EMMYLOU HARRIS

All I Intended To Be—Nonesuch

Tracks: Shores Of White Sand; Hold On; Moon Song; Broken Man’s Lament; Gold; How She Could Sing The Wildflower; All That You Have Is Soul; Take That Ride; Old Five And Dimers Like Me; Kern River; Not Enough; Sailing Round The Room; Beyond The Great Divide.

This album is Emmylou Harris’ first in five years and took more than four years to record. She returns to Brian Ahern, her ex husband who produced her first 11 albums some 25 years ago. The lady also returns to her country roots again and the result is delightful for those who prefer a more traditional approach to country music.

Emmylou is the latest inductee to the Country Music Hall Of Fame and a 12-time Grammy award winner with more than 25 albums to her credit plus many contributions as both a singer and songwriter to other stars recorded work.

As a fan of Emmylou I am extremely pleased that she has returned to the country fold after her highly successful flirtation with other genres starting in 1995 with Wrecking Ball with producer Daniel Lanois and progressing to 2003 with Stumble Into Grace her first album on Nonesuch Records.

All I Intended To Be brings together many of Emmylou’s friends including members of Seldom Scene, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, Buddy Miller, Emery Gordy, Glen D. Hardin, Glen Wolf, Karen Brooks, Stuart Duncan, Fats Kaplan, Harry Stinson and a host of others.

The opener “Shores Of White Sand”, written by Jack Wesley Routh, is a melodic ballad shows off Emmylou’s angelic voice to perfection. “Hold On,” written by Emmylou, is simple but effective with a Celtic atmospheric feel emerging within the melody. Patty Griffin’s “Moon Song”, probably gleaned from the album Live At The Artists Den by Griffin, presents a reflective and gentle image.

Mark Germino wrote “Broken Mans Lament”, Karen Brooks lends harmony and Patsy Cline gets a mention in the lyrics. Mark recorded this song in 1986 or there about. Emmylou wrote “Gold” and Dolly Parton and Vince Gill join her on harmony vocals. Emmylou is joined in the songwriting chair by Anna and Kate McGarrigle on “How She Could Sing The Wildwood Flower” and they also supply sublime harmony on this poignant song that brings back memories of the Carter Family. Tracy Chapman wrote and recorded “All That You Have Is Your Soul”—Emmylou sings you back home with her splendid reading.

Emmylou wrote “Take That Ride” that reflects bittersweet, peaceful and gentle. The Billy Joe Shaver classic “Old Five And Dimers Like Me” finds Mike Auldridge on dobro and harmony vocals along with John Starling adding his vocal power. The album title took its name from a line in this wonderful song. The vocal trio stay together for Merle Haggard’s “Kern River” another one of my favourite classic country songs.

Emmylou wrote “Not Enough”—a simply beautiful love song from the angelic voiced star, Mary Ann Kennedy and Pam Rose sing delightful harmony. Kate and Anna McGarrigle along with Emmylou wrote “Sailing Round The Room”, they also provide harmony. The closer “Beyond The Great Divide”, written by John Charles Crowley, Jack Wesley Routh and John McKenna, has been covered by Marty Stuart and Daniel O’ Donnell and others. Emmylou nails it again to close this superb country album that takes this Hall Of Fame lady back to her roots in folk and country music.

The whole album demands your fullest attention to allow you the total benefit of a superstar and her friends at work. Highly Recommended.

By BRIAN AHERN