Customer Reviews

Profile: Best of

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

You know, I did fall in love with Emmy Lou around 27 years ago when I spun records for a living at a small radio station in Cottonwood, Arizona. How could I help falling for her when listening to her "Sweet Dreams", "Making Believe, and "Easy From Now On." These are all romantic classics in her unmistakable style. Listening to her rendition of Buck Owens' "Together Again"...well, you know between her and Buck which one I'd choose to be together with. LOL All her early favorites are here such as Dolly Parton's "To Daddy", "If I Could Only Win Your Love," "Too Far Gone", and "Boulder to Birmingham. All here and jusst as fresh as when they were first recorded between 1974-1977. By the way, there's a really terrific fiddler backing her on "You Never Can Tell") "C'est' La Vie", "Making Believe", and "Hello Stranger". Fellow by the name of Ricky Scaggs. All in all, what you have here are Emmy Lou's earliest hits. She was among the top country gals of the time, and of course, has surpassed herself since. But these songs were among the best of country, a style of music you don't hear on today's country music stations.

For anyone who wants to know what all the fuss was about when Emmylou Harris burst on the country scene three decades ago, it's all here in this compilation, which brings together twelve of her greatest early tracks. Her distinctive voice, part reed, part silver, full of emotion, and her interpretive range--she could convince in the most soulful ballad as well as the most rollicking of rockabilly--are in plentiful evidence.

Harris also had impeccable taste in material, and this CD is also illustrative as a retrospective of the best of country that stretches all the way back to its origins with the Carter Family's "Hello Stranger." Other highlights are the strongly feminist "One of These Days," and sweet covers of Patsy Cline's "Sweet Dreams" and Kitty Wells' "Making Believe," but there really isn't a dud in the bunch. Highly recommended for all of us who need to remember what country music was like at its best.

This album was my first introduction to Emmylou Harris and I played it on 33 1/3 rpm vinyl til there was nothing left but scratches. I replaced it with the CD (It was one of the first 5 CDs I ever purchased) and I am now in a state of mourning because time and carelessness have rendered it nonfunctional. So I am thrilled to be able to replace it through Amazon. This is music for the heart, whether you are in love, in pain, lonely as hell, or disgusted with the universe. Like an old friend, I may go for months without listening to it, but when I need to hear it I need to hear it. This is a collection of music I never want to be separate from.

This compilation includes three tracks from each of her first four albums, when her style was country-rock - very different from her music of the nineties and beyond. Apart from Hello stranger, all these tracks are available on the more recent double CD titled Anthology, which covers her whole career with Warner Reprise.

During these years (1975 to 1978), Emmylou had many hits on the American country charts including three solo number one hits, all cover versions and all included here. They were Together again (Buck Owens), Sweet dreams (Patsy Cline) and Two more bottles of wine (Delbert McClinton). Emmylou had many other big country hits with cover versions, including If I could only win your love (Louvin brothers) and You never can tell C'Est la vie (Chuck Berry).

Dolly Parton wrote To Daddy and recorded it for her 1976 album All I can do, but Emmylou heard it and recorded it herself. When Dolly heard Emmylou's version, she substituted another song for her own album, although Dolly's version was eventually released on a compilation CD many years later. Thus, Emmylou's version, included here, is the first one the public heard.

This is a great introduction to Emmylou's early music.

Although Profile is a wonderful listening experience, it doesn't quite do justice to the early work of this amazing songbird. It draws heavily on the Pieces Of The Sky album with these great songs If I Could Only Win Your Love, Too Far Gone and Boulder To Birmingham, her moving elegy to Gram Parsons.

Other very beautiful songs include the gentle love ballad Sweet Dreams, the sad story song To Daddy, Making Believe, a yearning song of lost love, and the stirring Together Again. With her crystalline vocals, her expert phrasing and her tasteful choice of material, Emmylou has created a magnificent body of work.

Now for the omissions! When I Stop Dreaming from Luxury Liner is Emmylou at her best. Till I Gain Control Again and Satan's Jewel Crown from Elite Hotel are must haves. And the sublime My Songbird from Quarter Moon In A Ten Cent Town is one of the most spiritual songs she ever recorded.

In the light of this, I award this album only four stars, but Profile is still a great sample of her work from that time. I recommend that you get all of the aforementioned albums so as not to miss out on any of her gems.

This is a wonderful piece of art that I have owned since 1978 and am ordering again to give as a gift for someone. It delivers all of the pleasing elements that I look for in vocal music; a lovely female singing voice, beautifully crafted harmonies and tight instrumentals. Of course, it doesen't hurt that the songs performed are well chosen for my taste! Thank you for this classic.

This is my 3rd copy of this wonderful album/CD. The original album had to make way for the world of CDs. The first CD was accidently broken and I replaced it the same day. I think it's one of her top 5 albums. I love them all.

I have had an LP copy of this album since it came out, which was before CDs. I wore out two cassette tapes and then purchased two CDs of it. It was one of the first albums on which I found that I liked every song on it.

No doubt about it, Boulder To Birmingham is my favorite.

Not many have the staying power of Emmy Lou Harris. She is, quite simply, wonderful.

If you think Emmylou Harris is not one of the best singers and songwriters in Music today ,and for the past 3 decades as well,just listen to this collection.
Emmylou has chosen 12 classics by ledgends in Country Music and shows she can do a teriffic job on any of them and make them her own.A few others, from Willie Nelson to Ray Charles to Frank Sinatra ,are able to do likewise and it is the true litmus test of what sets a very select few aside from the many great artists.In this collection she chooses songs of other artists as varied as Earl Montgomery,Don Gibson,Dolly Parton,Chuck Berry,Jimmy Work,Susanna Clark and Carlene Carter,Buck Owens,Charlie and Ira Louvin,Billy Sherrill,Delbert McClinton,A.P. Carter and even a song by Bill Danoff and herself;to produce a collection that shows the skill and greatness that she can bring to irtually any sons.You simply have to stretch your imagination to think that any one artist could take all these songs and do what Emmylou can and to think that she did it in 1978.That's over 30 years ago,and Emmylou is still performing today;and just keeps getting better all the time.
If you are a fan of Emmylou;you just have to listen to this collection.

I have always loved Emmylou Harris' lilting voice, and I really enjoy this CD. All the songs are good, and even though I had never heard "Boulder to Birmingham," it has become one of my favorites.