Emmylou Harris
Wrecking Ball
Elektra
available on amazon
A stunning new piece of work by this artist who has been dazzling us for so long. You never know what surprises you will find on an Emmylou release (like the prizes in a box of Cracker Jacks). The ethereal rhythms and production of Daniel Lanois bring out the best of what she does best and that is use her vocal abilities to bring the song into herself and then donate it to the world. With his strong hand at the controls Lanois gets at the essence of her and then organizes everything around her, except her clear voice, which guides his production and rhythms to new heights. This is truly one of those efforts where the sum is greater than all the parts that went into making it. Look at the guest list here and you can see a who’s who of star musicians that have pitched in and given of themselves for the sake of the overall production, from U2’s Larry Mullen Jr. to Steve Earl and Neil Young and Lucinda Williams to name but a few. This is a piece of work that more than stands the test of repeated listening. A masterpiece.
The Band
- Emmylou Harris
- Daniel Lanois
- Brian Blade
- Daryl Johnson
- Malcolm Burn
- Larry Mullen Jr
- Tony Hall
- Steve Earl
- Sam O'Sullivan
- Neil Young
- Kufaru Mouton
- Lucinda Williams
- Richard Bennett
- Kate and Anna McGarrigle
The Songs
- Where Will I Be
- Goodbye
- All My Tears
- Wrecking Ball
- Going Back to Harlan
- Deeper Well
- Every Grain of Sand
- Sweet Old World
- May This Be Love
- Orphan Girl
- Blackhawk
- Waltz Across Texas Tonight