Duets

Performer: Emmylou Harris
Artist: Willie Nelson; George Jones; Dolly Parton; Roy Orbison; Neil Young; The Band; Desert Rose Band; John Denver
Distributor: WEA (Distributor)

Notes: Personnel includes: Emmylou Harris (vocals, guitar); Willie Nelson, George Jones, Don Williams, Ricky Skaggs, Earl Thomas Conley, Dolly Parton, John Denver, Roy Orbison, Gram Parsons, Neil Young, The Band, The Desert Rose Band, Southern Pacific. Producers include: Gram Parsons, Randy Scruggs, John Denver, Don Williams, Robbie Robertson. On the heels of Trio, Emmylou Harris' smash studio collaboration with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt, comes the compilation Duets, which collects previously released performances recorded in conjunction with Neil Young, Willie Nelson and others. Obviously intended to cash in on the success of Trio, the record is by no means an essential addition to the Harris oeuvre: virtually everything included is readily available on other albums, and the selections are erratic at best. By and large, Harris' finest material is her solo work, although the power of "Love Hurts," recorded during her all-too-brief period with Gram Parsons, remains undeniable. ~ Jason Ankeny Emmylou Harris first broke on the national music scene as the duet partner of Gram Parsons, the legendary progenitor of country rock. Vocal duets (and trios, for that matter) have played a prominent role in Harris' music ever since. DUETS collects 12 of Harris' better-known vocal collaborations, including a number that had never before been released under her name. Like all such collections, DUETS varies considerably from track to track, both in production values and artistic merit. What remains constant throughout, however, is the quality of Harris' contributions. Whether pitching in on Neil Young's mystical "Star of Bethlehem" or Earl Thomas Conley's treacly "We Believe in Happy Endings," Harris provides stellar support. While some of these tracks are available on must-own Harris albums ("Green Pastures," for example, appears on Harris' remarkable ROSES IN THE SNOW), others, are culled from soundtracks and albums released by Harris' duet partners. Accordingly, DUETS is a very convenient package for Harris fans looking to gather all of Harris' recordings without having to buy, say, an entire John Denver album. While not the place to begin an Emmylou Harris collection, DUETS does provide an interesting glimpse at one aspect of a great artist's career.

Emmylou Harris first came to public attention as Gram Parsons's singing partner, but her solo career took off after his passing. Throughout the 1970s and '80s, she was a major force in progressive country, championing the works of great songwriters like Townes Van Zandt and Paul Siebel. By the '90s, the eclecticism that she'd always practiced came to full bloom in the hands of producer Daniel Lanois, especially on her milestone 1995 album, WRECKING BALL.

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