Unknown Contributor Roles: Dolly Parton; Emmylou Harris; Emory Gordy; Tony Brown ; Al Perkins ; Albert Lee ; Ricky Skaggs; Rodney Crowell; Sam Bush; Willie Nelson; Linda Ronstadt.
Arranger: Brian Ahern.
For Emmylou Harris, induction into Nashville's Grand Ole Opry was a confirmation of her power and integrity as an artist. Since first making her mark in the mid-'70s, Harris has carved out her own niche, deeply rooted in such rustic forebearers as the Carter Family and Bill Monroe's Bluegrass Boys. SONGS OF THE WEST is a compilation of her favorite performances, songs that derive their power from the romantic imagery of her youth--the mythology of the American West.
For a little girl growing up in Birmingham, Alabama, hearing Eddy Arnold singing "Cattle Call" over the radio was a romantic gateway to faraway lands, open plains and starlit nights. To hear Emmylou and company yodelling away in those high lonesome harmonies at the Opry, followed by the spirited hoedown "Montana Cowgirl," is to experience the living, breathing spirit of country music. And in revisiting such gems as "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" and "The Sweetheart of the Rodeo," listeners can take comfort in the knowledge that Emmylou has remained faithful to her muse, while resisting most commercial trends in country music.
