From emmylouharris.com:

 

"Hard Bargain, the new album from Emmylou Harris, due out April 26 on Nonesuch, is now available for pre-order in the Nonesuch Store bundled with an exclusive manuscript lyric sheet of the album's opening track, "The Road," a number of which will be autographed by Harris. On "The Road," Harris looks back on the formative time she spent with country/rock icon Gram Parsons at the beginning of her career.

 

In celebration of the album's release, Harris will embark on a series of performances including a showcase at the 2011 SXSW Music and Media Conference in Austin this month as well as special intimate shows at the El Rey in Los Angeles on April 21 and the Bowery Ballroom in New York on April 26. Additionally, on April 27, Harris will perform on the Late Show with David Letterman. For more tour information, visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.

 

Hard Bargain follows Harris' acclaimed 2008 release, All I Intended to Be, which received widespread acclaim—Newsweek called it an album that "shows that Harris is still the stalwart songbird at the top of the roost." The new album, which comprises 11 new songs by Harris as well as two covers, was produced by Jay Joyce (Cage the Elephant, Patty Griffin).

 

"We did the whole record in about a month, which is quite unusual for me. But I had all the material beforehand. I'd written 11 of the 13 songs and I really wanted to include two more by other writers," Harris explains. "One of the covers is Ron Sexsmith's 'Hard Bargain' which I absolutely love. The other is by Jay Joyce, called 'Cross Yourself.'

 

"We did the whole thing with just three musicians, me being one of them. Jay, the producer, and Giles Reeves play everything between them. It's not a stripped down record though; there's only one song that's a little bare bones. I'm basically a slow ballad-y person, but Jay managed to really move the songs up a bit. But they still have the same emotional feel."

 

In addition to "The Road," another of the album's songs looks back on a relationships that was central to Harris' creative life: she wrote "Darlin' Kate" for her close friend and collaborator Kate McGarrigle, who died last year of a rare form of cancer.

 

A 12-time Grammy winner and Billboard Century Award recipient, Emmylou Harris' contribution as a singer and songwriter spans 40 years. She has recorded more than 25 albums and has lent her talents to countless fellow artists' recordings. In recognition of her remarkable career, Harris was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008."

 

THIS MADE MY DAY. LOVE HER.

 

'All I Intended to Be' wasn't exactly her best but she just can't do wrong.

I have quite a lot of time for Emmylou actually, her voice is wonderful. She makes a great backing singer or duet artist too, her tone just compliments other people's vocals so well.

 

I think my favourite era was the Wrecking Ball one, such a forward thinking album for someone like her to make. :wub:

I agree. Wrecking Ball is a masterpiece. I have referred to it as the best album ever many times.. It surely is close to that honour.

Also Red Dirt Girl (she wrote most songs on that one) is amazing.

 

 

Yes, Red Dirt Girl is my second favourite of hers. The title track is exactly the sort of jangly country track that I would normally not be keen on but it's just sublime.

 

I can't wait for this! So excited! The first song the Road is absolutely stunning :wub:

 

I still have alot of her music to discover.. so far I have listened to Elite Hotel, Gliding Bird (which she disowned :drama:), Pieces of the Sky, Luxury Liner, All I Intended to Be, Red Dirt Girl, All the Roadrunning (with Mark Knopfler from the Dire Straits) and what has grown to be my favorite album of all time, Wrecking Ball.

Video for Goodnight Old World

 

http://www.cmt.com/videos/emmylou-harris/6...old-world.jhtml

 

Fantastic song and love the vocals as usual

Edited April 13, 201114 yr by SKOB

I didn't know she made official videos. Has she ever done that before?

 

What a beautiful song btw! And she is just so beautiful too.

Was just listening to All I Intended to Be.. Last four songs are brilliant and make the second half very strong

 

"Life is long and life is tough/But when you love someone life's not long enough" :wub:

 

 

I can't wait to hear this album, I've been obsessing over Little Bird today. What a gorgeous song, definitely my favorite from Stumble Into Grace.

Pretty good album! Have to listen to it more to see how good it really is. But it's definitely better than Stumble and Intended.

Big Black Dog is very very bad though.

I know you wouldn't guess it underneath the Gaga loon cloak but I'm a huge fan of country (which I saw this lady was as well as folk according to Wikipedia after looking her up when I saw her in the midweek album top 10). I love Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Shania Twain etc. but I can see Emmylou will obviously be different to them as she's alternative country - there is a singer I rather like called Kasey Chambers who is described as alternative country, plus I like a bit of Laura Marling and Emmy The Great on the folk side of things (again maybe a bit commercial/nu-folk but hey). Based on my country/folk tastes, would you guys reccomend this album?

Without a doubt! But of course Miranda and Carrie (Sex and the City lol) are a bit poppier. Emmylou is more of a folk/country singer. Do you like Dolly Parton?

 

Maybe you should listen to Wrecking Ball where she does covers and songs other people had written for her. It's my favourite album ever.

 

I haven't heard Hard Bargain yet.. I don't have to. She's always consistent so I ordered my copy without hearing it in full.

Edited April 27, 201114 yr by SKOB

No I don't like Dolly Parton :( I'll try some tracks off WB then if you recommend! :) Then have a go with Hard Bargain!

Wrecking Ball is my favorite album ever as well. You should give it a spin if you want to. I love Emmylou's cover of Lucinda Williams' (also a favorite country artist of mine btw) Sweet Old World.

 

Of Hard Bargain I would say Goodnight Old World is the highlight (for now)

Liam, I'd start with the following tracks:

 

Where Will I Be

Goodbye

All My Tears (Be Washed Away)

Blackhawk

Red Dirt Girl

Bang The Drum Slowly

A Love That Will Never Grow Old

Lost Unto This World

Raise The Dead

Boulder To Birmingham

All I Left Behind

 

 

Hope you like them!

Entered the Dutch top100 at #15! Her highest charting since Luxury Liner (#3), but then I'm not counting her collab with Mark Knopfler (#3 as well).

Finally got my copy... The first half of the album is below par from her but somehow the second half is rather brilliant - from Six White Cadillacs to the end.

 

Especially The Ship on His Arm is classic Emmylou, simply amazing, and Darlin' Kate made me cry.

After couple of more spins I'm starting to like the first half more as well.. Clearly another solid album from her which is rather brilliant because she wrote most songs and the whole album is played by Harris, Jay Joyce and Giles Reaves. Couple of guests would've done no harm imo.

I would've liked a duet with Ryan Adams. I really liked their voices together on Oh My Sweet Carolina. Hopefully somewhere in the future!

 

I think my album favorite is now New Orleans, but it changes lol. The album is definitely more poppy than her other work (maybe except for Stumble Into Grace).

2,5 months later and I feel I should bump this thread. I'm in such an Emmylou mood lately, been listening alot to her albums (not just Hard Bargain). I wanted to go see her concert in the Netherlands, June 2nd, but I never want to go to concerts alone and literally nobody I know has the same music taste as I do (which really is a pain in the butt!)

I really hope I can see her somewhere in the future, definitely an icon in the music industry.