Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell: Old Yellow Moon

Old Yellow Moon
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Artist: Emmylou Harris Rodney Crowell
Genre: Country
Label: Nonesuch

It's nearly 40 years since Emmylou Harris gave a young Texan singer-songwriter his big break when she signed him up for her aptly named Hot Band. Rodney Crowell played rhythm guitar and sang harmony to Emmylou's enchanting, crystalline voice, and for a time in the late 1970s there was no finer country rock band. On Old Yellow Moon they seek to renew that connection, even getting Harris's old producer – and ex-husband – Brian Ahern to man the controls, and players such as guitarist James Burton to plug in. They don't deny the passing of time – Matracta Berg's poignant Back When We Were Beautiful , for example – but Harris and Crowell can still melt the heart and rock the soul, as on the opening duet Hanging Up My Heart . It's not perfect but the feeling is good.
nonesuch. com
Download: Hanging Up My Heart , Chase the Feeling , Back When We Were Beautiful

Cormac Larkin

Cormac Larkin

Cormac Larkin, a contributor to The Irish Times, is a musician, writer and director