Emmylou Harris - Evangeline (1981)

“Evangeline” was a 1981 album by Emmylou Harris that was composed mostly of leftover material from past recording sessions and which did not fit into any of her other albums.

Long considered a substandard effort due to its oddly brief running time (it's just barely half an hour long) and scattershot feel like its sister album, “Cimarron”, also released in 1981.

 

 

"Evangeline" is not as bad as its detractors claim. It's true that the album has more than a couple of clunkers; the synthesizers and California rock guitars of Rodney Crowell's "I Don't Have to Crawl" and "Ashes By Now" do neither singer nor songs any favors, the version of John Fogerty's "Bad Moon Rising" adds nothing new to the song, and James Taylor's "Millworker" simply isn't very good. On the other hand, two recordings from the then-unreleased Trio sessions with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt, a perky "Mr. Sandman" that was a minor pop hit and a reworking of Robbie Robertson's haunting "Evangeline" featuring some outstanding harmonies from Parton, are outstanding, as are "Spanish Johnny," a Springsteen-ish ballad sung with Waylon Jennings, and a dazzling version of the standard "How High the Moon" that uses the same pre-rock arrangement style as "Mr. Sandman." So, “Evangeline” is certainly uneven, but it's not at all worthless.

Side A
1. I Don't Have to Crawl  (3:46)
2. How High the Moon  (3:21)
3. Spanish Johnny [with Waylon Jennings]  (3:50)
4. Bad Moon Rising  (2:40)
5. Evangeline  (3:09)

Side B
1. Hot Burrito #2  (3:04)
2. Millworker  (4:03)
3. Oh Atlanta  (2:58)
4. Mr. Sandman" [harmony by Dolly Parton & Linda Ronstadt]  (2:20)
5. Ashes by Now  (4:24)

Credits
Acoustic Guitar – Brian Ahern, Emmylou Harris, Frank Reckard, Ricky Skaggs, Rodney Crowell
Steel Guitar [Pedal] – Hank DeVito
Piano – Albert Lee, Bill Payne, David Briggs, Don Johnson, Mac Rebbenack, Tony Brown
Fiddle [Fiddles] – Ricky Skaggs
Guitar [Lead] – Albert Lee, Amos Garrett, Frank Reckard, James Burton
Harmonica [Harmonicas] – Mickey Raphael
Mandolin – Ricky Skaggs
Percussion – John Ware
Bass – Emory Gordy, Mike Bowden
Drums – Dave Lewis, Hal Blain, John Ware, Larrie Londin
Electric Piano – Bill Payne, Glen D. Hardin
Engineer – Bradley Hartman, Brian Ahern, Donivan Cowart, Stuart Taylor
Producer, Arranged By – Brian Ahern

Notes
Photography – Olivier Ferrand
Artwork By [Art Direction & Design] – Tim Ritchie
Made in Germany by WEA Musik GmbH.
Genre - Country
Recorded at Enactron Studios.
Mixed at Magnolia Sound.
© 1981 Warner Bros. Records Inc.

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