emmylou harris...
Posted by: ken c on 18 April 2001
my word... i am completely overpowered by her latest album "red dirt girl". there is so much going on, its helping me to assess just how far my active system has gone in its warmup cycle... and when my system wasnt right, it just sounded like a mish-mash of sounds... none of the emotion.
i have "elite hotel" on vinyl, which i havent played for a LONG LONG time -- this latest is MUCH MUCH better in my view.
anyone else as besotted??
enjoy...
ken
I've been besotted with Emmylou Harris for more than 20 years.
In her newer recordings I'd say that 'Wrecking Ball' is a reference. I'll have to give 'Red Dirt Girl' a closer listen, on the store listening post I didn't think much of it. I like 'Spyboy' too.
In her older recordings I think 'Quater Moon in a Ten cent Town' is a classic, and 'Elite Hotel' isn't bad either.
There's one record to avoid in my view, I think it's called the 'Ballad of Sally Rose', it's somewhat autobiographical I summise, wrt Gram Parsons.
Emmylou has covered songs by Lucinda Williams and Lucinda Williams album 'Car Wheels on a Gravel road' is a must have.
Peter
Not only would I recommend those of her albums previously sited, but I would point any interested listeners towards a few more recordings that are amoung my favorites. The first two are where she got her start, singing duets with the late Gram Parsons, who effectively brought country music to a folk and rock audience in his all too brief life. Parson's "Greivous Angel" and "GP" are both wonderful, and benefit enormously by Emmylou's harmony vocals. The other recordings I would endorse with great enthusiasm are the collection that made it onto the "Portraits" box set of Emmylou's music. In a more purist vein than her most recent CD's, I really love the live set "At The Ryman" which really captures the spiritual side of this soulful and subtle singer. Truth be told,itis hard to find a bad album or CD with her name on it! Happy hunting. 
Ken,
I'm glad you liked 'Wrecking Ball'. It was the first E.H. album that I ever bought, and it was on constant rotation for months, despite the fact that the sound quality isn't high on the production agenda. It's one of those albums where you stop giving a shit about 'treble silibance/bass boom', and just get carried away on the music. I'm still listening to Spyboy myself, and particularly like 'Calling My Children Home', which Makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up! 'Red Dirt Girl' I confess i'm struggling with, but that might be because i've had quite a few excellent purchases recently, and it's in the shadow of more immediate musical pleasures.
By the way, have you ever tried any Indigo Girls' stuff? If not, i'd start with the album, 'Swamp Ophelia' and go straight to 'The Wood Song'. Great album, brilliant vocal harmonies, and outstanding sound quality = can't lose!!
Wal
I'm glad you liked 'Wrecking Ball'. It was the first E.H. album that I ever bought, and it was on constant rotation for months, despite the fact that the sound quality isn't high on the production agenda. It's one of those albums where you stop giving a shit about 'treble silibance/bass boom', and just get carried away on the music. I'm still listening to Spyboy myself, and particularly like 'Calling My Children Home', which Makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up! 'Red Dirt Girl' I confess i'm struggling with, but that might be because i've had quite a few excellent purchases recently, and it's in the shadow of more immediate musical pleasures.
By the way, have you ever tried any Indigo Girls' stuff? If not, i'd start with the album, 'Swamp Ophelia' and go straight to 'The Wood Song'. Great album, brilliant vocal harmonies, and outstanding sound quality = can't lose!!
Wal