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All the Roadrunning · Sep 22, 10:28 AM
Emmylou Harris has always had a lovely, twangy country voice, but since the 70s when she left her Gram Parsons Greivous Angel period behind, she has often sung very weak material; in Mark Knopfler, formerly of Dire Straits, she has found a collaborator who can write lyrics as well as play guitar. All the Roadrunning is one of the best progressive / country / folk records I’ve heard in years. And this is a kind of music I like & listen to. It seems a bit like sacrilege, but these duets—all the numbers feature both artists singing—remind me of Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash. Well, if Johnny & June had gone to college, maybe. There is a touch of Richard Tomphson in Knopfler’s lyrics—they Knopfler is not nearly so mordant—with even a reference to a Vincint motorcycle (though Thompson’s bike is red & Knopfler’s red) & a wall of death.
It’s good to hear Harris singing top-flight material; the way her voice works with Knopfler’s is a pleasant surprise & while none of these pieces is quite up to the Cast / Carter duet “Jackson,” “Red Staggerwing” comes pretty close. The title track confronts the situation of the artist in middle age, wondering whetere all the effort is worthwhile. This is a subject that might come of as just another ain’t-it-lonely-on-the-road lament, but it is handled deftly here. I’ll be listening to this record a lot, I have a feeling. There is plenty of subtlety to reward repeated playing.
* * *
On another, er, note, have you heard the new Dylan, Modern Times? It’s smashing!
— Candice Ward 09/22/2006 09:58 PM #
— jd 09/23/2006 08:46 AM #
Getting back to Emmylou for a minute, I don’t think her ‘90s material is all that weak. What about Wrecking Ball? What about Red Dirt Girl?
On a more literary note, have you seen the new Shenandoah special issue on traditional music? It’s got articles (including one by Mike Seeger), short stories, and poetry, as well as an interview with Jeanette Carter. I’d say that it’s heavily weighted toward the blues (Robert Johnson is a strong presence), but there’s also lots of material on bluegrass, ballads, and other trad modes. I think you can order it (for $10) at the website: shenandoah.wlu.edu, but there’s bound to be a snail address there, too, if you need it. Highly recomended!
— Candice Ward 09/23/2006 10:38 AM #
Emmylou’s Wrecking Ball (with Daniel Lanois) was wonderful, but up until All the Road Running, she’s been kind of repeating the Emmylou/Lanois formula.
Knopfler has been making some terrific music lately, very different from his Dire Straits days.
— Jean 09/23/2006 11:32 PM #