Emmylou Harris - Wrecking Ball
I saw Daniel Lanois play a show once. He does this thing where it looks like he’s trying to frantically pull a burning cactus needle out of his guitar. I can’t say it makes a particular sound - maybe an indistinct crunch - but it’s an effective performance move. His classic American songs seemed to be an afterthought to rocking out on a gold-top Gibson Les Paul.
On record, Lanois’s music esthetic is very different, a kind of electric americana, loose new-age western classicism. I’m thinking specifically of Willie Nelson’s Teatro, Bob Dylan’s Time Out of Mind, Lanois’ own Belladonna and Shine, and this Emmylous Harris record, though the U2 and Peter Gabriel things still have a kind of new-ageyness about them. I guess people describe it as “atmospheric”, but it strikes me very differently than Calexico, for example, which is electric americana, loose, western classicist and atmospheric music, but not new-age.
Emmylou Harris has a voice that can stop a human heart. It’s what my dog feels as he’s walking by, and I lay a hand on his ear or hip.
8 months ago
