Post by erik on Sept 21, 2016 9:22:34 GMT -5
Some shameless self-promotion here, but here is my review of The Complete Trio Collection that I posted at Amazon this morning:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Valedictory Lap For Dolly, Emmy, And Linda
By Erik North on September 21, 2016
Format: Audio CD
Where to begin?
Perhaps the starting point would be January 1971, when Dolly Parton, then just becoming a big name on her own (apart from Porter Wagoner) and having her first #1 C&W hit with “Joshua”, met this young, raven-haired Arizona native named Linda Ronstadt when Linda was doing The Johnny Cash Show in Nashville. Dolly may not have known it then, but she had just met a future collaborator.
Then, in March 1973, while on tour as Neil Young’s opening act, in Houston, Linda met up with modern country guru Gram Parsons, who got Linda together with his newfound harmony singer, Birmingham, Alabama native Emmylou Harris. Linda and Emmy hit it off as friends and vocal partners like gangbusters.
And then on September 9, 1975, Dolly, Linda, and Emmylou convened in Los Angeles for an informal gathering of singing of traditional and classic country and folk songs that would spawn a Mutual Admiration Society. The three women, who would become among the most influential female singers of their generation, became what they first humorously referred to as the “Queenston Trio” (a play on the Kingston Trio), and then just simply Trio.
But getting anything officially down in the recording studio and assembling it into an album would be enormously difficult in that period, as all three women had solo careers that were red hot. Some of the things they recorded would end up on one another’s solo records over the next ten years, and appearances on one another’s albums were inevitable; but it wouldn’t be until 1986 that they finally were able to set aside time and get down to business. And in 1987, they finally came out with their landmark album TRIO, which would help define the female gender’s role in country, roots-rock, and Americana from that point forward. In 1999, TRIO II would appear, solidly cementing their reputations as ultimate superstar collaborators.
And now in 2016, both of those landmark albums, plus twenty outtakes from those sessions and others, have found their way into THE COMPLETE TRIO COLLECTION, consisting of three CDs. Both original TRIO records were produced by George Massenburg, whose working relationship with Linda goes back to her landmark 1974 country-rock album HEART LIKE A WHEEL; and the musicians featured on those albums, including David Lindley, Ry Cooder, David Grisman, Steve Fishell, and others, were all roots music veterans that the ladies had known for years. The third CD has material that had to be left off the first two albums or which was put on their solo albums (“My Blue Tears”, from Linda’s 1982 album GET CLOSER; “Where Will The Words Come From?”, from Emmylou’s 1985 album THE BALLAD OF SALLY ROSE), but which can now be seen as further revelations of each woman’s strengths. The heretofore unreleased tracks that never saw the light of day until this point include such gems as “You Don’t Knock”, “In A Deep Sleep”, “Are You Tired Of Me?”, and “Grey Funnel Line”, to name just four. This third CD was assembled together by Emmylou and producer James Austin.
Beyond the extreme significance of this collection’s release in terms of all things Americana in music and the stature of each of the three ladies over the last 50 years, there are two more overriding reasons why THE COMPLETE TRIO COLLECTION is a collection that needs to be bought and heard so extensively. First is the continuing dearth of female artists on country radio in light of all the Bro-Country frat boys out there; many women who are doing great work, but aren’t getting much if any airplay to show for it, like Tift Merritt, Lindi Ortega, Margo Price, and Caitlin Rose, are musical descendants of Dolly, Linda, and Emmylou. The second one is much more poignant and tragic, involving the fact that Linda’s Parkinson’s condition basically destroyed her ability to sing (and in fact is also making it difficult for her to even do the kinds of things we all may take for granted), meaning that this is the Trio’s valedictory lap. In any case, this must be considered one of the best music projects of any genre to be released in 2016, featuring three great friends doing what they love doing best just for the sheer hell of it.
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Valedictory Lap For Dolly, Emmy, And Linda
By Erik North on September 21, 2016
Format: Audio CD
Where to begin?
Perhaps the starting point would be January 1971, when Dolly Parton, then just becoming a big name on her own (apart from Porter Wagoner) and having her first #1 C&W hit with “Joshua”, met this young, raven-haired Arizona native named Linda Ronstadt when Linda was doing The Johnny Cash Show in Nashville. Dolly may not have known it then, but she had just met a future collaborator.
Then, in March 1973, while on tour as Neil Young’s opening act, in Houston, Linda met up with modern country guru Gram Parsons, who got Linda together with his newfound harmony singer, Birmingham, Alabama native Emmylou Harris. Linda and Emmy hit it off as friends and vocal partners like gangbusters.
And then on September 9, 1975, Dolly, Linda, and Emmylou convened in Los Angeles for an informal gathering of singing of traditional and classic country and folk songs that would spawn a Mutual Admiration Society. The three women, who would become among the most influential female singers of their generation, became what they first humorously referred to as the “Queenston Trio” (a play on the Kingston Trio), and then just simply Trio.
But getting anything officially down in the recording studio and assembling it into an album would be enormously difficult in that period, as all three women had solo careers that were red hot. Some of the things they recorded would end up on one another’s solo records over the next ten years, and appearances on one another’s albums were inevitable; but it wouldn’t be until 1986 that they finally were able to set aside time and get down to business. And in 1987, they finally came out with their landmark album TRIO, which would help define the female gender’s role in country, roots-rock, and Americana from that point forward. In 1999, TRIO II would appear, solidly cementing their reputations as ultimate superstar collaborators.
And now in 2016, both of those landmark albums, plus twenty outtakes from those sessions and others, have found their way into THE COMPLETE TRIO COLLECTION, consisting of three CDs. Both original TRIO records were produced by George Massenburg, whose working relationship with Linda goes back to her landmark 1974 country-rock album HEART LIKE A WHEEL; and the musicians featured on those albums, including David Lindley, Ry Cooder, David Grisman, Steve Fishell, and others, were all roots music veterans that the ladies had known for years. The third CD has material that had to be left off the first two albums or which was put on their solo albums (“My Blue Tears”, from Linda’s 1982 album GET CLOSER; “Where Will The Words Come From?”, from Emmylou’s 1985 album THE BALLAD OF SALLY ROSE), but which can now be seen as further revelations of each woman’s strengths. The heretofore unreleased tracks that never saw the light of day until this point include such gems as “You Don’t Knock”, “In A Deep Sleep”, “Are You Tired Of Me?”, and “Grey Funnel Line”, to name just four. This third CD was assembled together by Emmylou and producer James Austin.
Beyond the extreme significance of this collection’s release in terms of all things Americana in music and the stature of each of the three ladies over the last 50 years, there are two more overriding reasons why THE COMPLETE TRIO COLLECTION is a collection that needs to be bought and heard so extensively. First is the continuing dearth of female artists on country radio in light of all the Bro-Country frat boys out there; many women who are doing great work, but aren’t getting much if any airplay to show for it, like Tift Merritt, Lindi Ortega, Margo Price, and Caitlin Rose, are musical descendants of Dolly, Linda, and Emmylou. The second one is much more poignant and tragic, involving the fact that Linda’s Parkinson’s condition basically destroyed her ability to sing (and in fact is also making it difficult for her to even do the kinds of things we all may take for granted), meaning that this is the Trio’s valedictory lap. In any case, this must be considered one of the best music projects of any genre to be released in 2016, featuring three great friends doing what they love doing best just for the sheer hell of it.
