In Alabama there is a lot of clay in the soil, this gives it a reddish colour. Since 1996 the Professional Soil Classifiers of Alabama (yes, such a body exists !) have recognised the Bama Soil Series (known as Bama for short) as the state soil. The people of Alabama call it the red clay or the red dirt. Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires (remember them from a few months ago ?) from Birmingham, AL have a song called “The Red, Red Dirt Of Home”. The title of this album is Emmylou Harris (herself also from Birmingham, AL) recognising her roots.

“Red Dirt Girl” was the (solo) studio follow up to the career re-defining album “Wrecking Ball” but wasn’t released until 5 years later. In those 5 years Emmylou made “Trio II” with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt, “Western Wall: The Tucson Sessions” with Linda Ronstadt and released the live album “Spyboy” with her new backing band, Spyboy, which she formed for a tour to perform songs from  “Wrecking Ball”.

One other important thing to note about “Red Dirt Girl” is that Emmylou wrote or co-wrote 11 of the 12 songs, the first time  since “The Ballad of Sally Rose” in 1985 that she’d made an album with more than two of her own compositions included. Although Daniel Lanois did not produce this album (it was produced by Malcolm Burn who engineered “Wrecking Ball”) the musical setting he created for “Wrecking Ball” is a lasting and obvious presence here. 

First song “The Pearl” would have sat comfortably on her previous album. Some have suggested that the next song, “Michaelangelo”, is about Gram Parsons and reading the lyrics I can see why some might think that. But as Emmylou herself has said “The thing about “Michelangelo,” it could be about anything you want. I like songs like that.”

“Tragedy” sees the coming together of musical heroes of mine. Here backing vocals are supplied by Bruce Springsteen and his wife Patti Scialfa. Now I’m not a huge fan of Patti’s vocal style but Bruce was so taken with it he married her so who am I to pass comment. But to find two giants of American music, the Boss and Emmylou, together in one place pleased me greatly. You hear much more of Patti than you do of Bruce but I’ll settle for knowing he’s in there somewhere.

“Bang The Drum Slowly” includes elements from Eric Bogle’s song "No Man's Land" (a.k.a "The Green Fields of France" or "Willie McBride"), both songs use the refrain "did they beat (bang) the drum slowly, did they play the fife lowly". It was written about Emmylou’s father (who passed away in 1993) with great American songwriter Guy Clark who also knew her Dad.

The title song, “My Baby Needs A Shepherd”, “Hour Of Gold” are all superb songs. Probably my favourite on the album is the only one the singer didn’t have a hand in writing (sorry Emmylou). “One Big Love” was penned by Patty Griffin and released on her 1998 album “Flaming Red”, an album on which Emmylou can be heard adding backing vocals. Patty’s version is a vaguely twee College Rock style thing whereas Emmylou slows things down just a little, gives it more of a groove and her voice on anybody’s song can only make it better.

The influence of Daniel Lanois and the making of her previous album are all over “Red Dirt Girl”.

Red Dirt Girl - https://youtu.be/nzwnYC_wJ1g

I said in a previous Emmylou piece “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).”

Well, may I present to you innovation in Country music, cos when Emmylou released “Wrecking Ball” it shook the Country world and was a genuine ground breaking album. 1993’s album “Cowgirl’s Prayer” was favourably reviewed but ignored by radio. In an interview Emmylou said

“I think I could record an album of Hank Williams songs and be told that it was (either) not country enough or too traditional…It's pretty obvious to me that I'm not going to be played on country radio, so why not just go to that other place that I've always been, anyway? I've always had one foot in left field. So I just decided to plant the other one there”

The result was “Wrecking Ball”, what can only be described as a career re-defining record to be placed right up alongside Johnny Cash’s “American Recordings”. She chose as her producer and co-writer Daniel Lanois (producer of U2, Peter Gabriel, Brian Eno, Youssou N’Dour), not your typical choice for a Country singer. She bought in songs by Neil Young, Jimi Hendrix and new artists like Gillian Welch and the album features guest appearances by Young, Steve Earle and U2’s Larry Mullen Jr. This definitely wasn’t Nashville calling.

The change in sound is obvious from the very start of track one, side one (remember that thing about setting expectations from the start) “Where Will I Be”. Written by Daniel Lanois it sets off with gentle, vaguely military style drums which are joined by a distant, echoed, indistinct and most un-country guitar. There’s a change in Emmylou’s voice from when I was last listening (there are 14 years between “Evangeline” and here). It sounds wiser, wearier, I hate to say it but smokier, like good smooth Bourbon that has aged particularly well. It’s just as clear with a slight rasp in the background but it has matured. This atmosphere continues right throughout the record.

Next is Steve Earle’s “Goodbye”. Earle had only released it 7 months earlier on his album “Train A-Comin’”, a gentle country ballad sung in his Southern drawl with slide guitar and harmonica. He plays acoustic guitar here on Emmylou’s version, U2’s Larry Mullen Jr is on drums, but this is an altogether more stately and ethereal affair, the soundscape that Lanois created on the opening song is constant. With all respect to Steve Earle, Emmylou pulls things out of the melody that Steve only hinted at. 

“All My Tears” is where you can really appreciate how Emmylou has lent her voice to sit within this new setting Lanois is creating for her. It puts me in mind of Native American chanting, I don’t know why but that’s the feeling I get from it. 

The next 3 songs are some of my very favourite Emmylou Harris recordings. Title song “Wrecking Ball” was written by Neil Young fo his 1989 album “Freedom” and he adds to this track singing harmony. That echoey guitar has picked up a slight modulation as it (finger) picks out the melody, the backing track is understated, it is there purely to support this incredible voice, never to overshadow it. Emmylou’s voice is high and pure on the chorus

“Meet me at the Wrecking Ball, the Wrecking Ball,

I’ll wear something pretty and white, And we’ll go dancing tonight”

Anna McGarrigle’s “Goin’ Back To Harlan” sees us back in folky mode and singing of old Appalachian songs, the bells of Rhymney, traditional reels, Willie Moore, Barbara Allen and Ewan MacColl’s Fair Ellen. It’s a song about looking back on simpler times and it’s lovely. 

Then it's “Deeper Well”, a song with a much darker feel to it. Written by David Olney (a man who died onstage mid-gig. He reportedly sat down, closed his eyes, apologised and never moved again), it’s a song looking for it, whatever “it” might be, love, safety, redemption, rejection, oblivion, they’re all in here. A song that conjures the image of the Southern Gothic

“Well, I did it for kicks and I did it for faith, I did it for lust and I did it for hate

I did it for need and I did it for love, Addiction stayed on tight like a glove”

That was one helluva side one !

The last highpoint on this wonderful record is the final song “Waltz Across Texas Tonight” (I’m not saying there’s nothing else of worth on side 2, there is, but you don’t want me walking you through every track, go have a listen). Borrowing the title of a 1965 Ernest Tubb song (“Waltz Across Texas”) Emmylou and Rodney Crowell conjure up a tale of a couple and their journey through their life. This song was first recorded with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt but went unreleased at the time. Here Emmylou harmonises with Kate and Anna McGarrigle and it’s a superb and optimistic end to a fabulous record.

“But the moon is so full, the stars are so bright, And my hand is steady, my touch is light

Look in my eyes, hold on real tight, And I'll waltz you my darling across Texas tonight”

Emmylou Harris had obviously put her complete trust in Daniel Lanois to create a backdrop and an overall atmosphere that suited her and left space for her voice to work its magic. “Wrecking Ball” was quite unlike anything she had ever produced before and has defined a new musical world for her work in ever since. 20 years after “Pieces Of the Sky” the “Queen Of the Silver Dollar” found a sound that set her apart from her Country music peers and bought her to a whole new audience. It’s a quite breathtaking record.

All My Tears - https://youtu.be/7naQUkKKmeo

I’ve not had long to live with this one. When I started waffling about these Emmylou Harris records I didn’t own it, it had been on my wantlist for a time but I hadn’t got around to finding a copy. With all the references up to now to Gram Parsons I thought it was the right time to buy a copy so I could talk to you about it…the things I do for all y’all…

Released in 1985 and co-written with her then husband (English songwriter Paul Kennerley) “The Ballad Of Sally Rose” is a concept album. It tells the story of a young girl who has a baby at an early age. She then becomes a singer, meeting a character known as “The Singer” whose band she joins and is exposed to the road, his influence, talent and wild ways. They marry, her confidence grows as a performer and she is lured away from her husband to a solo career. By the time she realises she wants to be back with him and is returning to do just that she discovers “The Singer” has died in a car accident. A story eerily similar to that of the relationship between Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons.

After we kick off with “The Ballad Of Sally Rose”, a nice summary of our heroine’s entry into this world, the rest of Side 1 is pretty maudlin until penultimate song “Bad News” in which our anti-hero “The Singer” dies…before we’re even halfway in.

Into Side 2 and you get the feeling that without the explanation on the inner sleeve this would be a confusing story to follow. Sally is out on tour with her “red hot band” the she’s singing about how her baby was taken by the “white line” (on the road or otherwise isn’t specified). It’s getting to feel like unsubtle references to GP are being forced into songs to support a story it was decided to tell before any songs were written and now they have to make themselves write that story in whet3 it doesn’t fit.

By the time you reach the song “The Sweetheart Of the Rodeo” it’s beginning to feel like you’re listening to “Country music by numbers”, a symptom of writing with her husband who was British perhaps ? The music doesn’t feel authentically American but someone else’s idea of what Country should be. 

“K-S-O-S” includes an instrumental snippet of “Six Days On the Road” a song that Gram performed with the Fallen Angels and the Flying Burrito Brothers, along with other Country standards that I’m sure Gram would have known and played.

All in all it’s not Emmylou’s finest moment, her voice is beautiful throughout but the songs just aren’t good enough to tell the story. Caveat is I’ve written this after listening to it once, gimme another week and all the above might change. Me and Emmylou part ways for 10 years now, we’ll pick things up again in 1995.

Long Tall Sally Rose - https://youtu.be/Tj3d2okYXKY