Emmylou Harris - "Elite Hotel" (1975) - Reprise Records
Hello Friends,
Kick back and relax because we're checking in to the Elite Hotel tonight! There's no room service, but we got cable t.v., a comfortable bed and a tall bottle of wine chilling in the ice bucket!
Elite Hotel was Emmylou Harris's second amazing record released in 1975 (the first being, Pieces of the Sky) and a groundbreaking work in the burgeoning country-rock genre. Like "Pieces", the ghost of Gram Parsons (Emmylou's close friend, object of affection and musical mentor who died of an overdose in '73) looms large over nearly every note on the album.
Elite Hotel was Emmylou Harris's second amazing record released in 1975 (the first being, Pieces of the Sky) and a groundbreaking work in the burgeoning country-rock genre. Like "Pieces", the ghost of Gram Parsons (Emmylou's close friend, object of affection and musical mentor who died of an overdose in '73) looms large over nearly every note on the album.
Featuring three Gram Parsons songs ("Sin City", "Ooh Las Vegas" and "Wheels"), a Buck Owens cover ("Together Again"), a Don Gibson/Patsy Cline classic ("Sweet Dreams"), the Louvin Brothers ("Satan's Jeweled Crown"), Hank Williams ("Jambalaya") and even a Beatles song ("Here, There & Everywhere"), Elite Hotel is an eclectic mix of traditional country, alternative country, the blues, rock & roll, fast & slow, loud & quiet, light & dark. A very 1970's country LP that put the focus on the album as a whole as opposed to one or two radio-friendly singles.
On all the songs, her voice is strong and ethereal with just the right amount of twang and vulnerability! There's some great pedal steel guitar work on the record and Emmylou has a "Grade A" backing band, including Rodney Crowell, Glen D. Hardin, Ben Keith, Jonathan Edwards, James Burton and Linda Ronstadt among others. Its a real hootenanny!
RATING: 4.5 Satan Jeweled Crowns out of 5
RATING: 4.5 Satan Jeweled Crowns out of 5
No comments:
Post a Comment