Emmylou Harris - The Ballad of Sally Rose

This is one of the most intriguing albums of Emmylou Harris' career, and that is saying a lot. It marked the first album where she wrote or co-wrote all the songs, and the strength of the songwriting makes one wonder why she had never attempted it before. One can tell that this album is truly a labor of love, as it is a semi-autobiographical concept album that she also co-produced. It tells the story of a girl from a small town who gets taken under the wing of singer that takes her (and her angelic voice) out on the road. (The story mirrors her relationship with Gram Parsons, although it is a fictional account of the life of another woman.) As a concept album, it only partly holds together; one must read the liner notes to get a true feeling for the story. However, Emmylou Harris sounds particularly inspired, and the songs themselves are strong both musically and lyrically. As expected, she truly shines on the slower ballads such as "Diamond in My Crown" and the closer "Sweet Chariot." While not essential for casual fans, it is an interesting album worth tracking down for Emmylou Harris fans. ~ Vik Iyengar, All Music Guide

Name Credits Aaron Rapoport Photography Albert Lee Mandolin, Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Vocals, Guitar (Acoustic) Barbara Cowart Vocals, Vocals (Background) Barry & Holly Tashian Vocals Barry Tashian Guitar (Acoustic) Bessyl Duhon Accordion Bobby Thompson Banjo, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar Buddy Spicher Fiddle, Violin Dianne OQuinn Burke Illustrations Dolly Parton Vocals, Vocals (Background) Donivan Cowart Engineer Emmylou Harris Guitar, Vocals (Background), Producer, Writer, Guitar (Acoustic), Vocals Emory Gordy String Arrangements, Guitar (Acoustic), Bass Gail Davies Vocals, Vocals (Background) Gary Scruggs Harmonica Glenn Meadows Mastering Hank DeVito Guitar (Electric), Dobro, Guitar (Acoustic), Pedal Steel, Guitar (Steel) John Jarvis Keyboards Keith Odle Engineer Larrie Londin Percussion, Drums Leslie Bowman Stylist Linda Ronstadt Vocals (Background), Vocals Paul Kennerley Writer, Producer, Guitar (Electric), Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic) Philip Donnelly Guitar Ray Flacke Guitar, Guitar (Electric) Russ Kunkel Drums Shane Keister Keyboards Simon Levy Art Direction, Design Steve Cash Harmonica Tom Harding Engineer Tom Roady Percussion Vince Gill Vocals (Background), Guitar, Vocals, Guitar (Electric) Waylon Jennings Vocals, Guitar (Electric)