Maria McKee. Shannon McNally. Tift Merritt. Mary Chapin-Carpenter. Lucinda Williams. Who of this group of singers (or any similar list) can deny the influence of Emmylou Harris? One of the most beautiful, enduring voices of country rock never makes a bad record (and always seems to grow more beautiful with age).

Yesterday’s Kid’s Commute featured her Cowgirl’s Prayer album. It’s late vintage Emmylou (the 17th of 21 albums), the first she recorded after a long stretch on Warner Brothers and a bridge between her earlier work and the bang-and-breathe stuff she started with Daniel Lanois a couple years later.

There’s a nice mix of styles and tempos here: she offers nice up-tempo covers Lucinda (Crescent City) and Tony Joe White (High Powered Love), does a wonderful interpretation of Jesse Winchester’s Thanks To You and an exquisite rendering of the Eddy Arnold chestnut, You Don’t Know Me.

A really nice listen.

Emmylou Harris – Crescent City

Emmylou Harris – High Powered Love

Emmylou Harris – Thanks To You

Emmylou Harris – You Don’t Know Me

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