Anthology: The Warner - Reprise Years
Over the years Emmylou Harris has created an impressive body of work by mixing songs from both the mainstream and the fringes of country music with well-chosen covers from the worlds of rock, pop, and R&B.;Anthology, a 44-song collection drawn from her 17-year tenure at Warner Bros. and Reprise Records, is something of a greatest-hits package and focuses on her charting country hits. But along with songs like "Beneath Still Waters," "Two More Bottles of Wine," and "Sweet Dreams"--each a country chart-topper--there are a few lesser-known gems like "Here, There and Everywhere" andRodney Crowell's "I Had My Heart Set on You." On most of the tracks Harris is backed by her Hot Band, arguably the finest country group of its time, whose members over the years have included Crowell,Ricky Skaggs,Vince Gill, James Burton, and Albert Lee. Harris is a fine songwriter in her own right--"Boulder to Birmingham," her tribute toGram Parsons, is particularly nice--but the large selection of great versions of other people's songs onAnthologymake a strong case that her ability to choose the perfect song to cover is an even more valuable talent.--Michael Simmons