Album: Hickory Wind: The Solar Cal Benefit, The Catalyst, Santa Cruz
Label: Zip City
Release date: April 8, 2016
In January 1977 Emmylou Harris had married Brian Ahern and their daughter, Meghann, was born in 1979. Pregnant with the child at the time of this anti-nuclear show in June, her condition is the subject of a couple of quips from Emmylou during proceedings. A very 'chatty' set throughout this acoustic show, the mood is warm, intimate and funny with the girl's down-to-earth Southern humour and charm shining through between the quite gorgeous songs played.
During this period, Harris recorded and released three studio albums that reflected a shift toward traditional country - at a time that the public was beginning to embrace a more polished Urban Cowboy sound. The roots direction was prominent in her Grammy Award-winning 1979 album Blue Kentucky Girl, made up largely of classic-styled country material in the vein of Loretta Lynn and Kitty Wells. One of her best-loved records, it included songs from the Louvin Brothers', Willie Nelson's and Gram Parson's signature 'Hickory Wind' - the latter of which is performed at this benefit show alongside no less than three Louvins songs and numbers from Townes Van Zandt, Dolly Parton, The Everly Brothers, former Hot Band guitarist Rodney Crowell, The Carter Family and Ricky Skaggs' favourites The Stanley Brothers. A delightful rendition of Paul McCartney's 'Here, There And Everywhere', originally recorded by Emmylou on her 1977 album Elite Hotel, is also present.
Skaggs had been a member of Emmylou's Hot Band since 1977 having replaced Rodney Crowell, and his skills on mandolin and banjo brought a further traditional edge to the group's sound. His input to this performance is, as will become obvious to the listener, pivotal. Previously only released in a very abridged format, this complete 1978 show in its full glory featuring all the music and all the talk is finally available on this CD for the first time.
Hickory Wind track listing:
1. To Daddy
2. My Songbird
3. Band Intro
4. If I Could Only Win Your Love
5. The Angels Rejoiced In Heaven Last Night
6. Ricky Scaggs Plug
7. Could You Love Me One More Time'
8. Green Rolling Hills
9. Song Intro
10. Wildwood In The Pines
11. Song Intro
12. Wildwood In The Pines
13. Song Intro
14. If I Needed You
15. Song Intro
16. Satan'S Jewel Crown
17. Solar Energy Speech
18. Keep On The Sunny Side
19. Carter Family Speech
20. Bury Me Beneath The Willow
21. Sleepless Nights
22. Where The Soul Never Dies
23. Here There And Everywhere
24. Leaving Louisiana In The Broad Daylight
25. Hickory Wind
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