Originally published in The Aquarian Weekly

July 30, 2008

Emmylou Harris

All I Intended To Be

Nonesuch Records

“I’ve always seen myself

as a relentless song-finder,

a singer of other people’s

work whom I admire greatly,

and an occasional

songwriter.” What Emmylou

Harris is too modest to admit

is that she has grown into

more than just an

“occasional” songwriter. This

time out, Harris has

beautifully interpreted songs

by Patty Griffin (“Moon

Song”), Billie Joe Shaver

(“Old Five And Dimers Like

Me”), Mark Germino (“Broken

Man’s Lament”), Merle

Haggard (“Kern River”), and

others. She has also

contributed outstanding

songs of her own that are a

match for the covers.

A recent inductee into the

Country Music Hall Of Fame,

Harris has won 12 Grammy

awards over her 40 year

career. For the first time in 25

years, Harris has returned to

work with Brian Ahern, who

produced her first 11 albums.

To celebrate the occasion,

she has enlisted an all-star

cast of players, including Dolly

Parton and Vince Gill, who

provide harmonies on Harris’

“Gold,” and the McGarrigle

sisters, who co-wrote two

songs with Harris and add

their unique vocal style to

both. Throughout the album,

Harris is accompanied by a

remarkably sympathetic

group of session players.

Emmylou Harris has never

been in better voice, and has

never written such a strong

collection of songs for an

album. If you can appreciate

those virtues, and the brilliant

musicianship that

accompanies them, this

album is for you.

In A Word: Regal

Grade: A-

—by Ken Shane