Emmylou Harris reviewed
Emmylou Harris
All I Intended To Be
(Nonesuch)
Emmylou Harris’ first solo album since 2003 relies mainly on covers, purposefully pointing back to her early solo albums — appropriate, then, that Brian Ahern produced it.
Appearing: Saturday, June 14th at Morton Arboretum in Lisle.
The most amusing aspect of All I Intended To Be is the harmonizing presence of Dolly Parton on “Gold.” While Parton was groomed for the the mainstream, Harris, despite her Opry potential, always chose songs that seemed to matter to her more than anyone else’s opinion. Though self-penned, “Gold” tightly grips country tradition with I-IV-V chords and a Western shuffle, using Parton for texture more than duetting purposes. The album title, lifted from the included Billy Joe Shaver cut “Old Five And Dimers Like Me,” might come off like a hapless shrug, but embraces Harris’ rustic persona. As she has done throughout her career, tracks from Patty Griffin, Tracy Chapman, and Merle Haggard all wind up on a dusty front porch, whittling the daylight away.
