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  1. Just 10 months after “Pieces Of The Sky” out came its follow up “Elite Hotel”. The formula remains the same (this is Country music so yes there’s a formula. If you’re after the new or innovative then go look elsewhere) although Emmylou was mixing Rock with her Country.

    Again we have the stellar studio musicians now known as Emmylou’s Hot Band (James Burton and Rodney Crowell (guitar), Glen D. Hardin (piano), Emory Gordy Jr. (bass), Hank DeVito (steel guitar), John Ware (drums)), plus guests like Bernie Leadon and Linda Ronstadt). In fact when Esquire magazine published a feature about her and failed to mention the Hot Band at all Emmylou took out an ad in a trade publication to chastise the magazine !

    Emmylou is still writing with Rodney Crowell (the opening “Amarillo” being a highlight) and we have the country classics (Buck Owens “Together Again” (which led to an invitation to duet with Buck Owens) and Hank Williams “Jambalaya”), The Beatles make a return (“Here There And Everywhere” bought rumblings of discontent from Country purists but has long been hailed as one of the great covers of The Beatles) and the spirit of Gram Parsons still walks the halls of this Hotel.

    This time instead of writing about Gram, Emmylou sings his songs, 3 of them, almost making “Elite Hotel” a Gram Parsons tribute album. Interestingly 2 are songs we’ve covered here before, “Sin City” and “Wheels”, both coming from the Flying Burrito Brothers album “The Gilded Palace Of Sin”. The third is “Ooh Las Vegas” from Gram’s 2nd solo album (which Emmylou also featured on) “Grievous Angel”, a song which could be “Sin City” part 2.

    “Sin City”, with its metaphor of Las Vegas representing life in general, is taken at the same sedate pace as the original, Emmylou’s voice soars in places. “Ooh Las Vegas” (or just “Las Vegas” as Gram had it) is a rollicking barnstormer, as it should be, a gamblers life on the strip set to music

    “Well, I spend all night with the dealer, Tryin' to get ahead

    Spend all day at the Holiday Inn, Just trying to get out of bed”

    “Wheels” closes things out perfectly “Come on wheels take this boy away”. On the whole “Elite Hotel” is a solid follow up to “Pieces Of the Sky”. The inclusion of three of Gram’s songs and of course Ms Harris’ beautiful voice make it more than worth my time.

    Ooh Las Vegas - https://youtu.be/ANcF-PUNL4o

  2. Emmylou Harris came to the world’s attention when she duetted with Gram Parsons on his two solo albums (“GP” and “Grievous Angel”) and toured as part of his band the Fallen Angels. She’d been “discovered” by Chris Hillman singing in a folk club in Washington DC. Hillman told Parsons about her as he knew he was looking for a female singer to work with and the rest, as they say…

    “Pieces Of The Sky” is Emmylou’s 2nd solo album (she had released an obscure folky album “Gliding Bird” in 1969 that I think she now disowns). Following Gram Parson’s death in 1973 she formed a writing and performing partnership with Texan Rodney Crowell and released this album in 1975. Alongside Crowell the album features some Country music heavyweights, James Burton on guitar, Ricky Scaggs on fiddle, a fresh from the Eagles Bernie Leadon and Little Feat’s Bill Payne on piano.

    The songs are a mixture of Crowell originals (the wonderful opening “Bluebird Wine”), country standards (the Lovin Brothers “If I Could Only Win Your Love”) and songs by contemporary Country artists (Merle Haggard’s “Bottle Let Me Down” and Dolly Parton’s “Coat Of Many Colours”). There’s even a Beatles song (“For No One”). However, the absolute highlight of this album is Emmylou’s hymn to Gram Parsons, “Boulder To Birmingham”. 

    Co-written with Bill Danoff (the writer of “Take Me Home, Country Roads”) “Boulder To Birmingham” has become Emmylou’s signature song. Gram Parsons had been a friend, mentor, teacher and possibly much more to Emmylou and this song lays out in no uncertain terms her feelings about Gram after his passing

    “I would rock my soul in the bosom of Abraham, I would hold my life in his saving grace, 

    I would walk all the way from Boulder to Birmingham, If I thought I could see, I could see your face"

    Although in years to come she would cover many of Gram’s songs Emmylou didn’t write so openly about him for over 30 years. I found Emmylou via her duets with Gram Parsons and the reason I own so many of her records is because of her versions of Gram’s songs and because I’ve become captivated by her voice. It’s high and pure and clear with a sadness you can feel. If I was to understand the Country music term “high lonesome” I’d understand it as Emmylou Harris’ voice. 

    At the time it was made, due mainly to the stellar musicians involved, “Pieces Of The Sky” was one of the most expensive records produced in Nashvile to date. Emmylou along with Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and the Bakersfield Outlaws (Willie, Merle and Waylon) helped drive a move toward more authenticity in Country music which, in the mid 70’s, was getting lost in the glamour and glitz of poppy Nashville produced Country & Western (I will always maintain there is a difference between Country music and C&W). She may not be for everyone of you but you’re gonna have to stick with me while I work through the 9 albums of hers that are in my collection. Who knows, you might find something you didn’t even know you liked.

    Boulder To Birmingham - https://youtu.be/xaIe_e4nxBY

  3. I've been asked many times in the shop what I think the best live album is. In my world the hierarchy of the great live albums goes like this

    1. Slade Alive !
    2. Ramones “It’s Alive”
    3. Hanoi Rocks “All Those Wasted Years”
    4. Bob Marley & The Wailers “Live!”
    5. It doesn’t really matter after those 4…and those that make a case for the Allman Brothers, no, OK, just NO!

    The first time I heard Hanoi Rocks was live. Live was where Hanoi Rocks made perfect sense and because of that this is probably their best album. Over 4 sides they run you through the “greatest hits” from their 4 studio albums up to that point (“Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks”, “Oriental Beat”, “Self Destruction Blues” and the one you read about yesterday “Back To Mystery City”). All delivered in that atmosphere of fag smoke, hairspray and glitter that seemed to surround them onstage.

    After I’d seen them live (also see yesterday) I’m pretty sure my dear friend Phil Barlow told me he had this, their live album, and on hearing it, it confirmed everything I’d thought about them at the Tower Ballroom. Hanoi Rocks were never gonna change the world but if you just wanted a Rockin’ good time then this was the band you needed playing.

    Some years later I worked 2 UK tours with a band called Cheap ‘n’ Nasty led by Hanoi Rocks guitarist Nasty Suicide and with Hanoi’s old roadie Timo Kaltio on 2nd guitar. Took me some time to get into them but to be around 2 guys who’d been a part of this whirlwind was a joy, and the stories were glorious. Timo sadly passed away in 2021 but I’ll never forget him greeting anybody and everybody with an enthusiastic “Heeeeey didn’t I meet you in Helsinki ?”

    The video below is the first part of the “All Those Wasted Years” video release, you can find the whole show on YouTube if this has intrigued you. Hanoi Rocks were one helluva live band.

    Pipeline/Back To Mystery City - https://youtu.be/Ik0n5ZYzl5Y