Profile: Best of

You know, I did fall in love with Emmy Lou around 27 years ago when I spun records for a living at a small radio station in Cottonwood, Arizona. How could I help falling for her when listening to her "Sweet Dreams", "Making Believe, and "Easy From Now On." These are all romantic classics in her unmistakable style. Listening to her rendition of Buck Owens' "Together Again"...well, you know between her and Buck which one I'd choose to be together with. LOL All her early favorites are here such as Dolly Parton's "To Daddy", "If I Could Only Win Your Love," "Too Far Gone", and "Boulder to Birmingham. All here and jusst as fresh as when they were first recorded between 1974-1977. By the way, there's a really terrific fiddler backing her on "You Never Can Tell") "C'est' La Vie", "Making Believe", and "Hello Stranger". Fellow by the name of Ricky Scaggs. All in all, what you...Read more

For anyone who wants to know what all the fuss was about when Emmylou Harris burst on the country scene three decades ago, it's all here in this compilation, which brings together twelve of her greatest early tracks. Her distinctive voice, part reed, part silver, full of emotion, and her interpretive range--she could convince in the most soulful ballad as well as the most rollicking of rockabilly--are in plentiful evidence.

Harris also had impeccable taste in material, and this CD is also illustrative as a retrospective of the best of country that stretches all the way back to its origins with the Carter Family's "Hello Stranger." Other highlights are the strongly feminist "One of These Days," and sweet covers of Patsy Cline's "Sweet Dreams" and Kitty Wells' "Making Believe," but there really isn't a dud in the bunch. Highly recommended for all of us who need to remember what country music was like at its best.

This album was my first introduction to Emmylou Harris and I played it on 33 1/3 rpm vinyl til there was nothing left but scratches. I replaced it with the CD (It was one of the first 5 CDs I ever purchased) and I am now in a state of mourning because time and carelessness have rendered it nonfunctional. So I am thrilled to be able to replace it through Amazon. This is music for the heart, whether you are in love, in pain, lonely as hell, or disgusted with the universe. Like an old friend, I may go for months without listening to it, but when I need to hear it I need to hear it. This is a collection of music I never want to be separate from.