Emmylou Harris

Wrecking Ball

Mommy, make the bad music go away!

Review Score:

(2/10)
Some producers really produce. They mold the musician's work to their (the producer's) notion of what music should sound like. Sometimes this is done to great effect. Witness Todd Rundgren's work on XTC's Skylarking, Eno on various Talking Heads CDs, Bob Ezrin on Poco's Crazy Eyes - all masterpieces. Then, consider Daniel Lanois. He's truly King Midas in Reverse. Everything he touches turns to mud. His vision is so overbearing that the musician's contribution is invariably irrelevant. Each of his productions sounds like a Lanois disc, and that's not a good thing. He creates art, not music. Weak art! The artist's muse is ultimately obliterated by Lanois' "vision," and we are left once again to ponder what might have been.

Emmylou Harris is a wonderful singer who has produced many great records. This is not one of them. Despite what "hip" critics may say, this album represents a serious misstep on Emmylou's part. There is a timelessness and listenability to her other recordings that is totally absent here. Out of respect to Emmylou, I tried to love this album, but it was not possible.

If you are an "artiste" in a Lillith sort of way, you will probably say you enjoy this. If you just enjoy great music - Stay far away from this one!

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