Customer Reviews

Last Date

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After 18 years, this title is finally available on CD, and many thanks to the folks at Eminent! The sounds is crytal clear and nearly every track is a perfect gem. "Racing in the Streets" gets the most poignant reading it will ever get, with an understated arrangement that lets Emmylou's voice be the star. "Buckaroo" (with Emmylou on lead guitar) segues flawlessly into "Love's Gonna Live Here" for an upbeat end to a classic live set. The two bonus tracks are vintage Emmylou, without the "just tacked-on" feel that many bonus tracks can have. Nice booklet included, with full lyrics, liner notes and some comments from members of the Hot Band. Overall, an absolutely winning package, and well worth the wait!

Emmylou Harris' dynamic live album Last Date was compiled from tapes of gigs in various Californian honkytonks in the early 1980's with her legendary Hot Band. Emmylou put together a diverse list of cover tunes to express her vision of what country music could and should be - a combination of both new and old influences.
The program:
Hank Snow's - 'I'm Movin' On'
Merle Haggard's - 'It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad)'
The Everly Brothers' - 'So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)'
Gram Parson's - 'Return Of The Greivous Angel'
Carl Perkin's - 'Restless'
Bruce Springsteen's - 'Racing In The Street'
Neil Young's - 'Long May You Run'
Gram Parson's - 'We'll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning'
The Flying Burrito Brothers' - 'Juanita'
Gram Parson's - 'Devil In Disguise'
Conway Twitty's - '(Lost His Love) On Our Last Date'
A Buck Owens Medley - 'Buckaroo' & 'Love's Gonna Live Here'
Two bonus tracks close the album perfectly - 'Another Pot Of Tea' & 'Maybe Tonight'.
Twenty years on, the remastered re-issue of Last Date is a classic in the Harris catalogue and a reminder of just how innovative and important west coast honkytonk is in country music.

After eighteen years of vinyl only, LAST DATE has finally been issued on CD. Thank goodness and thanks to the brilliant staff at Eminent Records. This is ultimate Emmylou Harris, and an extraordinary Hot Band lineup. The record was set to illustrated Harris' vision of country music, in the honky-tonk fashion. What makes LAST DATE is extraordinary is her incredible set of songs. "I'm Moving On" a #5 hit, is terrific. Harris' fifth #1 hit was "On Our Last Date", a gorgeous ballad. Her wonderful interpretation of Don Everly "So Sad" was a top thirty hit. She pays a tribute to her mentor Gram Parsons by recording extraordinary interpretations of "Return Of The Grievous Angel", "Juanita", and "Devil In Disguise". There's also a brilliant version of "We'll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning" they had sung together on GP. "Long May You Run" shines brilliantly, it's one of the album's highlights. That song is my favorite. There's a passionate performance of Bruce Springsteen's "Racing In The Street". There's infinite energy on Carl Perkins "Restless". Harris pays tribute to Merle Haggard on "It's Not Love" bringing her usual magic on the track. Harris plays lead guitar on "Buckaroo" part of the "Buckaroo/Love's Gonna Live Here" Medley, sensationally. The two bonus tracks "Another Pot O' Tea", and "Maybe Tonight", were the B-Sides of the album's two biggest singles. This reissue format is perfect, let's hope it is soon applied to EVANGELINE and THIRTEEN. LAST DATE is not to be missed. This is a marvelous album, one of the best by this incredible musician. Emmylou Harris once again proves that she is the most talented and important performer in the music world.

Very happy to finally own this cd. It was only available on vinyl, until a few years ago, when Eminent Records re-released this album and CIMARRON. Lets hope they remaster other vinyl only Emmylou Harris albums such as EVANGELINE and THIRTEEN. LAST DATE is an excellent live album with her band at that time, The Hot Band. This is honestly one of her best albums, showing her vision of country music, and just giving it her own style and putting her mark on it. She never conformed to what Nashville was doing, and she ended up making brilliant music (even to this day with newer releases). She pays homage to Gram Parsons on a number of tracks including "Return of the Grievious Angel", "Devil In Disguise", "We'll Sweep Out The Ashes In The Morning", and "Juanita". She makes these songs sound like they were written just for her. There was a few hits from the album, cindluing "So Sad (To Watch Good Love Go Bad)" (#28), "I'm Movin On" (#5), and "(Lost His Love) On Our Last Date" (#1). The bonus tracks are "Another Pot of Tea" and "Maybe Tonight" were b-sides to the singles released from the album. She does a great job of Bruce Springsteen's "Racing In The Street", and Carl Perkins' "Restless" (one of my favorites). Another highlight is the wonderful "Long May You Run". This is a great album from one of the best singers in the world, in my opinion. Check it out!

I am one of those thousands who came to Emmylou's music via Wrecking Ball, Spyboy and Red Dirt Girl. I've been recently collecting all her past catalog, and admit that I hadn't expected to like Last Date because I'd read so-so comments and reviews about it. But, repeated listenings find me enraptured with this CD. Harris' music during the eighties was inconsistent compared to her string of 70's classics, but Last Date is, to my ears, at least equal to anything Emmylou's recorded.

I listen to Emmylou largely for her amazing voice, and that voice is in glorious form here; the slightly echoey ambiance of the live recordings results in a truly breathtaking sound. The band are great, and the songs are well-selected. For me, this is indeed one of the truly essential Emmylou Harris recordings.

Wow, how could it get any better than this? Emmylou's great, great voice, terrific selection of both old rock n' roll and contemporary pop songs and the absolute red-hot, Hot Band. I'd give it eight stars if I could. This is one you won't grow tired of. Just put it on the disc player, hit the repeat button and enjoy.

One of the best ever! Emmy is a music legend! An incredible taste for songs, a wonderful voice and great musicians make this album a must. I am looking forward to the release of Evangeline and Thirteen. Get this one as soon as you can!

I originally bought this as an LP record so that tells you something. I put it on tape but am thrilled to have it on CD. My favorite is So Sad (to watch good love go bad). I have introduced Emmylou to my younger friends, recently at The Birchmere in Alexandria, VA. I have seen her many times over the years but in larger venues and was completely blown away by this performance - I think the best show I have ever seen (and I've seen a bunch)

I've been looking for the CD of Last Date for several years. The Grooves on the old vinyl record are just about to run through. On vinyl you can only put one side on "repeat". Not that Side 2 isn't good, but Side 1, especially "Grievous Angel" and "Racing in the Streets", is pure heaven. This one is not to be missed.

What is arguably her finest album finally makes it to CD. Not a bad track on the disk and two bonus tracks are alao excellent. The remastering is excellent (in my opinion). Heres hoping we won't have to wait as long for "Thirteen" and "Evangeline".