Wrecking Ball (Emmylou Harris album)

Wrecking Ball
Studio album by Emmylou Harris
Released	September 26, 1995
Recorded	New Orleans, 1995
Genre	Country, rock
Length	53:06
Label	Elektra
Producer	Daniel Lanois
Emmylou Harris chronology
Cowgirl's Prayer (1993) Wrecking Ball (1995) Spyboy (1998)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Entertainment Weekly	A−[2]
Los Angeles Times	[3]
Robert Christgau	(B)[4]
Rolling Stone	[5]
The Austin Chronicle	[6]

Wrecking Ball is the eighteenth studio album by American country artist Emmylou Harris, released on September 26, 1995 through Elektra Records. Moving away from the traditional acoustic sound for which she had become known, Harris collaborated with rock producer Daniel Lanois (best known for his production work with U2) and engineer Mark Howard.^[7] The album has been noted for atmospheric feel, and featured guest performances by Steve Earle, Larry Mullen, Jr., Lucinda Williams and Neil Young, who wrote the title song.

Background

Though her choice of songs had always been eclectic, the album was regarded as a departure for Harris who, by the age of 48, had become something of an elder stateswoman in country music. It received almost universally positive reviews, making many critics' year-end "best of" lists, and pointed Harris' career in a somewhat different direction, where she would incorporate a harder, albeit plaintive edge that would single her out from the complacent, country music mainstream. As a career-redefining album, Wrecking Ball was likened to Marianne Faithfull's 1979 Broken English album and Johnny Cash's later American Recordings. Wrecking Ball won the 1996 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Recording.

Content

Harris covered Neil Young's song "Wrecking Ball", and the track includes harmonies by Young.^[8] Although the song was released by Harris as a 2-track CD single with Lucinda Williams' "Sweet Old World", reviewers did not consider the title track the high point on the album.^[9]

Personnel

• Emmylou Harris – vocals, acoustic guitar on 3 5 7 10 11 12, harmony vocals on 10
• Daniel Lanois – mandolin on 1 2 3 5 8 10 11 12, electric guitar on 1 2 3 4 6 8 9 11 12, acoustic guitar on 2 7 11, bass on 1 3, dulcimer on 10, duet vocals on 1 9, chant vocals on 3, percussion on 4, bass pedals on 8
• Malcolm Burn – piano on 2 4 8 11 12, tambourine on 4 10 11, vibes on 4, organ on 5 7, synthesizer on 5, keyboards on 6, slide guitar on 8 12, bass on 11, drums on 11, harmony vocals on 11
• Larry Mullen, Jr. – drums on 2 4 6 7 8 9 12, cymbal on 4, hand drum on 10
• Tony Hall – percussion, bass on 2 4 6 7 12, stick drum on 10
• Daryl Johnson – high harmony vocals on 1, tom tom on 1, drum kit bass pedals on 5, backing vocals on 5, harmonic bass on 6, harmony vocals on 10

Additional personnel

• Brian Blade – drums on 1, Indian hand drum on 5
• Steve Earle – acoustic guitar on 2 7 8
• Sam O'Sullivan – roto wheel on 4
• Neil Young – harmony vocals on 4 8, harmonica on 8
• Kufaru Mouton – extro percussion on 5
• Lucinda Williams – acoustic guitar on 8
• Richard Bennett – tremolo guitar on 8
• Anna McGarrigle – harmony vocals on 12
• Kate McGarrigle – harmony vocals on 12

Charts

Album

Track listing

1. "Where Will I Be?" [with Daniel Lanois] (Daniel Lanois) – 4:15
2. "Goodbye" (Steve Earle) – 4:53
3. "All My Tears" (Julie Miller) – 3:42
4. "Wrecking Ball" (Neil Young) – 4:49
5. "Goin' Back to Harlan" (Anna McGarrigle) – 4:51
6. "Deeper Well" (David Olney, Lanois, Emmylou Harris) – 4:19
7. "Every Grain of Sand" (Bob Dylan) – 3:56
8. "Sweet Old World" (Lucinda Williams) – 5:06
9. "May This Be Love" [with Daniel Lanois] (Jimi Hendrix) – 4:45
10. "Orphan Girl" (Gillian Welch) – 3:15
11. "Blackhawk" (Daniel Lanois) – 4:28
12. "Waltz Across Texas Tonight" (Rodney Crowell, Emmylou Harris) – 4:46

References