Reviews (page 4 of 8)
Not bad, she reminds me of Dolly Parton but don't tell anyone I said that. Now I'm not really a fan of country, but this is a perfectly fine album for me
Better than modern country, but if I'm going to listen to something like this it's going to be Dolly Parton.
Approximately once or twice a year, I have the patience and desire to sit though a country western / pop album. Luckily this timed up for me and I ended up liking this more than I think I usually would. I am surprised to see an album with this many covers come up as one of the best of all time. There was just enough bluegrass heart in this to have not cast it off automatically.
Really impressive first half of the album that faded into more predictability over the second half. Still a very fun listen. I’m sure there are Dolly Parton vocal comparisons all over the reviews. Some standouts are “Boulder To Birmingham” for its great chorus, and “For No One” was nice too. Firm 3/5, a little more variation towards the back half of the record would boost this to the moon
I don't like country, but this was a good listen
Nice enough
Lovely stuff, this.
Country music.
Feel like I should have liked this more but didn’t quite do it
Simply a beautiful voice singing some strong country tunes.
ELH has an amazing voice, but unfortunately the tunes on this album don't really do it justice for me. Or maybe it is the generic country/folk stylings of the music that lets it down. Anyway, it's a solid 3 for me, but nothing more than that
Really great opening to Bluebird Wine and then it falls into normalcy and a standard country sound. Good singer. Leans way too much into sentimentality. The music itself is very good overall but constantly falls from something interesting and amazing to a kind of ordinary trope.
Pleasant morning music.
This is pleasant enough but the aesthetic isn’t original, all the best songs are covers and she didn’t write her own songs yet so hard to evaluate this as really any kind of artistic statement
Proving once again that my self-proclaimed hatred of country music seems to soften when presented with true country music, this album didn’t suck. Her voice runs along the dot edge of grating/compelling that I find distressing in a fair amount of female country singers, but I appreciated the musicality and the rawness of the songs.
Not a country fan, but this was a good album.
All in all a decent country album. She's got a great voice. However, there are too many ballads that don't really move me one way or another. Adiitionally, her Dolly-cover is far inferior to the really moving original. She redeems herself with the beatles cover and the album closer, though. 5/10
wack
This was fine! Very country, very western, very folky. Not my favorite kind of music but she's clearly very talented. 5/10
3.5. Pretty good.
Nice voice, but pretty generic country
eyup that is some classic country music. i liked the closer and the Dolly Parton cover
Wind, clouds, airplanes, atmosphere, and the color blue.
Great emotion and a unique and beautiful voice. She successfully bridges sorrow filled traditional country with a more modern vibe. Great execution, fine instrumentation and songwriting with a killer little block of covers - Coat of Many Colors and For No One - make this an interesting listen.
Nice. Good voice, decent tracks.
Great voice, but not my style of music. I'd keep it on the background but that's about it
Haven't listened to this album before. Ah it was so lovely, some nice country music 3/5
Good ole country music.
Album #92, Emmylou Harris, Pieces of the Sky, ⭐⭐⭐ My first solo Emmylou Harris album. I know her well as a collaborator with some of my favourite musicians on some of my favourite albums, people like Bob Dylan, Gram Parsons and Neil Young. So I was excited for this one. And after listening to it, I really have very little to say. It’s a pretty standard country album with a few folky flourishes. She’s a good singer and she picks the right songs. My favourite was probably either “Queen of the Silver Dollar” or “If I Could Only Win Your Love”. None of it really blew me away. I’ve heard from comments on this sub that this was the wrong Emmylou album for the list, so do let me know which one I should listen to next.
Easy listening. Country and western but popular. Not too memorable but has a good feel about it. 3/5
Delightful. While I’m glad it was on this list, I probably won’t return to it.
Emmylou can perform. This is dangerously close to an all-covers album. It’s hard for me to give it more because I just think about the originals who did it better. Plus Gram Pardons always made her performances deeper…
This is a nice collection of old-school country music, from back when country felt like it had some manner of sincerity to it. Emmylou Harris has a wonderful voice, and there is a good variety of songs here. Favorite track(s): "Boulder to Birmingham," "Before Believing"
Pretty good album. Emmylou has a great voice and good delivery. All the songs are good, some really stand out. Has mostly a country feel - maybe country rock, but in a 70’s way.
Solid album. When country is being played, I wish it sounded this good and not like the pop crap people listen to today.
Alright Country. & I absolutely hate country music.
Meh
🎧Good country album, not spectacular. Before Believing is beautiful.
I've been in love with Emmylou Harris' voice ever since hearing her harmonizing with Dylan in Desire, but this is the first time I venture into her discography, so I was looking forward to it. Sadly, there's not much to bite into here. It's a solid set of covers with a great original track jammed in-between, but I can't say I was blown away overall. Her voice is expectedly great and the arrangements are solid, but it does miss that X factor that I can't really pinpoint at the time of writing this. Favourite track: Boulder to Birmingham
Lovely, very nice.
it was fine but not my cup of tea
Her debut, classic country.
1. pas chaud la country, j'ai skip à la moitié. 2. bcp mieux. belles sonorités. 3. mmm 4. les slides hawaïens là je prends. 5. super chill. 6. mmm, cv. doubles croches stylés et fin aussi. 7. mmm 8. mskn mais nn. 9. je connais ça, frappe. 10. différent un peu. cv. 11. mmmm 12. cv en vrai. album qui donne envie de traire une vache texane mais en buvant de l'eau de coco.
It’s lovely, it just doesn’t move me that much. I wish there was a bit more range of topics
I'm not really into country, but this was good. I saved some songs to keep listening. Her voice is like hearing an angel, really good. Listening a country album is not my thing, but some of this songs were direct to my playlist
Reminds me of Allison Krause in many ways. I loved the sound of many of these songs - particularly the ones that aren't stereotypical honky tonk sounding.
Mit Pieces Of The Sky legte die aus Birmingham, Alabama stammende Emmylou Harris 1975 bei Reprise Records ihr faktisches Debüt vor – ihr erstes Album Gliding Bird (1969) war im Folk-Idiom verhaftet und blieb weitgehend unbeachtet. Aufgenommen im mobilen Enactron Truck Studio in Los Angeles sowie bei Track Recorders in Silver Spring, Maryland, entstand das Album unter der Leitung des kanadischen Produzenten Brian Ahern, der Harris klanglich in eine Schnittmenge aus traditionellem Country, Countryrock und Folk-Sensibilität führte. Die Spuren von Gram Parsons' „Cosmic American Music"-Vision, mit dem Harris zuvor als Duettpartnerin gearbeitet hatte, sind allgegenwärtig – ohne dass das Album je bloße Reminiszenz wäre. Die Trackliste vereint Eigenkompositionen mit sorgfältig gewählten Fremdstücken: Das eröffnende „Bluebird Wine" setzt den Ton mit federndem Rhythmus und kristallklarer Stimme, während „If I Could Only Win Your Love" – ein Stück der Louvin Brothers – zur ersten ernsthaften Hit-Single wurde und bis auf Platz vier der Billboard-Country-Charts stieg. „Too Far Gone", ursprünglich von Tammy Wynette, und das abschließende „Queen of the Silver Dollar" (mit Linda Ronstadt im Hintergrund) demonstrieren Harris' Instinkt für emotionale Tiefe bei minimalem Aufwand. Die Begleitung – darunter Glen D. Hardin am Piano und Herb Pedersen als Backgroundsänger – ist so diskret wie präzise. Was Pieces Of The Sky von einem bloßen Genreprodukt unterscheidet, ist die vokale Autorität, mit der Harris jeden Song in Besitz nimmt. Ihre Stimme bewegt sich mühelos zwischen Zärtlichkeit und erdigem Nachdruck – eine Qualität, die zu diesem Zeitpunkt in der Countrymusik ohne unmittelbares Vorbild war. Das Album klingt 1975 wie eine Antwort auf eine Frage, die die Branche noch nicht gestellt hatte. Pieces Of The Sky ist ein Gründungsdokument des Alt-Country, das seinen Rang nicht durch Lautstärke, sondern durch Haltung behauptet.
Bit too country for me. Coat of many colours was nice but I prefer the Dolly version.
I do like Emmylou Harris’s voice but country in general isn’t my favorite so just gets a 3 star.
her voice is not my fave
Don't really like country
Decent, can’t say I’d go back to it
Another case of a folky country album where I found it a pleasant listen and liked her voice but there isn't a major impression beyond that
Pieces of the Sky didn’t fully connect with me overall, as much of it just felt like straightforward country. That said, I really liked Bluebird Wine and Boulder to Birmingham, and her voice stood out to me the most—it’s something I genuinely enjoy.
I have never been a fan of country music, but this is tolerable. She didn’t write a lot of these songs.
22/03/2026 It's just like every other country song isn't it? Generic. Spotify listeners: 2.1 million
Mid 3/5
Actually, not a bad album. It was alright having it in the background - it's quite slow and pretty chill. All of the songs have a pretty similar vibe and they're alright listening to, nothing too exciting though, of course. If you're in a pretty chill mood, it feels like a pretty good album to leave playing while you're doing something, or just relaxing even.
Well I thought I would hate this album more than I actually did. So it’s got that going for it. By the end of it though, I was sick of it and needed to move on.
As someone not particularly well versed when it comes to country - this was a nice enough listen.
I know about Emmylou Harris, of course; she's from here in the DC suburbs. Part of this recording was done right here in my neighborhood, in fact. But I never went to the effort of checking her out when she was making records in the 70s because she was country and I was prog, and that was that. The faster songs on here have some really good toe-tapping guitar, fiddle, and mandolin and such, and her voice of course is great. I struggled to get through the slower material; I do like "Boulder to Birmingham," though, since I'm a sucker for a sad travel song, and of course Dolly Parton's "Coat of Many Colors" has such touching lyrics. I think I'm a 3 on this one. She's still pretty country, and I'm still pretty prog, so while I think this is very good for what it is, it's still a little too calm and sweet for my liking.
Good voice, easy to listen to, didn’t grab me.
Listened to most of this, not a country fan at all again, but her voice is really great. Overall a 3 here I think which is pretty good for me being classic country and western
Great voice. Not a fan of country, so it was a rough listen. Still, there's no denying how good she is. 3 stars (if I was even a casual fan of country music, this would be 4-5 stars)
Not a bad country album. She could sing fairly well and it wasn’t all about tractors and beer so that gets it an extra star. 3/5
yeah not my jam, but it's good
The first song, Bluebird Wine, gave me Kasey Musgraves vibes. Other songs invoked Southern gospel and bluegrass. Through it all, Emmylou Harris's voice was clear as a bell.
Sweet album
subdued in the middle/first half. Some newfound bangers in there but as a whole did not speak to me.
I thought this was going to be too country for me and it is but it’s still pretty decent.
This was nice.
If I've learned nothing else from this list, it's that I actually find Country from the '60s and '70s to be pretty listenable.
Great voice, middling music.
It's okay because they sometimes do folk instead of country
I like what she’s trying to do. Great voice
Nice voice and decent enough
She sings great, and the instrumentals are good too. But there's a pacing issue with the album with most of the songs being mid-tempo ballads. Given the fact that the songs are covers, the album would need in my eyes to be fantastic versions of the originally great songs to be given a high rating
I like this album. I don’t love it, but I like it. There’s a softness to it that feels genuine, not forced, and the performances are steady without being flashy. It sounds like an artist finding her footing, and that’s part of the charm. At the same time, a lot of it blends together for me. The mood stays in one lane and rarely swerves. When it ends, I feel satisfied but not moved. It’s good company, just not something I reach for when I want to feel shaken up or surprised.
Good
I don't country but this album doesn't annoy me like other country albums do. Will I listen to it again ? No. Did I enjoy it nonetheless ? Yes !
I liked this album overall. It was a nice country album with upbeat songs and slower songs. My one complain is it felt like some of the songs dragged on a bit but a solid album overall.
Knew the artist but not the music.. I enjoyed it.
Boulder to Birmingham
lik Fleetwood Mac, bra men inte riktigt min smak
I continue to like this stuff. Nothing spectacular here but goid throughout
Not terrible. Just not really into country.
This was very nice. Shes got a lovely voice, I would love to go to Nashville one day. I think I would hate it, but nevertheless, we persist.
This is an album I think I could get more into at the right time, but on this listen I thought it was pretty good. My first listen to Emmylou Harris but from what I know about her I think I may like some other albums of her more. Undeniably stunning voice, though. That cover of For No One was gorgeous.
Country.
Enjoyed it. Solid country songs (and one Beatles song) sung beautifully and performed well. Made me interested in listening to more Emmylou Harris, even if I likely won’t revisit this particular album again.
Normally this stuff is a solid 4 for me, but this one was a little slow and quiet and didn’t entirely get the job done. Beautiful voice though. Hank and Lefty was the standout. High 3.
This leans more towards traditional country than her later Americana style. As always her voice is fantastic. Just don't love the material.
Listened while driving to work. This is a beautiful record but I really dislike the genre. Her Beatles cover was stunning but the rest I could take it or leave it.
This album starts out like any album you core point to to support your “I like all genres of music except county” position. It picks up a bit from there but nothing groundbreaking.
I enjoyed her voice and the country twang.
Nice, but she has better albums not included in 1001. Wrecking Ball? 1. Bluebird Wine 2. Before Believing 3. Queen Of The Silver Dollar
Well this was nice . I guess if Americans have to listen to British EDM, it's only fair that I have to listen to country.
Beautiful voice. Prefer the upbeat songs to the slower ones (they tend to drag) but overall, this is pretty good for a country album.
The twangy guitar almost ruined this for me but the voice is quite nice and the songs are pleasant. She sounds like she was told to sound like Dolly Parton, which was yesterday’s album. Also reminds me of Kacey musgraves. Overall pretty ok but that slide guitar country sound doesn’t work for me most of that time
A who's who of musicians (Linda Ronstadt! James Burton! Ben Keith! Bernie Leadon!)...for an album of ok songs.
I don’t care much for country, but i do care about the Beatles. So let’s talk about Emmylou Harris’s cover of “For No One.” I was wondering why it just seemed so wrong. Here’s my conclusion: In the original Beatles song, written and sung by Paul McCartney, the song is directed to the man who lost his lover (wife?). And yet the listener’s sympathies nevertheless drift toward the woman who left, who found freedom from a flatlined relationship—and from someone who didn’t truly care for or understand her. It is a song that is both sad and celebratory all at once. In the Emmylou Harris version, all the attention goes to the man. The song is slow, pleading, and lingers on his hurt. The woman’s narrative is lost from view. It’s not so much that we need to take sides, it’s just that the original version is so much more layered and interesting. So that’s what I have to offer. I’m not a fan of country, but this sounds respectable enough aside from the complaint I’ve registered for no one. Sometimes the songs here are admittedly pretty good, as on the opening track (which got my hopes up), “Queen of the Silver Dollar,” and “California Cotton Fields.”
I can appreciate certain storytelling elements and even the vocal charm of certain country artists. Emmylou is a delight for the most part. I enjoyed this album on the whole, but totally went off the rails with the cover of “For No One.” To me, a cover should bring something to the song. Sadly, Emmylou brought nothing, and sadly, her take begs the question of whether she understood the original. So, she gets a downgrade to a 3.
Emmylou is a very pretty lady
Seventies music sound the same
Ahh Lurleen Lumpkin we meet again. At some point all country just sounds the same. Pleasant enough to listen to though I suppose. Simpsons: Well… I’ve drawn a comparison, don’t believe it was deliberate though.
Gorgeous voice. Most of the songs and general musical style not really for me.
Not her best album.
Nydelig og spennende køntri. Hvis albumet bare hadde klart å holde toppene hele albumet, hadde dette vært en lett femmer, men det er litt for ujevnt. Kunne klart seg uten verdens kjedeligste versjon av For No One.
Nydelig og spennende køntri. Hvis albumet bare hadde klart å holde toppene hele albumet, hadde dette vært en lett femmer, men det er litt for ujevnt. Kunne klart seg uten verdens kjedeligste versjon av For No One.
Ok album, najbolje pisme su bile coveri Dolly Parton i Beatlesa. 6/10
Lovely to listen to. Original country music. The Beatles cover was a surprise.
Fav: Bluebird Wine Least Fav: If I Could Only Win Your Love Honestly most country music sounds the same to me, it’s inoffensive but nothing grabs me, the country stuff I do like feels like the exception to the rule
Really good album. I hope Luxury Liner is on this list.
Okaaaaaay
Figura esencial del Country-Folk, no solo por ser una Fallen Angel, por haber colaborado con Dylan, The band y muchos otros, sino por su estupenda voz y delicadas composiciones. Al nivel de Dolly Parton o Linda Ronstadt con quienes publicó los esenciales Trio y Trío 2. Este es para ella su verdadero debut. Después de GP y tras el malogrado Grievous Angel, publica esta pequeña joya donde destaca Boulder to Birmingham. Maravillosa, menudo homenaje a Parsons. If I Could Only Win Your Love y Too Far Gone tuvieron éxito en las listas . De For no one, no hace falta decir nada, como de Coat of Many Colors. Before Believing de Danny Flowers es otra delicia. El honky tonk de The Bottle Let Me Down, del outlaw Haggard cobras más sentido en la voz de Harris. Su carrera ha sido lóngeva y muy seria: Wrecking Ball de mediados de los noventa o All I Intended to Be en este siglo ya, la muestran en muy buena forma.
I was quite excited after the first few lines of the opening track thinking this could be a gem - but then the good ole boys kicked in and it became a bit more generic country. I liked the slower numbers and she's got a great voice - although a few too many country inflections for my liking.
3.5
Not too much a fan of country
carino, però c'è qualcosa di quasi pretenzioso, non so, tendo ad apprezzare le voci più spontanee al momento, faccio fatica a descrivere l'impressione che mi ha fatto l'album. tutto per dire niente di che insomma
I like the singers voice. Good album, it sounded like what I expected being a country album from this era. Very steady tone and feel throughout the album without a lot of highs and lows in energy upon first listen. Solid 3/5 stars. Nice to see she has some other albums on this list to explore.
Enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. Good country music, some very good covers on this.
A nice country album. I feel like with this genre, and and least with this album, the songs are ones that grow on you over time rather than becoming instant favourites
I am aware of her stature but I am not a fan of the type of music. She is classic country so I respect it very much but not for me.
country
Didn’t hate it, country is hard for me but I can see how someone could really like this.
3.5
Emmylou has a nice voice there’s no doubt about it but the material just doesn’t seem to have the depth that Dolly album has. Not a bad listen but not one I’ll go back to
Lovely voice but I didn't really notice it
Good
Classic country has never been my thing, but this was fine. Reminded me of stuff I’ve heard from Dolly Parton from around that era.
She has really good vocals. Some of the some are the most beautiful sad songs I’ve heard. Loved the country style. A lot of the songs are not written by her but her voice makes it so much more beautiful.
this is country???? the apple has fallen far from the tree! She definitely gives off Joni Mitchell vibes, which is a huge compliment, but can't say I overly enjoyed the album. I think she would be fun live as her voice sounds beautiful
What makes this project interesting is the fact that, despite all your musical training, you always come across albums you don't know yet. This is almost always the case in the country music sector, because this style is practically irrelevant here in Europe. There are, of course, a few exceptions, and Emmylou Harris is possibly one of them - at least I was familiar with her name. “Pieces of the Sky” marks something of a breakthrough for her, and the album is actually not bad. Her voice is well showcased, and the arrangements of the songs (which are typically monotonous for country music) contain a few eye-catchers. It's not a bad way to go.
Too country for me
Great vocals and warm production were the highlights. Didn't think anything was particularly fantastic, but it was a good record nonetheless. Dug the Beatles cover the most
Schöne Stimme. Halt Country.
I adore her voice and really liked her later albums with Daniel Lanois that weren't so country. She can sing the phone book and make it sound good. I am not a country fan, and this has some twang and those long string sounds that define 70's country western. "Bluebird Wine" is a popular track (4.5M listens) but I felt it was generic and overproduced. "Too Far Gone" is a better showcase for her voice and would be an ideal remake for someone today. "If I Could Only Win Your Love" with Herb Pedersen was a popular track at 2.1M listens, cookie cutter 70's country but short and sweet. The biggest hit on the album, "Bounder To Birmingham" (31M) was good, as were the songs to follow. "Coat Of Many Colors" is a Dolly song, no one gets to remake it. I would say "For No One" was easily my favorite track, followed by "Queen Of The Silver Dollar" (which might be a Deluxe only song). It was all good, just not great or exceptional. I don't see why it was added to the T1001 list as it doesn't break any ground (there were other female country stars), no giant hits, no song that is generational and an average listening count. 3 stars.
Started beautifully and got mid. I can appreciate it and the Beatles cover, but it still never seems that do it for me.
Not much of a country fan but this album was pretty, I liked quite a few of the tracks.
A lovely cozy listen. Her voice is unreal.
Great folk ages like fine wine (Bluebird Wine?), maybe more so than any other genre. Not the most immediate as a full-listen, but Harris's voice is amazing—not just conventionally beautiful, but deeply expressive. "Boulder to Birmingham" is a heartbreaker.
This is an album I think would really grow on me
Emmylou has a fantasic voice. Some fun tunes on this.
i did quite enjoy this country album, i liked the structure
Slow and sappy by fantastic voice. Didn’t mind this one at all. I have heard Emmy Lou Harris before but never listened to a full album.
Really good country, but I dislike country 3/5
Sacrilegious perhaps but really not my thing
Smuk stemme, mere country end jeg egentlig er vild med, men indenfor den genre er hun skøn.
Quite a nice country album, with nice harmonics, and Emmylou sure sings well. I can imagine this being a real iconic country album, but since I'm not a big country connoisseur it's hard to tell.
Emmylou Harris is a name I know is highly regarded but I honestly couldn’t tell a single song she has done. After this album I feel kind of the same way. She has a great voice but none of the songs really stuck, the only songs I really remember is “Boulder to Birmingham” which was a nice slow song, and “For no one” which I thought was a mediocre cover. 3 star. Good voice, not that great stand out songs. Good chill album to put on.
At album 964, I'm surely almost finished with the country albums this generator has for me, right? Look, it's fine. As country albums go, it's not awful. Harris has a nice voice. But it's just not something that's going to excite me much unfortunately. But I'm grateful that it's not a more toxic example of the genre.
OK. So... country. Again not my go to genre, but I am open minded and pretty eclectic with my musical tastes. so sure. Even I kind of looked forward to it considering her contemporaries and associations with amazing musicians. And she IS good, even maybe great... ... ... it's just that... OMG this is Soooo country! Like I have said before, this is country for hardcore country lovers. It is not folk It is definitely not pop... Yup. Darn tootin' this here ya'lls super country! Yee Haa....
12/5/25. Feel like this is a hidden gem in the country world. As someone who isn’t big into country, enjoyed these songs and the storytelling. Leans more Americana.
tipo tipo
i think it has wholesome and chill vibes. i could listen to this album when i just want something chill, easy and high-vibe behind. it kind of reminded me of fleetwood mac. but the sound is kind of similar in most of the songs, i don't think it has a lot of diversity in terms of sound and production, but i guess it makes sense for a 70s album.
big twang gang
Good country music, a bit too sweet sounding and treacly for me but I enjoyed the slide guitar a lot and Emmylous vocals
Amazing voice & noticed a few covers. 3/5
Good old fashioned country vibes. Simple guitar picking with emphasis on good singing. takes me back to a time i've never lived in
I was honestly expecting a lot more from this album, not sure why. I mean it's nothing too special. But I always manage to enjoy the country harmonies and the bright guitars, so it isn't BAD. Emmylou's interpretation of the Beatles song "For No One" is great. Highlight Song/s: Bluebird Wine and Queen of the Silver Dollar
I listened to this why can’t I rate it
Pleasant country, not the biggest fan of her vocal style.
Solid little country album. It's got great performances, but some songs feel a bit toned down. I like how cathartic a lot of it feels tho. It's good, but not super consistent.
Queen! Musik med noll skav! Blev lite sugen på att se henne om hon fortfarande lirar, kollar och inser att jag bommade biljetter till avskedsturnén som släpptes för 2 dagar sedan, bu!
I've remembered this album today, now I'm back on track. "Pieces in the Sky" features several soothing songs, including "Before Believing". It was fine for its time during the mid-1970s. Harris sounds similar to Dolly Parton when she sings. I wish that I would have a mind-blowing album tonight. 3 stars for "Pieces in the Sky".
3/5
I have heard some of these songs before I believe. Not a huge fan of this kind of country and was not in the right setting to listen to this, but I understand its importance.
Sounds like home but kinda mid.
A good country album with a nice Beatles cover.
Man blir lite sugen på att se henne i augusti 2026. Silkeslent, underbart. Stark 3a, nära 4a.
A beautiful sounding album her voice is is beautiful seems similar to Dolly Parton with a bit more bite. Not so moving that I want to go back to listen again sounds a bit like product.
Country may still not be one of my favorite genres ever, but I do have to say I can see why people can get so down to Emmylou Harris after listening to her sophomore album, Pieces of the Sky. This album is very cut and dry with some extremely simple project. The songwriting and sounds here aren't anything crazy and I feel if I wasn't such a fan of Folk music as a whole this album would not appeal to me as much. It is very straightforward and definitely has its' own audience, though I do not understand why this is seen as an essential to hear before you die... Glad I am discovering new music but I am also quite underwhelmed by how a lot of it is sounding from this challenge, I was expecting a lot better overall...
Beautiful voice, elevated the music quite a bit
An album that I am not familiar with. Right off the bat...way too country for me. Decent songwriting and singing, just too twangy for me.
Nära en fyra, precis som wild is the wind var nära en femma men dom båda faller på samma sak - för få original. Här är dock Emmylous egna den starkaste på plattan!? Fin produktion.
Otrolig röst. Vissa låtar bättre än andra.
Good Americana, no complaints.
Ok
Another one of those records where I think you had to be there to really appreciate it. Listening in 2025 it sounds like a good record by a great singer songwriter - I know there’s more to it but I just can’t feel a connection. I suspect there’s a context I need to be aware of to really get it. I did listen a couple of times and it’s probably a record I will click with given time but I don’t think I’ll ever consider it to be essential. That said, the cover of For No One is sublime.
It's all well and good but just doesn't deliver much of interest to me. Nice voice, odd nice turn of phrase. Nice seems to sum it up.
I like the song "Help Me". The rest of the album is a pleasant listen but nothing else really stands out.
Very stereotypical country music. The music is very simple and relies a lot on her singing. Probably not something I'll return to.
I probably forget I ever listened to this. Still, enjoyable to listen to and she has a nice voice. (I like the beatles cover). 3.2
It's mostly a cover album so I can't give it too much praise ("that's a lovely story" crossed my mind at least once during one of the songs) but it's a good, rich-sounding album with a good collection of songs nonetheless
A little too country for my taste but pleasant
Old school twangy country.
Very generic country
A Good ol classic country album, sounded really good
This would be awesome and beautiful and heartbreaking if I was a cowboy.
Emmylou heeft een mooie stem, maar ik heb wel eens beter werk van haar gehoord. Dit is grotendeels standaard-countrywerk met een smartlapperig randje. 'For no one' is een prachtig nummer, maar dan komt er weer zo'n draak als 'Coat of many colors' of 'Queen of the silver dollar' achteraan. Daarmee kom je niet ver.
Hard to hate. Great voice and nice mellow music. Liked some of the more country songs but not a lot to really grab onto. 6/10
A nice country album, with a nice relaxing sound. I could listen to his while drinking some beers with the fellows out on a porch. 3.5
Cover: she looks like the female version of Fredy Mercury Music: I like country but I never liked the Nashville Sound. This is way too polished for my taste. I understand that Emmylou built a lot of bridges and went down in history as a musician who valued collaboration more than stardom. I like this. But this still doesn't change the fact that her music lacks the "creative edge".
3/5
Day 96 First listen- I had only listened to Red Dirt Girl and really looked forward to hearing this album. Her voice sounds gorgeous and she sounds so much like Dolly Parton. The way she sings really invites listeners to dive into her music and really feel the song. I like red dirt girl more for now but I def will be coming back to this album again. (3.5/5)
I’d like to know why this album stands out above any of the other thousands of country albums out there? It sounds (to a non-country fan) very stereotypical for the scene. It’s getting a 3 from me because it’s technically well done. But as far as the songs, etc, are concerned they could be any country songs as they all sound pretty much the same tempo and twiddly chords. I don’t think I’ll be listening to any more Emmylou Harris unless she somehow gets another album on this list.
Man, this was one long sigh in musical form. Every song feels like it just watched its dog run away. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions: - Bluebird Wine - If I Could Only Win Your Love - Boulder to Birmingham
One of the first albums I feel needs more than one day to rate. Sometimes it makes me queasy, like on more conventional country songs like "Queen of the silver dollar" but on others like Danny Flowers "Before Believing" there is undeniable depth, charm and superb production / playing. I think what makes me veer towards 3 stars rather than 4 is that this isn't essential music for me and I don't think it will ever be my passion. If I reach for Emmylou it will generally be the Lanois drenched Wrecking Ball where she is at her most haunting (& there is less country pedal steel twang)
nice sounds from a great artist
Of course, Emmylou has a wonder/beautiful voice. The songs she chooses to sing here are good, as far as this genre goes (let me call it Americana). But after a while I'm a bit bored. I bailed on Coat of many colors. I assume the rest of the album is about as good as it was previously. 3 stars.
Hyvä kantrilevy, vähän rauhallisempaa ja herkempää sellaista suurimmilta osin. Perus hyvää ja kesäistä. Parhaat: Bluebird Wine, Queen of the Silver Dollar
Another ‘what I needed today’. Not sure this is her best. Wish I had a 3.5 option.
Although i had heard of Emmylou Harris before, I’m certain I’ve never listened to an ounce of her music previous to this experience (so I had no idea what I was in for). Now having gone through the album, I can see why she has a legacy attached to her name. The songs reminded me of Dolly Parton with a flare of Appalachia thrown into the mix. It’s old school country music before artists started singing about their dogs, their exes, their truck, and beer. I won’t seek this album out again, but I won’t adjust the tuner if one of her songs comes on either.
Harris’ powerful voice is the feature of this album: hauntingly melodic or remarkably intense. It’s an epic vocal display, one that rightly lead to a legendary career. The actual material, almost exclusively covers of country standards, is where my appreciation ends. The straightforward nature of traditional country music, the lack of lyrical nuance and the ceaseless use of repetition that hallmarks the style betray the subtleties and variety that Harris is capable of and should be delivering. Personally, I wish she had leaned much more into her folk tendencies on this album and less into the country styles that she did. But I’m just an anonymous guy with enough free time to review 1001 albums for fun, so wtf do I know?
I expected to hate this, old time county music is not high on my list of things to listen to. Immideiately started preparing snarky comments about pick up trucks, whisky, and abusive partners. But right from the start my outlook brightened, Emmylous voice is beautiful. I listened with an open mind and actually enjoyed most of this album quite a bit. Sure some songs are what I expected, didn't much care for those. But there are a few really good songs on this album. I enjoyed Bluebird song, For no one, and Boulder to Birmingham most. Hell i even liked The Bottle let me down, slide guitar and all. Pleasant surprise, this was a very enjoyable album.
Ok, one thing I’ve learned is that Emmylou isn’t a whiney hippy like Joni Mitchell. Great! What I’m hearing is old country. So far so good. Ok and now what I’m hearing is a bit of country, a little bit of whiney hippy and a little bit of gospel. Still so far so good. So to summarize, if you like Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn, you’re good and will be good with this. If you like Amy Lee and Lauryn Hill, it’s best you pass on this. Choice cut: Bluebird Wine
This was fine kinda quiet
-i think my mom has this album i remember seeing the cover when i was younger and thinking she was pretty -not bad, definitely a lot more generically country than the other album i heard from her. can be hard for stuff like that to keep my attention but she has a really nice voice -Favorites are Bluebird Wine and Coat of Many Colors
Pieces Of The Sky is elevated to fine thanks to the voice of Emmylou Harris.
She has a beautiful voice but these songs weren't very interesting.
This is a good album. What else is there to say, I like Emmylou's voice and the songs are good.
Silver dollar queen!
Ech weiss ech ha scho bi Harvest gseid dass das es rechtigs Country albom esch. Offebar gods no düdlech meh it rechtig country. The Harvest esch jo no chli folk ond rock, das esch aber eigentlech nome sehr starche country. Velecht no chli Teil Folk (siehe Bottle let me down) aber das chond halt devo, wenn das basicly de Vorgänger gse esch. Aber mol luege öb das wörk de Peak esch, oder öb no meh god im ne zuekönfige Albom, wos so fescht e southern dialect hed, dass mers chuum no verstohd.. Wels jo so starch Country esch, chond natürlech t Frog uf, öbis au guet fende. Das esch aber ergendwie e huere schwerigi Frog. Einersiits chas rechtig abgo oder au emotional si ond eim debi rechtig metriise, wels metsenge halt au huere guet god. Debi esches meitschens sehr Fredlech ond entweder happy oder e chli truurig. Bedes fonktioniert aber huere guet. Anderersiits esch es halt doch, zomendest bi dem puure Country, relativ igschränkt. Klar, ech wo wenig Country lose cha das schnell mol säge. Wemmers meh losst chond natürlech au t Erfahrig ond velecht dänki plötzlech mol, was hani do för e scheiss gschrebe? Jede song i dem Albom hed e völlig andere charakter ond esch klar onderscheidbar. Stand jetzt aber, woni s Albom doch scho chli glosst ha, esches emmer no ned ultra spannend. Es send halt emmer öppe chli die gliiche Idee met de gliiche Intromänt. De werds halt e chli igschränkt. So bliibts aber au konstant. Hauptsach verchliinereret die igschränktheit s Potenzial för e Banger rächt. Das esch halt au bi dem Albom so. Alles esch för sech sehr okay, aber so e rechtige Banger heds halt ned wörk. Machts sies aber guet? Das devinitiv. Sie sengt ned nome guet ond passend zo de Musig, t Instrumentalisierig esch halt au guet gmacht. För öpper wo country sehr fühlt secher baba guet. S legschte erwähnenswärte esch de logisch ufbau vom Albom. Das esch jo relativ sälte wörk guet gmacht (siehe Pink Floyd aber au Jurassic 5). Ech fendes natürlech emmer guet, wenn t Stöck inenand inefliessed, aber es esch au ned so schlemm wenns ned so esch wie do. De werkts halt eifach meh zämekläbt ond gmacht zom einzelni songs im Radio oder i Playlists z lose. Halt ned so das albe-lose Deng. Chli schad esch es aber au, wels jo vel au guet einzeln fonktioniert, obwohl alles zämehanget.
Emmylou Harris vastly improves every song she appears on, whether it be by Gram Parsons, Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams, Bright Eyes, or any of the other artists with whom she’s worked over her long career. But for me, she’s like salt. A dash of salt improves the flavor of another dish without question but you don’t want to sit down and eat a bowlful of it. Some of these songs aren’t bad but I’ve never heard an Emmylou Harris album that I thought she carried all the way through. This one is no different. That being said, I love Emmylou Harris and how much she added to some of my favorite songs but I don’t ever find myself wanting to listen to an Emmylou Harris album.
The one thing I am learning from this is that I actually quite like a lot of country music. Emmylou's voice is beautiful, some of the covers here are really nice and the originals aren't too bad either. Solid 7/10
Pleasant but nothing particularly stands out
Twangy but not overbearing. She has a lovely voice. The songs were pleasing to listen to even though it's not really my style.
Nice
3.2 2x liked better than i thought. great voice
It's a really good country album. I'm just not a big fan of country. It's catchy, happy, carefree, easy to listen as a background. But i don't think i'll put it on again. At least not when i want to fully enjoy the act of listening. (As something played just to kill the quiet - maybe).
First album where I was totally unfamiliar with any work made by the artist. Many country albums were generated recently, so there is some material for comparison. Not as good as Dolly Parton´s 4/5 album, but better than Dwight Yoakam's 2/5 album, so the rating of 3/5 is easily determined. Just a good country album, with not too many positive surprises, but no negative surprises either. 3/5
5/10
She has a beautiful voice, but it really reminds me of Dolly Parton. It seems like she struggled a little because her record label went under. I really liked Queen of the Silver Dollar. Some were covers, and she sang them well but nothing seemed all that different then other interpretations. No doubt she has talent and a beautiful voice.
My favorites are her drinking songs. Bluebird Wine and The Bottle Let Me Down (a song also done by Waylon and Merle Haggard). If I Could Only Win your love has a honky tonk spiritual feel to it. The Beetles cover was interesting. Pretty good!
So I guess this is mostly an album of her singing other people's songs. Ok, cool, I'm not opposed to that. But oh my, she sure picked a roster of songs that really showcased how sadly she could sing. The first song had a little pep, which I was hoping would pave the way for a nice mix of down home old country bops. But that didn't happen again until the last Silver Dollar Queen song, and I was so downtrodden by then that it failed to pick me back up. She does have a very pretty voice, so it wasn't entirely an unpleasant listen.
Classic country royalty. Pleasant enough
Sleepy bunch of tired ass old country songs
Pretty decent country album. Emmy's voice is, as usual, amazing, and the song list is good, though for whatever reason covers of Beatles songs never really land well for me.
Americana
I absolutely loved the 2000 Emmylou album I discovered last year, Red Dirt Girl but I was made aware that it was quite the departure from her typical country style, so I knew if I met her again in the future (or the past as it happens here), it may be a shade disappointing for a non-country music fan. And so is the case, but it took a few background semi-listens before I stopped on a quiet evening and actually digested this on my headphones and was reminded of a lot of what I loved about Red Dirt Girl. Her voice is simply gorgeous, dripping with longing, regret and authenticity. She knows her way around a good song and her tone suits the genre perfectly. Once again, I feel there's a ceiling on how highly I will rate an album that's almost entirely comprised of other people's songwriting (Red Dirt Girl, conversely, wins hands-down again on this front, being almost entirely written by Harris herself) but she executes everything here beautifully. I must confess I don't love her take on The Beatles' For No-One; she's taken the melody in a different direction to the original. While I do feel if you're going to cover something well-known, you may as well do something interesting with it, I just didn't feel it myself. Overall though, she has a little credit in the bank with me and I enjoyed it for the most part.
Short and sweet country album.
I liked.
Bluebird Wine 2.8 Too Far Gone 3 If I Could Only Win Your Love 3 Boulder to Birmingham 3.1 Before Believing 2.6 The Bottle Let Me Down 3.3 Sleepless Nights 3 Coat of Many Colors 2.8 For No One 2.8 Queen of the Silver Dollar 3 Score: 2.94
5/10 it's ok
Solid country.
Emmylou has a beautiful voice. Solid album.
nice voice, but the songs didn't really grab me.
Good voice, but not particularly memorable. Favorite track: Queen of the Silver Dollar
It was okay. I’m not a big country fan and I also don’t really like the banjo and the slide guitar thing. Her voice is awesome tho.
уф, дуже не люблю кантрі, і зараз починати занурюватися не дуже цікаво. в цілому, голос звісно дуже приємний, балади дійсно красиві, деякі заспокійливі, деякі сумні
A nice, country tinged bunch of cover songs, guest writers and songs written for or by other artists. Country really isn't my thing but older country western is more akin to my liking than the 80s soft rock being peddled as country these days. Overall a good record that I would never purchase but wouldn't be mad if someone else was playing it.
This had me Too Far Gone.
Nice voice
That For No One cover was NICE
I was impressed more than I expected by the first few tracks. As the album went on, the music just didn't meet the high bar that the first tracks set.
Emmylou Harris has pipes that demand your attention. That being said, this album disappointed me a bit. It’s a checkered album for me. I really enjoyed Wayfaring Stranger, Roses in the Snow, I’ll Go Stepping and the cover of The Boxer was well done but the rest was just ok. At times the songs were a bit too heavy on Jesus for my tastes. I get that country leans on the cross a bit and I’m fine with that if you weave him in with a clever line or so but it felt a bit ham fisted on Green Pastures and especially on Jordan and found it just took me out of it. Several great tunes and twang made this an overall enjoyable listening experience. 3 stars
Two 70s country albums in a row? Eh. Whatever. At least they're both good. This is my first exposure to the work of Emmylou Harris, who apparently has three albums on this list, one of which being a collab with Linda Ronstadt and Dolly Parton. Speaking of Dolly Parton, boy does this album remind me of her. It's not just me, okay? There are too many connections and similarities for it to just be my lack of country expertise. I mean, this album literally has a cover of the title track from the Dolly Parton album on the list! It is a pretty good cover though, as are most of the songs on this album. This kind of occupies that same space of "classic reminders as to why country music isn't a complete and utter joke if you look in the right places." Emmylou's singing is nice. Again, considerably Dolly-esque. Pleasant for sure, as is the instrumentation. The album is mostly covers, so the writing ranges from decent to literally the Beatles. Although, Emmylou Harris did help write one of this album's songs, that being "Boulder to Birmingham." Great song! She should write more songs. Overall, this probably isn't the kind of album to change someone's mind of country as a genre, but if you already like the good parts of the genre, it'll definitely provide you with some pleasant songs that'll fit right in with your music taste. High 3/5.
I was not previously familiar with this album, but I do know Emmylou Harris. This is a pretty good album. She has a great voice, and the instrumentation is solid. In reading about this album, it seems like most of the tracks are covers, but I was previously only familiar with Coat of Many Colors and For No One. I would listen to this album again.
I liked and recognized “Bluebird Wine”. This is for sure old school country, which I appreciate, but overall doesn’t land higher than a 3 for me.
She sings good. Not really my style and wanted to like this more. Was good but didn’t completely land with me. I also think the original coat of many colors is much better.
This is good stuff. Good, not great. I do agree Emmylou Harris tends to get lost amongst many of the other country greats and is deserving of more praise. 3.5/5
- Bluebird Wine: immediately fond of this! my kind of country :] soft and bubbly and bright like my childhood rodeo endeavours. - Boulder to Birmingham: a soft, sweet and simple ballad to make you weep. nothing overly complicated but endearing nonetheless. - Bottle Let Me Down: fun and truly, TRULY country. alcoholism for the win? - For No One: Spectacular gimme 15 of them. musically reminds me of drop cherries by billie marten if she was more american and less artsy. my album of choice for a bareback ride through the mountains :] very fond indeed. all the songs songs have a soft, lullaby-esque quality tied in with the calming cozy culture that calls me to country lifestyle. this album sounds like what baby me pictured her life looking like. folksy but not fairytale. 3/5
- A bit surprised at first - Too far gone is a good song worth another listen definitely - You never know how much I'd give if I could only win your love - How would you feel if the world was falling apart around you? (Boulder to Birmingham) - Tonight the bottle let me down - Sleepless nights, already the name is perfect - And wonder who is kissing you - Such a lovesick, yearning song - I need you - Not my favourite but still a great song (coat of many colours) - Bible reference to Joseph's coat shows how much it meant to her - The backing vocals are extraordinary - A love that should have lasted years (for no-one) - She was once ordinary (queen of the silver dollar) Not my kind of music taste but that didn't stop me from enjoying the album. I would definitely give some of the songs another listen and even if it's not one of my favourite albums it's not the worst either. He voice is genuinely phenomenal and it allowed me to appreciate the music even more than I did at the start.
Not my kind of music but what a great voice
Very enjoyable. A superb voice.
A steady and sweet album that reads like an open book. You can leave any cynicism at the door with this one and just allow yourself to be sung a series of kind hearted country songs.
Solid 3 for me, wish there were more originals on it as the one original (Boulder to Birmingham) is excellent. The Beatles cover is intriguing.
So sweet
Liked the folksy bend with Bluebird Wine and Before Believing, like Judy Collins or a chipper-er Fairport Convention. But things fully tipped country and things ran together a bit.
Didn't hit as hard as Trio, but a good listen nonetheless
Great music. Great voice. It just doesn't feel like she even cares she's doing it. It just lacks any tangible amount of soul.
Country music is not for me i am afraid. Gave the album a listen through a few times and i just find the tunes a bit samey unfortunately. Well produced, it is easy listening, some nice piano. Emmylou Harris' voice is nice , soothing, delicate. Certainly not bad on the ears. Dig a bit of fiddle here and there and the pedal steel guitar is dynamite . But again the plodding bass, the predictable chord changes and the unrelatable (to me) lyrics got me looking at a 6/10. Favourite track - For No One (says it all when your favourite track is a cover). What i can say is that ive not heard any better Country music either so this could be as good as it gets and im just not able to appreciate.
Well, well, well... after hearing the more folk-y side of Emmylou Harris I was quite dreading this album. But it turned out to skew more Dolly Parton than Joan Baez and it was much more palatable than expected. Still nothing I would put on to listen to but at least it wasn't 45 minutes of torture.
Favorite Track: Bottle Let Me Down
Mostly mid country with just a couple stand out tracks.
Respect for Emmylou. But country music is something that wears my patience down after about 10 minutes. Songs that stood out: Bluebird Wine, Too Far Gone, Bottle Let Me Down.
Just not a fan of the genre.
my first thought was "Is this Dolly Parton?" it's nice to have a little countrified music in the rotation. I find that going back to this more folk/bluesy country from the 70s is more palatable than rockin' jesus country of the 90s and 2000s. I might favorite a song or two. 3 stars for beautiful voice and music. beautiful guitar. even some steel guitar I think. well orchestrated.
This is pleasant, charming '70s country. I liked it, but it's not my thing.
Musica country, no soy muy fan de este genero y lo escucho muy poco, apesar de todo se me hace un album relajante para el día a día, para colocar mientras se hacen otras actividades o estas de viaje, un transporte a goofy ahh eeuu
This is 100% a country album but with lovely voice but nothing really to my taste or that hooked me but a fairly solid album.
Jeg elsker Emmylou
Good stuff, folk/country
Was likely a revelation for its time, but hearing it now, does not reach the heights of some of Emmylou’s other work. Standouts like Boulder to Birmingham and Before Believing give a hint of what’s to come.
What a lovely voice
Rating: 2.7 I am not generally a fan of country music so this is a bit of an unfair one to start with. She has a beautiful voice but all of the songs sound the same. Mind you, her one song she does 10 times here is a very good song. Nothing revolutionary but I don’t have anything bad to say.
3,5
The country/honky tonk songs I liked a lot. Some of the others I wasn't a fan on. 3/5
Este album ya lo habia escuchado, en 2024 si no me equivoco. Fue cuando estaba enganchada con Neil Young y el country estadounidense. Ella tiene un tema con Neil que es preciooooooso de mis canciones favoritas: "Star of Beehlehem". Este disco especificamente no me fascino o no logró atraparme mucho, pero sin duda es agradable de oir. Le daré otra escucha para confirmar. 05/07/2025
I used to profess a strong hatred for Country and Western music, but as age has crept up, I am appreciate more and more of it. This album may be a bunch over cover versions, and Emmylou's voice can sometimes fit the stereotypical 'standing by my wayward husband' trope, but this LP was quite acceptable. A cautious thumbs up.
I like this meelow stylof coutr, but the songs all souded the same. Good background music
It was ok for country
It was ok, recorded well
Nice and very well singed and played album.
Super pleasant country stuffs
Une belle sincérité dans la voix, une douceur même quand les thèmes sont durs.
Harris has a beautiful voice and there were some tracks on here that I really enjoyed; Boulder to Birmingham was a standout. A few of the tracks were a little too country for me; the Merle Haggard cover among them. But definitely some strong moments; this gets a high three but is close to a four.
Great voice, I liked the variety between songs but it’s not really my favorite genre. Classic 3 stars
Great voice, I know who Emmylou is but I wouldn't have listened to this album on my own. This also beats the hell out of pop country.
I thought some of these songs were excellent and then several others that were just fine.
I can hear the influence on other alt-country singers. 3/5
She has a great voice, but a lot of the songs steer too far into a stereotypical country sound for me. The songs that don’t go there are quite enjoyable.
Very good, also really sad
An OG country queen
Some decent tunes, not bad. Feel I need to be drinking whisky on a lake.
3.75
+1 for The Beatles cover
Not bad.
Absolutely in love with this album. I must say US country music won't ever touch my urban brazilian heart as hard, but I can still appreciate the emotional vocals and soulful melody. Fav Track: Coat of Many Colors
De momento es el álbum que más me ha gustado muy country