Emmylou Harris: Cimarron - 1981

Along with 1975's Elite Hotel, another Emmylou Harris album I have enjoyed is this one, from 1981. 

It is another serving of generally laid-back country fare, with a bit of a Latin feel on tracks like Rose Of Cimarron - originally done back in 1976 by a band called Poco and the beautiful Spanish Is The Loving Tongue - covered less than impressively by Bob Dylan on his legendarily notorious "Dylan" album from 1973. Rose Of Cimarron is a great song, either by Emmylou or Poco. I think I probably prefer Poco's faster, breezier one, however. It's close, though. 

Images of the Old West are all there, not only on the front cover, which sees Emmylou clad in Native American-style garb, but also on songs like the atmospheric Son Of A Rotten Gambler and The Last Cheater's Waltz. The song included here called Born To Run is not the iconic Springsteen one, incidentally, but one written by Emmylou's husband which is coincidentally (or not, I wonder) followed up by a superb and moving cover of The Boss's The Price You Pay, which is the highlight of the album.

If I Needed You and Another Lonesome Morning are both melodic and gentle country love songs, beautifully sung and played. The quality of this album shines through in every track.

Oh and I love that sexy white-bloused Mexican look Emmylou displays on the rear cover. 

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