Emmylou Harris to Re-Issue Deluxe Edition of “Wrecking Ball” on April 8, 2014
It looks as though 2014 will be a year of significant Americana re-issues. On the heels of Lucinda Williams’ re-release of her Rough Trade album, Emmylou Harris and Daniel Lanois will re-issue one of our cornerstones, “Wrecking Ball” on April 8.
While it has never been out of print since its release in 1996, Nonesuch is giving it the premium treatment. Not only will the original album be remastered (what was wrong with the first one?), but a second disc containing alternate takes will be included. There will also be a DVD on the making of the album. The DVD will likely be what was broadcast on some PBS stations in 1996, which was recently removed from YouTube.
As we well know, the album not only showcased songwriters that were well known to many of us, but perhaps lesser known, or even unknown, to Emmylou’s more traditional country fans.
It also revitalized her career and moved her music in unexplored areas. It was the most significant album by an non songwriting “Americana” performer since Judy Collins’ 1966 “In My Life.” What made both important is that both artists took songs not otherwise identified with the genre and expanded the genre. It was considered near blasphemous in 1966 to treat The Beatles as a source of folk material, but less so when Emmylou hooked up with U2’s producer to do Hendrix.
The announcement comes just over a year after Emmylou and Lanois reunited to perform “Wrecking Ball” in its entirety at the Marathon Music Works in Nashville in October 2012.
Here’s my Marathon Music Work review.
No word on a vinyl version, but there was a very limited vinyl release in 1996 in England.
She begins the Wrecking Ball Tour in April with Daniel Lanois, Steven Nistor and Jim Wilson. No word on Brian Blade.
The set is available for pre-order directly from Nonesuch, which includes a signed print.
Original Tracks:
1. “Where Will I Be?” (Daniel Lanois)
2. “Goodbye” (Steve Earle)
3. “All My Tears” (Julie Miller)
4. “Wrecking Ball” (Neil Young)
5. “Goin’ Back to Harlan” (Anna McGarrigle)
6. “Deeper Well” (David Olney, Lanois, Emmylou Harris)
7. “Every Grain of Sand” (Bob Dylan)
8. “Sweet Old World” (Lucinda Williams)
9. “May This Be Love” (Jimi Hendrix)
10. “Orphan Girl” (Gillian Welch)
11. “Blackhawk” (Daniel Lanois)
12. “Waltz Across Texas Tonight” (Rodney Crowell, Emmylou Harris)
Outtakes
1. Still Water 3:55
2. Where Will I Be (alternate version) 4:14
3. All My Tears 3:21
4. How Will I Ever Be Simple Again 3:36
5. Deeper Well 2:18
6. The Stranger Song 5:21
7. Sweet Old World (alternate version) 5:56
8. Gold 3:16
9. Blackhawk (alternate version) 4:40
10. May This Be Love (acoustic) 2:15
11. Goin’ Back to Harlan 2:35
12. Where Will I Be (alternate version) 2:13
13. Deeper Well 3:06
All photos by Amos Perrine