8 Beneath Still Waters (03:44) 9 If I Could Only Win Your Love (02:36) 10 Together Again (03:54) 11 That Lovin You Feelin Again (04:10) 12 To Know Him Is to Love Him (03:50) 13 Two More Bottles of Wine (03:07) 14 Wayfaring Stranger (03:28) 15 Calling My Children Home (03:10) 16 Green Pastures (03:11) 17 Orphan Girl (03:16) 18 Michaelangelo (05:14) 19 Here I Am (03:48) 20 The Connection (05:29) |
| The Very Best of Emmylou Harris: Heartaches & Highways : Allmusic album Review : Emmylou Harris is an artist whose body of work is so consistently strong one could almost pull 20 songs at random from her catalog, string them together, and end up with a pretty listenable disc -- which suggests that the real choices in putting together a "best of Emmylou" album has as much to do with what not to include as what should be on hand. Harris herself helped compile The Very Best of Emmylou Harris: Heartaches & Highways, and while the album certainly doesnt avoid Harris chart successes, she seems less interested in creating a definitive hits collection than in tracing her journey from the sweet, sad-voiced girl who sang with Gram Parsons to the gifted and thoughtful artist who has lately crafted such mid-career masterpieces as Wrecking Ball and Red Dirt Girl. While the album isnt sequenced in a strictly chronological fashion, the results faithfully trace Harris subtle but clear stylistic evolution while also offering plenty of evidence that shes perhaps the most naturally gifted song stylist to emerge in country music since the 1970s, able to swing from the honky tonk spirit of "Two More Bottles of Wine" to the rueful losers tale of "Pancho and Lefty" to the gospel passion of "Calling My Children Home" without missing a step. Her superb taste in collaborative musicians, songwriters, and duet partners is also clearly evident throughout, and while the surfaces of later tracks such as "Orphan Girl" and "Michelangelo" may have a different feel, the depth and clarity of Harris voice and the singular beauty of her creative vision lend this material all the commonality one could need. (And the albums one new track, "The Connection," suggests theres plenty more where all this came from.) If youre looking for an introduction to Emmylou Harris broad and remarkable body of work, The Very Best of Emmylou Harris: Heartaches & Highways is a strong starting point, and if you simply want to hear 75 minutes of superb music, this fills the bill on that score as well. | ||
 | Album: 34 of 44 Title: Rhino Hi-Five: Emmylou Harris Released: 2005-08-23 Tracks: 5 Duration: 16:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 If I Could Only Win Your Love (02:40) 2 Ooh Las Vegas (03:44) 3 Here, There and Everywhere (03:42) 4 Mister Sandman (02:21) 5 Born to Run (03:47) |
 | Album: 35 of 44 Title: All the Roadrunning Released: 2006-04-24 Tracks: 12 Duration: 50:32 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Beachcombing (04:14) 2 I Dug Up a Diamond (03:38) 3 This Is Us (04:38) 4 Red Staggerwing (03:03) 5 Rollin On (04:14) 6 Love and Happiness (04:22) 7 Right Now (03:33) 8 Donkey Town (05:42) 9 Belle Starr (03:06) 10 Beyond My Wildest Dreams (04:25) 11 All the Roadrunning (04:49) 12 If This Is Goodbye (04:44) |
| All the Roadrunning : Allmusic album Review : This lush and earthy collaboration between Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris may sound like it rose from an amiable weeklong studio session, but the 12 tracks that make up All the Roadrunning were actually recorded over the span of seven years. The boot-stomping "Red Staggerwing" and the gentle "Donkey Town," both of which were bumped from Knopflers Sailing to Philadelphia record, give the ex-Dire Straits leader a chance to flex his country muscle, while the wistful title track spotlights the lovely Harris, whose playful demeanor and guarded confidence helps keep Knopfler in check during his sometimes excessive soloing. The two couldnt be more at odds vocally, but Knopflers laconic drawl is like an easy chair for Harris fluid pipes, and standout tracks like the 9/11-inspired "This Is Goodbye," the wistful "Beachcombing," and the infectious single "This Is Us" come off as effortless statements of vitality from both camps. | ||
 | Album: 36 of 44 Title: Songbird: Rare Tracks & Forgotten Gems Released: 2007-09-18 Tracks: 78 Duration: 4:53:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Clocks (alternate version) (02:50) 2 The Angels Rejoiced Last Night (02:25) 3 The Old Country Baptizing (04:05) 4 Coat of Many Colors (03:42) 5 For No One (03:42) 6 Ooh Las Vegas (03:44) 7 Satans Jeweled Crown (03:16) 8 Tulsa Queen (04:47) 9 My Songbird (03:09) 10 Green Rolling Hills (03:40) 11 One Paper Kid (02:57) 12 Sorrow in the Wind (03:32) 13 Rough and Rocky (03:52) 14 Jordan (02:10) 15 Darkest Hour Is Just Before Dawn (03:25) 16 Ashes by Now (04:34) 17 How High the Moon (03:24) 18 Spanish Johnny (03:53) 19 The Last Cheaters Waltz (05:37) 20 Racing in the Streets (05:34) 21 Like an Old Fashioned Waltz (03:20) 1 The Sweetheart of the Rodeo (03:41) 2 When I Was Yours (02:46) 3 My Father’s House (04:50) 4 Bright Morning Stars (02:36) 5 When He Calls (02:44) 6 Lonely Street (03:12) 7 Brand New Dance (03:28) 8 Get Up John (03:14) 9 If I Could Be There (03:47) 10 Ballad of a Runaway Horse (05:37) 11 Going Back to Harlan (04:55) 12 Sweet Old World (05:07) 13 All My Tears (live) (05:08) 14 Prayer in Open D (live) (03:59) 15 Bang the Drum Slowly (04:51) 16 Boy From Tupelo (03:48) 17 Lost Unto This World (04:36) 18 Man Is an Island (04:45) 19 Cup of Kindness (03:54) 1 Falling in a Deep Hole (02:38) 2 1917 (05:25) 3 Palms of Victory (03:07) 4 Softly and Tenderly (05:29) 5 My Dear Companion (02:57) 6 Mary Danced With Soldiers (03:06) 7 I Dont Love You Much Do I (02:37) 8 All I Left Behind (03:17) 9 I Remember You (02:51) 10 Golden Ring (03:59) 11 Sonny (04:14) 12 In the Garden (02:49) 13 Love Still Remains (04:35) 14 Snake Song (02:32) 15 Hobos Lullaby (02:43) 16 Wondering (03:03) 17 Immigrant Eyes (03:40) 18 Juanita (02:40) 19 She (04:49) 20 Sin City (04:00) 21 Wheels (03:27) 1 Beyond the Blue (04:33) 2 First in Line (03:34) 3 Highway of Heartaches (03:04) 4 Alone and Forsaken (03:31) 5 Child of Mine (03:27) 6 Heaven Aint Ready for You Yet (03:56) 7 Wish We Were Back in Missouri (04:03) 8 Mamas Hungry Eyes (03:38) 9 Here We Are (02:53) 10 Waltz Across Texas Tonight (03:43) 11 Snowin on Raton (03:42) 12 Gone (03:37) 13 Dont Let Your Love Die (03:18) 14 The Pearl (05:19) 15 Wildwood Flower (03:47) 16 Love and Happiness (04:21) 17 When We’re Gone, Long Gone (03:59) |
| Songbird: Rare Tracks & Forgotten Gems : Allmusic album Review : Its difficult to write about Emmylou Harris without lapsing into a long train of superlatives -- she really does have one of the most beautiful voices of her generation, and her taste in material and skill in using her instrument is nearly faultless. However, as good as Harris is and as consistently strong as her body of work has been, one could make a convincing argument that shes been frequently underrated through much of her career -- more than just a lovely woman with a pure, clear voice and a fine ear, shes championed a number of gifted songwriters before they went on to have distinguished careers of their own (from Rodney Crowell to Gillian Welch), matured into a first-rate tunesmith herself, collaborated with a remarkable array of artists, and has never been afraid to take her talents into unexpected directions, from purist bluegrass to the experimental atmospherics of her work with Daniel Lanois. Songbird: Rare Tracks & Forgotten Gems is a hefty four-CD box set (with a bonus DVD) compiled by Harris in collaboration with James Austin that does justice to the scope of a career thats spanned five decades thus far, and unlike most multi-disc collections it isnt merely a super-sized "greatest-hits" collection. Harris and Austin have purposefully avoided her most recognizable work on Songbird, instead charting an alternate path through her back catalog. The first two discs of Songbird represent a roughly chronological overview of Harris discography, beginning with an outtake from her little heard 1970 debut album, Gliding Bird (an album shes all but disowned in the past), rolling up to speed with two examples of her work with Gram Parsons, and then diving into her solo work from 1975s Pieces of the Sky to 2003s Stumble Into Grace, focusing on Harris personal favorites rather than radio hits (which were in short supply from the 1990s on anyway). Discs three and four are devoted to collaborations and unreleased material, including several demos that have never before seen the light of day, highlights from her Trio albums with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt, several tracks from the Gram Parsons tribute Return of the Grievous Angel, appearances on tribute collections and discs by other artists, and a handful of live tracks. Its telling that a private recording of Guy Clarks "Immigrant Eyes," recorded as a birthday present for Clark, is as carefully considered and beautifully rendered as anything on these four discs -- one thing that becomes clear is that Harris takes no shortcuts as an artist, and for the broad eclecticism of this set, shes uniformly intelligent, emotionally true, and thrillingly accomplished whenever she decides to sing a song. The sets packaging is handsome, and the accompanying hardbound book contains a brief but eloquent introduction from Harris, a fine biographical essay by Sylvie Simmons, and track-by-track notes by Peter Cooper (with plenty of input from Harris herself). The accompanying DVD, featuring nine television appearances by Harris, seems a bit slight by comparison, though it does contain a few prize moments, particularly a duet with Elvis Costello on "Love Hurts" and some raging guitar work from Buddy Miller on a performance of "I Aint Living Long Like This." Songbird isnt the most concise celebration of Emmylou Harris talents you can buy, but its been assembled with a grace and sense of purpose worthy of its subject; it offers nearly five hours of superb music from a singular talent, and anyone who loves Harris music will revel in it. | ||
 | Album: 37 of 44 Title: All I Intended to Be Released: 2008-06-10 Tracks: 13 Duration: 55:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Shores of White Sand (04:22) 2 Hold On (04:35) 3 Moon Song (04:06) 4 Broken Mans Lament (05:05) 5 Gold (03:32) 6 How She Could Sing the Wildwood Flower (03:44) 7 All That You Have Is Your Soul (04:41) 8 Take That Ride (03:39) 9 Old Five and Dimers Like Me (04:16) 10 Kern River (04:03) 11 Not Enough (03:25) 12 Sailing Round the Room (05:31) 13 Beyond the Great Divide (04:26) |
| All I Intended to Be : Allmusic album Review : In 1995, Emmylou Harris made a decisive break with her creative past, recording the album Wrecking Ball with producer Daniel Lanois and abandoning the traditional country purity of her best-known work for lovely but spectral musical landscapes and exploring her muse as a songwriter in a way she had never attempted before. After Wrecking Ball, Harris recorded three albums in which she made the most of her new creative freedom and honed her impressive gifts as a songwriter, but All I Intended to Be, her first new release in five years, finds her reaching back toward a sound and style that recall the country and folk influences of her earlier work. But All I Intended to Be is clearly the work of an artist who is looking to the past entirely on her own terms, and with the lessons learned since 1995 clearly audible at all times. All I Intended to Be was produced by Brian Ahern, who was behind the controls for most of her albums of the 70s and 80s, and it features a handful of session players who worked with Harris and Ahern in the past, while Harris occasional partner in harmony Dolly Parton contributes backing vocals to "Gold" (as does Vince Gill). The albums largely acoustic textures manage to sound both homey and fresh; if the melodies and the arrangements nod politely to traditional country sounds (and hold hands on "Gold"), the space in the production and the unpretentious artfulness of the songs reflect an intelligence and restraint largely absent from country music in the new millennium. Harris wrote or co-wrote six of these 13 songs, leaving more room for covers than on Red Dirt Girl or Stumble into Grace, but the tone of the album is consistent throughout, and she brings a streamlined passion to material by Patty Griffin, Billy Joe Shaver, and Merle Haggard that makes them her own. (Harris also writes and sings several tunes with Kate and Anna McGarrigle in what continues to be a truly inspired collaboration.) And as always, the most memorable thing about All I Intended to Be is Emmylou Harris voice; there are few singers in any genre with a greater natural skill and better instincts, and as wonderful as these songs are and as fine a band as she and Ahern have on hand, its her glorious voice that turns these simple materials into gold, and she only improves with the passage of the years. The surfaces of this album may seem less bold than the albums that immediately preceded it, but All I Intended to Be is the work of a consummate artist who is still reaching out to new places even when she points to her creative history. | ||
 | Album: 38 of 44 Title: Original Album Series Released: 2010 Tracks: 52 Duration: 3:10:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Bluebird Wine (03:18) 2 Too Far Gone (04:05) 3 If I Could Only Win Your Love (02:37) 4 Boulder to Birmingham (03:33) 5 Before Believing (04:43) 6 Bottle Let Me Down (03:18) 7 Sleepless Nights (03:27) 8 Coat of Many Colors (03:42) 9 For No One (03:42) 10 Queen of the Silver Dollar (04:59) 1 Amarillo (03:01) 2 Together Again (03:54) 3 Feelin Single-Seein Double (02:28) 4 Sin City (03:55) 5 One of These Days (03:05) 6 Till I Gain Control Again (05:37) 7 Here, There and Everywhere (03:42) 8 Ooh Las Vegas (03:44) 9 Sweet Dreams (04:07) 10 Jambalaya (03:10) 11 Satans Jewel Crown (03:13) 12 Wheels (03:12) 1 Luxury Liner (03:42) 2 Pancho & Lefty (04:52) 3 Making Believe (03:38) 4 Youre Supposed to Be Feeling Good (04:06) 5 Ill Be Your San Antone Rose (03:44) 6 (You Never Can Tell) Cest la Vie (03:26) 7 When I Stop Dreaming (03:16) 8 Hello Stranger (04:02) 9 She (03:15) 10 Tulsa Queen (04:46) 1 Easy From Now On (03:07) 2 Two More Bottles of Wine (03:07) 3 To Daddy (02:50) 4 My Songbird (03:09) 5 Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight (04:20) 6 Defying Gravity (04:16) 7 I Aint Living Long Like This (04:08) 8 One Paper Kid (02:57) 9 Green Rolling Hills (03:40) 10 Burn That Candle (04:26) 1 Sisters Coming Home (02:52) 2 Beneath Still Waters (03:45) 3 Rough and Rocky (03:52) 4 Hickory Wind (04:05) 5 Save the Last Dance for Me (03:41) 6 Sorrow in the Wind (03:32) 7 Theyll Never Take His Love From Me (02:36) 8 Everytime You Leave (03:00) 9 Blue Kentucky Girl (03:21) 10 Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (03:56) |
| Original Album Series : Allmusic album Review : Emmylou Harris was a little-known singer and songwriter playing the folk circuit in Washington, D.C., when she was discovered by Gram Parsons, who invited her to sing on his solo albums and revealed to the world she had a voice of striking beauty and the talent to use it wisely. After Parsons death, Harris embarked on a solo career that saw her creating a series of outstanding albums that combined the sound and style of classic country music with a progressive feel that made her one of the best respected artists of her generation. This specially priced box set includes Harris first five albums for Reprise Records in full, featuring some of her most compelling studio recordings. Included in this set are 1975s Pieces of the Sky, 1975s Elite Hotel, 1977s Luxury Liner, 1978s Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town, and 1979s Blue Kentucky Girl. | ||
 | Album: 39 of 44 Title: Hard Bargain Released: 2011-03-15 Tracks: 13 Duration: 53:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Road (05:28) 2 Home Sweet Home (03:44) 3 My Name Is Emmett Till (04:52) 4 Goodnight Old World (03:53) 5 New Orleans (03:38) 6 Big Black Dog (03:25) 7 Lonely Girl (04:43) 8 Hard Bargain (03:22) 9 Six White Cadillacs (03:20) 10 The Ship on His Arm (04:45) 11 Darlin Kate (03:07) 12 Nobody (05:03) 13 Cross Yourself (03:35) |
| Hard Bargain : Allmusic album Review : After she first came to the attention of discerning music fans with her contributions to Gram Parsons first solo album in 1973, Emmylou Harris spent over 20 years as one of the finest interpretive singers in American music, approaching material from a variety of composers with a thoughtful intelligence that matched the natural beauty of her voice. Then after breaking new creative ground with 1995s Wrecking Ball, Harris set out on a surprising new creative journey -- while previously she wrote songs for her solo albums only on occasion, now her compositions began to dominate her recordings, and Harris has revealed that shes as gifted a tunesmith as she is a vocalist, writing with a clear eye and an unforced lyrical and melodic beauty thats a fine match for her voice. Harris wrote or co-wrote 11 of the 13 songs on 2011s Hard Bargain, and the album is full of cleanly drawn stories of people struggling to rise to the challenges of life, ranging from characters who are homeless ("Home Sweet Home") or wrestling with the aftermath of tragedy ("New Orleans") to Harris own memories of touring with Parsons ("The Road") and a scandalous murder that galvanized the civil rights movement in 1955 ("My Name Is Emmett Till"). While Hard Bargain is an album full of sad stories, its admirably short on melodrama, and Harris keeps these songs sounding honest, heartfelt, and tuned to the realities of American life. Musically, Hard Bargain sounds full but uncluttered; outside of Harris voice and acoustic guitar, the accompaniment all comes from producer and multi-instrumentalist Jay Joyce and percussionist and keyboard player Giles Reaves, and they create musical backdrops that are evocative and carefully crafted without calling undue attention to themselves or blocking the path of the melodies; Joyce and Reaves, like Harris, are here to serve the songs first and foremost, and they do so splendidly. If Hard Bargain doesnt feel as striking as Wrecking Ball or Red Dirt Girl, one imagines it wasnt intended to be; theres a modesty in this set of songs that jibes with their quiet eloquence, and just as Harris vocals are always full of striking beauty without diva moves, this cycle of songs isnt flashy so much as its honest and moving, capturing the rhythms of life with an uncanny accuracy. At the age of 64, Emmylou Harris has made an album as fresh and distinctive as any in her catalog, and Hard Bargain is a reminder that her evolution into a songwriter is one of the most pleasant surprises in a career thats produced rewarding music for nearly 40 years. | ||
 | Album: 40 of 44 Title: Original Album Series, Volume 2 Released: 2013 Tracks: 50 Duration: 2:52:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Roses in the Snow (02:37) 2 Wayfaring Stranger (03:32) 3 Green Pastures (03:12) 4 The Boxer (03:20) 5 Darkest Hour Is Just Before Dawn (03:25) 6 Ill Go Stepping Too (02:20) 7 Youre Learning (03:01) 8 Jordan (02:10) 9 Miss the Mississippi and You (03:47) 10 Gold Watch and Chain (03:10) 1 I Don’t Have to Crawl (03:48) 2 How High the Moon (03:24) 3 Spanish Johnny (03:54) 4 Bad Moon Rising (02:43) 5 Evangeline (03:12) 6 Hot Burrito #2 (03:08) 7 Millworker (04:08) 8 Oh Atlanta (03:02) 9 Mister Sandman (02:24) 10 Ashes by Now (04:34) 1 Rose of Cimarron (04:21) 2 Spanish Is a Loving Tongue (03:20) 3 If I Needed You (03:36) 4 Another Lonesome Morning (03:06) 5 The Last Cheaters Waltz (05:37) 6 Born to Run (03:47) 7 The Price You Pay (04:39) 8 Son of a Rotten Gambler (04:17) 9 Tennessee Waltz (02:31) 10 Tennessee Rose (04:25) 1 Drivin Wheel (03:10) 2 Pledging My Love (03:00) 3 In My Dreams (03:15) 4 White Shoes (03:30) 5 On the Radio (05:11) 6 Its Only Rock n Roll (02:55) 7 Diamonds Are a Girls Best Friend (03:39) 8 Good News (03:52) 9 Baby, Better Start Turnin em Down (03:04) 10 Like an Old Fashioned Waltz (03:11) 1 Mystery Train (02:33) 2 You’re Free to Go (02:50) 3 Sweetheart of the Pines (03:23) 4 Just Someone I Used to Know (03:00) 5 My Father’s House (04:50) 6 Lacassine Special (02:54) 7 Today I Started Loving You Again (03:22) 8 When I Was Yours (02:46) 9 I Had My Heart Set on You (03:10) 10 Your Long Journey (03:46) |
 | Album: 41 of 44 Title: Old Yellow Moon Released: 2013-02-22 Tracks: 12 Duration: 40:54 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Hanging Up My Heart (02:51) 2 Invitation to the Blues (03:40) 3 Spanish Dancer (03:46) 4 Open Season On My Heart (03:42) 5 Chase the Feeling (03:31) 6 Black Caffeine (03:25) 7 Dreaming My Dreams (03:19) 8 Bluebird Wine (02:58) 9 Back When We Were Beautiful (03:43) 10 Here We Are (03:17) 11 Bull Rider (03:07) 12 Old Yellow Moon (03:35) |
| Old Yellow Moon : Allmusic album Review : This was a long time coming; given its relaxed execution, one wonders what took so long. Old Yellow Moon is an album of duets between Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell. He was a rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist in her Hot Band in the mid-70s. After he left, he continued contributing songs to her recordings for nearly two decades. This marks a reunion of more than just Harris and Crowell. Brian Ahern, who produced her early Warner recordings helms these sessions with Hot Band members James Burton, John Ware, and Bill Payne making appearances, as well as heavy hitters Vince Gill, Stuart Duncan, and Steuart Smith, to name a few. Though recorded in Nashville, the sound of this recording is posited somewhere between the Southern California country sound of the early 70s and some of Music Citys more adventurous sounds in the middle and late years of that decade. The song choices are as eclectic as one would expect. Some of the sets highlights include a smokin redo of "Bluebird Wine," which appeared as the opening cut on Harris classic Pieces of the Sky album. This version has some fine-tuned lyrics in the first two verses -- Crowell was only 21 when he wrote it. The readings of Roger Millers "Invitation to the Blues" and Allen Reynolds "Dreaming My Dreams" are beautifully executed standards. There are three excellent cuts here by Hank DeVito, another original member of the Hot Band. They include the midtempo, hard country opener "Hanging Up My Heart," the bluesy "Black Caffeine," and the title cut, a lilting waltz that closes the record. Crowell also contributed "Open Season on My Heart" (originally recorded by Tim McGraw), the languid pedal steel honky tonk ballad "Here We Are," and the back porch "Bull Rider." Kris Kristoffersons "Chase the Feeling" is given a rumbling, punchy, country-rock treatment here. Harris largely goes it alone on Patti Scialfas "Spanish Dancer," in a radically different reading than the songwriters, but Gills gut string guitar, Jim Hokes spare accordion, and Crowells hushed harmony on the chorus offer a more picaresque take. The only misstep here should have been a natural: Matraca Bergs wonderful "Back When We Were Beautiful," recorded by the songwriter in 1997, feels forced; it lacks the stark drama of the original, replacing it instead it with a nostalgia that isnt true to the song. While this doesnt carry the weight of an "historic" recording, it is thoroughly enjoyable. Harris is in better voice than shes been in years and Crowell is a natural as a duet partner. Lets hope they consider Old Yellow Moon more than just a one-off, "bucket list" album. | ||
 | Album: 42 of 44 Title: The Traveling Kind Released: 2015-05-12 Tracks: 11 Duration: 40:35 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Traveling Kind (03:40) 2 No Memories Hanging Round (03:41) 3 Bring It on Home to Memphis (03:37) 4 You Cant Say We Didnt Try (03:26) 5 The Weight of the World (04:34) 6 Higher Mountains (04:11) 7 I Just Wanted to See You So Bad (03:02) 8 Just Pleasing You (04:21) 9 If You Lived Here Youd Be Home Now (02:59) 10 Her Hair Was Red (02:42) 11 Le Danse de la Joie (04:22) |
| The Traveling Kind : Allmusic album Review : Maybe it was just a matter of momentum. It took Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell close to four decades to get around to making a duets album after the two first started working together in the mid-70s, when he became a guitarist and frequent songwriter with her Hot Band. But just two years after releasing 2013s Old Yellow Moon, Harris and Crowell have the ball rolling again with The Traveling Kind, another album built around their easy but heartfelt creative interplay as both vocalists and songwriters. Harris and Crowell co-wrote six of The Traveling Kinds 11 songs, and tunes like "You Cant Say We Didnt Try" and the title track reflect Harris sweet, firm, very human tone as well as Crowells outwardly cocky but inwardly perceptive voice, and the sweet and sour push and pull complements them both. Harris has been singing Crowells songs for years, but their collaborative efforts have a special sort of gravity when they bring their voices together, as her heavenly tone merges with his earthier instrument. Harris and Crowell also throw a few covers into the mix, and their interpretations of Lucinda Williams "I Just Wanted to See You So Bad" and Amy Allisons "Her Hair Was Red" are sung with the enthusiasm and care of fans who love and respect the material theyre bringing to life. And though several of the cuts reflect the moodier, more atmospheric sound Harris first embraced with Wrecking Ball (the loose, ghostly sound of "The Weight of the World" is one of the albums most satisfying moments), they still find room for some rough and sweet honky tonk workouts, and "If You Lived Here, Youd Be Home Now" would be a C&W hit in an earlier, better era. Old Yellow Moon didnt sound like the event some people were expecting it to be, and the same can be said of The Traveling Kind, but thats mainly because, good as it is, The Traveling Kind never sounds fussed over. Instead, this is the work of two close friends and trusted collaborators who readily fall into a groove when they work together. They dont appear to be aiming for a masterpiece; instead, they wanted to write some good songs and let them shine in the studio, and on that level, The Traveling Kind is a rousing success and a deeply satisfying work. | ||
 | Album: 43 of 44 Title: The Complete Trio Collection Released: 2016-09-09 Tracks: 41 Duration: 2:26:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 The Pain of Loving You (02:34) 2 Making Plans (03:38) 3 To Know Him Is to Love Him (03:50) 4 Hobo’s Meditation (03:19) 5 Wildflowers (03:35) 6 Telling Me Lies (04:25) 7 My Dear Companion (02:57) 8 Those Memories of You (04:01) 9 I’ve Had Enough (03:32) 10 Rosewood Casket (03:01) 11 Farther Along (04:08) 1 Lover’s Return (04:00) 2 High Sierra (04:22) 3 Do I Ever Cross Your Mind (03:17) 4 After the Gold Rush (03:31) 5 The Blue Train (04:59) 6 I Feel the Blues Movin’ In (04:31) 7 You’ll Never Be the Sun (04:44) 8 He Rode All the Way to Texas (03:07) 9 Feels Like Home (04:49) 10 When We’re Gone, Long Gone (03:59) 1 Wildflowers (Alternate Take 1986) (03:28) 2 Waltz Across Texas Tonight (Unreleased 1994) (03:51) 3 Lovers Return (Alternate Mix) (04:00) 4 Softly and Tenderly (Unreleased 1994) (05:23) 5 Pleasant as May (Unreleased 1986) (02:36) 6 My Dear Companion (Alternate Take 1986) (02:58) 7 My Blue Tears (Unreleased 1986) (02:42) 8 Making Plans (Alternate Take 1986) (03:38) 9 Ive Had Enough (Alternate Mix 1986) (03:32) 10 Grey Funnel Line (Unreleased 1986) (02:09) 11 You Dont Knock (Unreleased 1986) (03:26) 12 Where Will the Words Come From (Unreleased 1985) (02:52) 13 Do I Ever Cross Your Mind (Dolly lead - Alternate Take 1994) (03:32) 14 Are You Tired of Me (Unreleased 1986) (02:35) 15 Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (03:51) 16 Mr. Sandman (02:19) 17 Handful of Dust (Unreleased 1993) (03:00) 18 Calling My Children Home (Unreleased Acapella Version 1986) (03:10) 19 In a Deep Sleep (Unreleased 1986) (03:02) 20 Farther Along (Alternate Mix 1986) (04:07) |
| The Complete Trio Collection : Allmusic album Review : Talking about the first time she harmonized with Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt in 1975, Dolly Parton said, "We all got to singin and it was absolutely incredible. It gives me chills, even now." Given Partons remarkable life and career, one would imagine it would take a lot to prompt that reaction, but theres no false modesty in Dollys words. Parton, Harris, and Ronstadt were all splendid vocalists on their own, but theyd also shown a talent for collaborating with others throughout their careers. And when the like-minded women decided to make an album together, they created something rare, a collaboration between three major stars that never smacks of ego. Parton, Harris, and Ronstadt brought out the best in one another on their brilliant 1987 album, Trio, with the group harmonies sounding even more glorious than their lead vocals. (Trio also found Parton and Ronstadt working with better and more flattering material than theyd had on their solo albums in quite a while.) Trio was enough of a success that the singers carved out time in their busy schedules to make another album together, 1999s Trio II, with similarly impressive results. Ronstadts health prevents her from making another Trio album in the 21st century, but Rhino Records have given us the next best thing with The Complete Trio Collection. This three-disc set brings together Trio and Trio II in full with a bonus disc of 20 outtakes and alternate versions recorded during the sessions for the original albums. Both Trio and Trio II have aged quite well, especially the first album with its emphasis on acoustic, bluegrass-influenced arrangements that blend well with three-part harmonies. (As Harris quips in the liner notes, they were playing Americana music before it had a name.) And if disc three often covers material that appears elsewhere in the set, Parton, Harris, and Ronstadt tried enough different approaches to these songs that the variants still sound fresh, and the performances are a knockout throughout. At the end of an unreleased take of "You Dont Knock," Harris quietly says, "That one felt real good," and like Dolly, she speaks the truth. For fans of the original Trio albums, buying The Complete Trio Collection to get the disc of unreleased takes might seem a bit excessive, but for anyone with a taste for great country or folk singing who has never heard Parton, Harris, and Ronstadts work together, this set is nothing less than essential. | ||
 | Album: 44 of 44 Title: Trio: Farther Along Released: 2016-09-09 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:06:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Wildflowers (Alternate Take 1986) (03:28) 2 Waltz Across Texas Tonight (Unreleased 1994) (03:51) 3 Lovers Return (Alternate Mix) (04:00) 4 Softly and Tenderly (Unreleased 1994) (05:23) 5 Pleasant as May (Unreleased 1986) (02:36) 6 My Dear Companion (Alternate Take 1986) (02:58) 7 My Blue Tears (Unreleased 1986) (02:42) 8 Making Plans (Alternate Take 1986) (03:38) 9 Ive Had Enough (Alternate Mix 1986) (03:32) 10 Grey Funnel Line (Unreleased 1986) (02:09) 1 You Dont Knock (Unreleased 1986) (03:26) 2 Where Will the Words Come From (Unreleased 1985) (02:52) 3 Do I Ever Cross Your Mind (Dolly lead - Alternate Take 1994) (03:32) 4 Are You Tired of Me (Unreleased 1986) (02:35) 5 Even Cowgirls Get the Blues (03:51) 6 Mr. Sandman (02:19) 7 Handful of Dust (Unreleased 1993) (03:00) 8 Calling My Children Home (Unreleased Acapella Version 1986) (03:10) 9 In a Deep Sleep (Unreleased 1986) (03:02) 10 Farther Along (Alternate Mix 1986) (04:07) |