Pieces Of The Sky

Amazing voice, good classic country

Awesome album. The varied instrumentation and is rousing during the lively songs and beautiful during the pretty songs, and naturally the singing is also on point.

Listening to this album, it hit me that there is a distinct lack of country music on this list. I can only really think of one other straight-up country album that I've gotten. Regardless, this album is everything that's good about country. Harris has a beautiful voice full of emotion, and the accompanying music is good without distracting from from her as the focus. I'm not in love with her cover of For No One by the Beatles, but at least it's more tasteful than most Beatles covers 4/5

Her voice is beautiful.

Emmylou’s voice is just incredible throughout this album. The songwriting is a joy to listen to and the covers are perfectly matched. A little on the slower side but it fits the tone well.

“Pieces of the Sky” by Emmylou Harris (1975) This major label debut by superstar Emmylou Harris is a fine collection of covers of worthy songs, with excellent country instrumental arrangements providing plenty of clear space for individual flourishes (pedal steel, banjo, mandolin, strings, and you name it). The meaty midsection of the album is passionate and potently evocative. Harris’ voice is outstanding, with tremendous use of dynamic variation (e.g., “Too Far Gone”), touching stylings, dreamy resonance, bold interjections of power, and country-honest inflection. It’s all demonstrated on this record, which goes a long way toward explaining why she subsequently became one of the most sought-after backing vocalists in the history of recorded music. Her selection of songs by other artists provides a suitable vehicle for the passion of her performance, eclectic yet well ordered. She teases us into it with the opening track “Bluebird Wine”, a shuffling thank you note to liquid (and cheap) intemperance. The album ends with “Queen of the Silver Dollar”, a raucous and recklessly triumphant celebration of lower middle class (im)morality written by Shel Silverstein (of all people). God, I love the proletariat. Merle Haggard’s “Bottle Let Me Down” is delivered by Harris with sugar and sass, reflecting on the bad feelings one has when the alcohol doesn’t quite ease the pain. Maybe she needs to graduate from wine to port. The one song on this album written by Harris is “Boulder to Birmingham”, a beautifully poetic lament, grieving over an unexpected loss (the demise of her mentor Gram Parsons). Sadly flawed (by a gimmicky rapid oscillation between left and right channels applied to the Rhodes keyboard), it still gets a sob and tears on only the second listen. And again, she goes from wail to whisper in an instant, and then back again as she storms into the chorus: “I would walk all the way from Boulder to Birmingham if I thought I could see your face”, she sings. But it ain’t gonna happen, she knows, as she looks out the airplane window at the prairie and the sky. “The hardest part is knowing I’ll survive.” Hard for you, Emmylou. Fortunate for us. Harris gives a sublime interpretation of Dolly Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors”, a touching alternate take on the biblical story of Jacob’s preferred son, Joseph, and the envy of his brothers (Genesis 37:3-4, KJV). It’s a rich embellishment of the notion of poverty, suitable for Everyman. If you’re not (yet) a fan of country music, this album just might make you one. 4/5

She has a beautiful voice. I loved the Beatles cover.

Good background music. Really nice voice and not too “country”.

Country animado. Está bien.

If you’re gonna listen to country this is a good choice.

Emmylou Harris is a titan of the Americana scene. Utilizing traditional instrumentation, a subtle western beat, and a gift for storytelling, she creates earnest, compelling music that is entirely her own. Like the outlaws of the 70s and 80s, Harris operates outside the Nashville formula, and borrows across genres.

I keep hearing Alison Krauss. But this is way before!

Stonking opening track and then it ebbed and flowed after that but in an enjoyable way. Will defo listen again

liked the "Coat of Many Colors" cover, I feel like I should listen to this one a bunch more

YIHAAAA BABY! ZO BEGINT GE EEN ALBUM 🤠 If i could only win your love, mooi.

Yes i like it, ook nog wat anders geluisterd van artist and i like it

Fleetwood mac vibeke en euhm Gilf

Was pleasantly surprised by this one

What a voice!

A lovely country album. 8.1/10

Pretty good. Very good voice. Not remarkable enough to listen to regularly, but very nice for the background and definitely something I could listen to again, especially within larger playlists.

Prachtig!

Country music, alright if you’re into that genre.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this country folk album- especially when a beebles cover came out of nowhere

Never heard this - this is great country music! Her voice and the production is a sweet kiss of Americana

Country del mero mero. El disco abre muy bien con Bluebird Wine, que es mi favorita del disco. Siguen tracks buenos y muy estándar del género. Mi siguiente favorito es Blottle Let me Down. En general son letras de sufrimiento, por eso me gustó mucho la primera. Buen cover de For No One de The Beatles. 3.5 que sube a 4 porque sí lo disfruté.

I must like country music. It just sounds like *music*. Particularly the duets. Don’t know why those are able to get through these jaded ears and into my brain.

Don’t usually like country but this was nice, great voice

Great tracks, classic country, awesome covers. Not my usual tastes but will listen to again

Lovely stuff

Really good thanks emmylou

Love it.

Hank Williams did it in the 50s, emmylou Harris in the 70s

Enjoyed a lot!

It was a nice listen, I can't say too much about it.

Almost magical, which is remarkable for an album of, as I understand it, mostly covers. It contains a nice range of country sounds, and Emmylou's voice is a smooth constant. It doesn't outlive its welcome in any way, but near the end becomes a collection of songs as opposed to a cohesive LP.

1/6 Real good folk album. Standout Tracks: Bluebird Wine, Bottle Let Me Down, Queen of the Silver Dollar

The singing and playing are flawless. However, although Emmylou got here first, I think there are stronger collections of alt country songs out there, which i will almost certainly be going back to before this one.

hm

Not bad, reminds me of Dolly a little bit. I don’t rate country music but this was palatable

Verrrrry pretty

Fav song: Bluebird Wine

Fun album. Felt a bit like Dolly.

Well she has a great voice. Some of it is hard to get past the countryness of it all but you know what, I’ve heard a lot worse on here!

Not exactly my vibe but I did really enjoy it! 5/10

Favorite track(s): Bluebird Wine, Boulder to Birmingham, For No One, Queen of the Silver Dollar

Pure Americana. Having listened to this I have a strange inclination to watch Smokey and the Bandit again. Emmylou Harris is the palatable side of Country music for me. I like what she does and it doesn't sound derivative (which I think a lot of it does). A solid 3/5 for me.

Decent album. Country’s not my thing, but this held the line and wasn’t bad listening.

Beautiful voice, of course, but an eclectic mix of song choices gives this particular album a rather scattered feel. Everyone has to "start" somewhere, obviously, but Harris will go on to do much better work than this.

This was good. Happy songs. Good covers.

I don't really care much for country music, but this was okay especially compared to modern country music.

Agradable, pero un poco chapa

I would normally scroll on from such honky tonky plinky plonky wonky donkey Country, but it's played and sung so well it doesn't offend. She's a legend, she's not my thing, but this is so well executed I have to give a 3

3/5

For country I can get down enough Will I listen to again: 5%

I just couldn’t do it. She has a nice voice, but I can’t listen to that whole album.

I find this album to be an interesting one for the list, because this is perhaps the most debut album of debut albums. Emmylou Harris has three albums on this list, and I feel as if this record isn’t really as essential as some of her later work, where she’s more developed as an artist. One of those would have been a better addition. Primarily, that’s because she only wrote one of the songs on this album. While her distinct voice and the warm country instrumentation do make some excellent covers, they are still covers. The best song on the album is the one she wrote herself: “Boulder to Birmingham.” It’s a heartbreaking ballad about the loss of a loved one. Her vocals are raw and desperate, and the lyrics are beautifully vulnerable. It also has some great vocal harmonies and strings that add really interesting dynamic shifts, as well as delicate guitar that make the whole track float above the mortal realm. As this is her most popular song, I’m fairly sure it’s the reason why this album was put into the list. Which would be dumb, because it’s a list of albums, not songs. But I digress. In terms of the covers, what stood out to me the most was her version of The Beatle’s “For No One.” While she does over-sing it a bit, her voice is too beautiful for me to care all that much, and the warm strings and ballad-y feel she gives it makes it wonderfully distinct from the original. I can tell that she’s spent a lot of time with the song and has a personal meaning she’s given to the lyrics. I don’t dislike this album whatsoever, it’s just that it’s very early in her artistic journey. She’s making her debut onto the scene, and hasn’t fully honed her distinct alt-country genius yet. It’s a pleasant listen with plenty of bright spots, but ultimately doesn’t stand out in the broad scope of music, or even within Harris’s own discography.

Emmylou Harris’s Pieces of the Sky stands as an impeccably sung and crisply produced slice of country-rock, even if its fluctuating momentum keeps it from becoming an essential mainstay. Bright spots like the folksy opener "Bluebird Wine," the infectious "If I Could Only Win Your Love," and the gorgeous "Too Far Gone" showcase her vocal prowess at its finest, complemented nicely by the fun honky-tonk grit of "The Bottle Let Me Down." However, much of the rest of the album drifts into passive territory, bogged down by several middle-of-the-road tracks—ranging from an underwhelming "Boulder to Birmingham" to a cover of "Coat of Many Colors" that predictably pales in comparison to Dolly Parton's original. It remains a polished, well-recorded effort on a technical level, but with so many tracks sitting firmly in "just fine" territory, it settles as a decent 3/5 that you won't feel compelled to pull off the shelf again anytime soon.

This is pretty good, she has such a warm and inviting voice.

This is all very pleasant, but it doesn’t excite me. Lovely voice, though.

Good 3. Really sweet.

Quand même cool, s’était actually du bon country

Good voice and some good covers

I thought I didn't like country. Everytime a country album pops up on this list I instantly look at the release date and I am finding that the further away from today's country sound that it is the more I seem to enjoy it. I guess I don't like today's country. The next thing I am hoping to learn is the difference between folk and country.

It's not the most memorable songwriting, but it's the exact sound and vibe so many "alt" country artists are chasing

01) Bluebird Wine - 7,5 02) Too Far Gone - 7,0 03) If I Could Only Win Your Love - 7,0 04) Boulder to Birmingham - 8,0 05) Before Believing - 7,0 06) The Bottle Let Me Down - 7,0 07) Sleepless Nights - 6,5 08) Coat of Many Colors - 7,5 09) For No One - 7,0 10) Queen of the Silver Dollar - 7,5 TOTAL: 7,20 (72/100) Current ranking: 501/1008

Lovely and fun country songs, you feel that you can listen to this album on any day at any mood you're at and have a good time listening to it.

American country music has always had that twang, but they used to be outlaws and compassionate. They used to distrust authority and sing sad songs about loss, poverty and joy in the natural environment. It was pretty lame, but at least it was wholesome and pleasant.

Decent…

She's a phenomenal performer, but these aren't I Will Always Love You covers. 3.3.

Personal enjoyment: 3/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5

Another country album? Damn. It's a covers album so I wasn't sure on how to judge this. The songs were pretty good not many complaints but it did get a bit boring. Still better than 99% of modern country garbage that comes out today. 6/10

3+

Its definitely a Country album. As a non-American, I'm very unfamiliar with who Emmylou is or how influencial she was to country music (and music in general). While Emmylou's vocal range and beautiful voice stands out the most throughout the entire album, the entire collection suffers from sounding like every other Country artist aims to sound like. If this is something she pioneered, then massive credit to her! Country critics aside, most of the album carries a very emotional, melancholic tone throughout the LP, started to feel very "same-y". Each downbeat song would talk about man, or a love that she wished she had, and aims to have in her left. After a promising and captivating intro track, the most refreshing part of the album was listening to "Coat of Many Colours", which detailed how her mother would stitch clothes for her from rags. It was endearing and a delight to hear something that wasn't about romance, only to find out that its a cover of Dolly Parton's original song. Overall, a great album for Country fans. Aside from that and Emmylou's wonderful voice, you're not missing much.

Look, I love Emmylou. I think she's the greatest backing vocalist of all time! That might sound backhanded, but the thing is that she appears on everyone's albums, and every single time she shows up, she elevates the song to a whole new level. Unfortunately, she doesn't have the same magic on her solo work. It's solid enough, but it's just a typical country album, without the transcendence you'd expect from hearing her anywhere else.

Why so many albums have a Beatles cover

Country. Not for me.

Yeehaw!!! Ze klinkt een beetje als country Stevie Nicks?

Emmylou Harris has a beautiful voice, but this isn't the album that's going to convert me into a country music fan. Her vocals are easily the highlight, but the songs themselves never grabbed me enough to keep coming back. I also found it a little odd that the album has a cover of "Coat of Many Colors" only four years after Dolly released the original. It's a good rendition, but it still feels unnecessary.

Bon c’est pas mauvais mais je n’écouterai pas cela souvent

Pleasant but forgettable.

Me esperaba una cosa super diferente, al final es una compilación de covers de country. Le queda bonita Coat of many colors. En general no está mal.

A vocally impressive record, but it felt too boring from track to track. Favourite Track(s): Blueberry Wine, For No One Least Favourite Track(s): Boulder to Birmingham, Before Believing

Country music is not for me.

She was, at this moment, an Indy darling (long before "Indy" was a recognized adjective) being swallowed into the Nashville machine. Her voice is incredible. I think Boulder to Birmingham is one of the most moving songs ever recorded. But, as with most major label Nashville records, it's sterile. The insistence on clean perfection in everything leaves no room for authentic expressivity or adventurism. The result is typical: extremely talented musicians producing a series of listless tracks that blend homogeneously one into the next. Give me GP or Grievous Angel over this any day.

Emmylou Harris always strikes me as fine. Not great, but far from bad.

5/10

Final Emmylou. Took her time getting here. It's been a little over 180 albums since I listened to Trio. I remember liking the late-career "Red Dirt Girl" for its airy ambience and reflective songwriting, though I don't remember anything about Trio, truth be told. I'll chalk the lack of memorability up to country being at its commercial low point during the 80s and the record mostly being a Dolly Parton album. This release will hopefully be the one to win me back. Here goes. Not bad. The strengths of this album are completely different from that of Red Dirt Girl. As mentioned in my introductory paragraph, Red Dirt Girl really thrives on the heavy, contemplative, sentimental atmosphere, whereas this is a clean country album on the straight and narrow. Where Emmylou hits it big is in her vocal performances. She's a pretty fantastic singer. She harmonises like no other country vocalist I've listened to and the mild drawl in her voice is endearing as well. The instrumentals are adept. I favour the country violins and the plucky acoustic guitars, though I admittedly think they're window dressing in comparison to Emmylou's performances, which are the clear highlight. All in all, I enjoyed this album. Book time. The first album to be released after the death of Gram Parsons, who was a close friend and mentor of Emmylou. "Boulder to Birmingham" is Emmylou's tribute to Parsons. Features a few collaborators, notably Bernie Leadon of Eagles. Tracks five and ten are apparently live recordings featuring the bar band Harris had put together prior to Gram Parsons scouting her talent. Wikipedia says this was Harris' breakthrough release, with Gram Parsons having significantly influenced her musical style in the years between this album and her debut release. "If I Could Only Win Your Love" was a successful single, and the album is defined by its wide variety of covers. The cover of The Beatles song "For No One" notably slipped by without me really noticing. I'm just not a Revolver guy, what can I say? The handful of critics that reviewed this album were favourable to it, and If I Could Only Win Your Love was nominated for a Grammy. The album doesn't appear to have charted anywhere. Yeah, I'm favourable to this album. I generally feel that country is somewhat underrepresented on this list, and I think two Emmylou albums is a good number for one of the frontrunners in country. I cosign this inclusion.

A pleasant album, and Emmylou's voice is always beautiful to listen to. The music didn't overly excite me, but it's a nice, gentle listening experience.

Great voice. I still don't like country.

Honestly I prefer her later day work, but you can't argue with that beautiful voice.

Len Houmous once actually made blackbird wine. Yet everyone remembers Ozzy and the bat! 3.4 1/12 Bluebird Wine

5/10 Best songs: Bluebird Wine I had really high hopes for this album upon hearing the first track Bluebird Wine - it's an almost rocky country song with terrific harmonies. Unfortunately the rest of the album is much more pared back, with that typical (for the time) guitar-centric country sound. It's not bad, but it just isn't interesting or unique enough to really catch my attention. I do really enjoy her voice, though.

Not my usual thing - appreciate the writing but can’t see myself returning to this record. Definitely some highlights but not my favourite country album

Not a country fan, but she has a nice voice musicianship was fine

I started out enchanted by her voice, but I think the lack of variety in the songs wore me out.

Enjoyed it and interesting to listen to an artist I’d not heard of before.

I’ve got really into country folk over the last couple of years. This one is pleasant enough but isn’t exactly a standout in the genre.

Lovely voice as heard earlier with Parsons, etc, and these are pleasant, uniquely Emmylou interpretations but never reaches the level of essential.

This is generally considered the debut album from Emmylou. It’s basically covers of other country-western tunes. She played the sax in her high school marching band, so I like her. There’s nothing horrible or fabulous here, just standard country music.

Probably my favorite country album I have gotten so far, which is not saying much cause I don't really like country. I loved the opening track and if the rest of the album brought that energy then I think I would rate it higher. Just not a fan of the slow country ballads, but Emmylou does have one Hell of a voice. Favorite Track - Bluebird Wine Least Favorite Track - For No One ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nice

mid

What a fun album.

Ok - for country then this is pretty good. Great voice. 3.

3.5 stars I enjoyed it. Didn’t love it but enjoyed it. I’d listen again and it might grow on me.

Lovely!

she had a lovely voice!

Emmylou Harris is a beautiful singer. She is great at harmonising. She’s not quite as good without Gram (he wasn’t as good without her either)

“Bluebird Wine” is fantastic. The rest of this album isn’t as great.

It’s nice to be reminded that country music hasn’t always been centered around, “I’m a redneck and proud of my ignorance,” lyrics and a sentimentality for an America that never existed. Plus her voice makes me think of Cindy Lauper with a southern vs. New York accent. 3.5*

Enjoyable, all sounded the same but was nice to sit around and listen to while working. Favorite Track: Too Far Gone

Pretty good 🩷🩷🩷 I was surprised when I saw the names of two Beatles in the credits for the ninth track 💗💗💗 It happens to be my favorite as well. Thank you

Can't vote against the Queen.

I like Dolly Parton better sorry

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

It's an ok early 70s country album, that at times sounds more folk than country, but still it's country all the way. That makes it very boring for me, but it has one or two standout tracks. All in all a mediocre experience. 3/5

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

Not for me, but at least listenable

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