Harris works once again with Brian Ahern, who – in addition to being her second husband – produced her first eleven albums. In doing so, she summons the homespun grandeur of those works while sounding ever the wiser and insightful. She interprets Patty Griffin’s “Moon Song” and Merle Haggard’s “Kern River” with her signature aesthetic, inflecting each lyric like a sage storyteller. And on the Billy Joe Shaver chestnut, “Old Five And Dimers Like Me,” she sings with bluegrass artist John Starling, their duet sounding tailor-made for some honky-tonk jukebox.
Harris doesn’t write as many songs as perhaps she should, but the ones she penned here further (and superbly) illustrate her forthright, narrative affection. Two songs in particular stand out, the first being “Take That Ride,” on which she renders a strikingly ominous fate. She sings, “One of these days I’m going to take that ride/There may be nothing on the other side/I’m too old for changing, my true blues have all been tried.” Her phrasing is incisive and grounded, Dylanesque in a sense.
Similarly, on “Gold,” she acknowledges how it feels to fall short in another’s eyes, singing, “I finally gave up counting the ways you said I let you down” before conceding, “No matter how bright I glitter, I could never be gold.” Her lyrics resonate much like her vocals – emotive, straightforward, and sincere – thus enriching the depth and integrity of the album overall.
Authenticity, by definition, cannot be contrived or manipulated and, on All I Intended To Be, Emmylou Harris illustrates how it can harvest resplendent, poignant music. To put it plain, she’s delivered one of her finest albums to date simply by being herself.
Article comments
1 - Glen Boyd
Nicely done Donald. I think I read somewhere recently (maybe even here) that Emmylou is one of the best living arguments for older women to put away their hair color. Can't argue with that. And her voice is just as silky smooth as those now famous silver strands. A guy could certainly do a lot worse...
-Glen
2 - AMdubs
Hi Donald --
Sounds like last night was amazing! So cool that you had a moment with EmmyLou. Thought you might be interested in checking out this EmmyLou podcas interview (she also performs!) that is posted on Barnes & Noble Studio. Check it out
3 - Tom Johnson
That is very cool. All I've ever read about her is pretty much as you described, which is always great to hear when we usually read about ego-driven excess of big music stars.
The new album is great, too. She just keeps turning out good stuff - and I hope that doesn't stop for a long time.
4 - Irene
Bought this album because I'm a huge Billy Joe Shaver fan and I wanted to hear what she'd do with "Old Five And Dimers Like Me". Must say that I love it, except the part where Starling sings solo, he can't keep up with her vocals IMHO. Also LOVE "Not Enough", which I accidentally happened to listen to on Friday after the news broke that Tim Russert had passed. It brought tears to my eyes, wonderfully sung, wonderful lyrics. Great album altogether.
5 - Music Critic
Emmylou is not only a great country singer but one of the best female vocalists I have ever heard. This album is an amazing addition to her already impressive catalog.