Given Harris's iconic status, it's surprising to realize she had
her share of flops too, and fell out of favour in the country world for a
long stretch. Now she's Americana, the ultimate roots artist, but back
in 1985 she was still considered a Nashville star. That is, until this
concept album. She called it a country opera, and it marked her first
release after her personal and professional split with producer Brian
Ahern. Instead it was made with new partner Paul Kennerley, the
songwriter who bequeathed her the hit Born To Run (not the Springsteen
one). For the first time since her obscure 1969 folk debut, Harris would
write all the songs, quite a departure for an artist who had made her
name with striking cover versions, known as the singer's singer.
Harris
had a story she wanted to get out, a personal one. Sally Rose was based
on herself, and this was a re-imagination of her time with the
legendary Gram Parsons. Harris had sung harmonies at his side for a
year, and had made it her career goal to continue his music after he
died. The story told of Sally Rose wasn't true-to-life, and a lot more
than just the names were changed. It had been mythologized, but the
point was clear, Sally loved The Singer, as Emmylou had loved Gram.
Country
radio had loved Emmylou, but didn't for the singles from this album.
They were perhaps a little too involved in the plot, not obvious and
easy to digest, and even too smart. That translated into diminished
album sales and a lack of tour buzz too. Wouldn't you know it, Harris
had made the most substantial album of her career, and also just
torpedoed it. She went back to covers soon after, and spent a decade
bouncing around stylistically before teaming up with Daniel Lanois for
Wrecking Ball, attracting a new audience that became known as Americana,
and once again feeling confident in her writing skills.
What
everybody realized now is that not only could she write, she was
fantastic, and this album was a gem. The story of Sally Rose's climb to
fame while The Singer declines is actually more like A Star Is Born
rather than the Gram-Emmylou tale, but no matter, the individual songs
are tight and the tale fun to follow: "You better move fast 'cause
tickets are tight/if you wanna see Sally Rose pick it tonight."
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