Review: Red Dirt Girl (Emmylou Harris)

Subject: ADD: Red Dirt Girl (Emmylou Harris)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 10 Jun 20 - 11:10 PM

RED DIRT GIRL
(Emmylou Harris)

Me and my best friend Lillian
And her blue tick hound dog Gideon,
Sittin on the front porch cooling in the shade
Singin every song the radio played
Waitin for the Alabama sun to go down
Two red dirt girls in a red dirt town
Me and Lillian
Just across the line and a little southeast of Meridian.

She loved her brother I remember back when
He was fixin up a '49 Indian
He told her 'Little sister, gonna ride the wind
Up around the moon and back again"
He never got farther than Vietnam,
I was standin there with her when the telegram come
For Lillian.
Now he's lyin somewhere about a million miles from Meridian.

She said there's not much hope for a red dirt girl
Somewhere out there is a great big world
That's where I'm bound
And the stars might fall on Alabama
But one of these days I'm gonna swing
My hammer down
Away from this red dirt town
I'm gonna make a joyful sound

She grew up tall and she grew up thin
Buried that old dog Gideon
By a crepe myrtle bush in the back of the yard,
Her daddy turned mean and her mama leaned hard
Got in trouble with a boy from town
Figured that she might as well settle down
So she dug right in
Across a red dirt line just a little south east from Meridian

She tried hard to love him but it never did take
It was just another way for the heart to break
So she dug right in.
But one thing they don't tell you about the blues
When you got em
You keep on falling cause there ain't no bottom
There ain't know end.
At least not for Lillian

Nobody knows when she started her skid,
She was only twenty seven and she had five kids.
Coulda' been the whiskey,
Coulda been the pills,
Coulda been the dream she was trying to kill.
But there won't be a mention in the news of the world
About the life and the death of a red dirt girl
Names Lillian
Who never got any farther across the line than Meridian.

Now the stars still fall on Alabama
Tonight she finally laid
That hammer down
Without a sound
In the red dirt ground


Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Emmylou Harris

Subject: RE: Emmylou, Red Dirt Girl?
From: WyoWoman
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 10:36 PM

Well, I like it for the songwriting/poetry, which may not be perfect, but is darned good. I agree that the instruments overshadow the voice sometimes. I like some of the more experimental percusion however.

But I'm also in an emotional space right now that is aided and abetted by these mournful tunes, so she's singing my song ... I still listen and listen and listen and am learning Michelangelo and Hour of Gold.

And THERE you ARE, Peter T. I haven't heard from you in a while ...

ww

Subject: RE: Emmylou, Red Dirt Girl?
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 08:14 PM

Time for me to join Peter in front of the firing squad again (remember O Brother, Pete?)

I borrowed this from a friend, so some of my reaction may owe something to his warning..."if you are feeling depressed, don't listen to this near any firearms." When I put it on, my first thought was "who the fuck PRODUCED this?!" The first song sounded like Emmy Lou singing through a culvert with an oil winch pumping in the background. I like Daniel Lanois, and I have to admit it reminded me of what he might do if he finally went over the edge. But beyond the production, which the phrase "heavy-handed" doesn't come close to doing justice to, there were some nice songs on it. They just seemed to hang in the same mournful mood throughout the CD. Is Sam Bush still Emmy Lou's leader? If so, he and I both were probably jonesing for some uptempo bluegrass energetic something to crack this CD out of its overwhelming morass of sweet sadness.

Other than that, Mrs Lincoln, how was the play?

Subject: RE: Emmylou, Red Dirt Girl?
From: GUEST,Steve Latimer
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 02:59 PM

Yes Peter, it is you that I refer to. I listen to this CD a lot, and everytime I do I wonder why you don't like it. You have explained this and I agree about the taste thing, but I like almost all of the songs on this one. I especailly like "I Don't Want to Talk About It Now", "One Big Love", "Red Dirt Girl" and "The Pearl". I like the production, I think she has written some very good songs and her voice (as always) is in wonderful form.

As they say though, that's what makes horse racing, a difference of opinion.

Subject: RE: Emmylou, Red Dirt Girl?
From: lamarca
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 02:25 PM

Oops - I went back and actually looked at the credits on my CD, and Mike is right (of course) - it's Malcolm Burn and not Lanois. It still sounds too much like U2 to me, but I like it anyway...

Subject: RE: Emmylou, Red Dirt Girl?
From: Peter T.
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 12:56 PM

I don't know about esteemed, or even regular, but I think Steve is referring to me. And to disagree with Wyowoman, can anything be worse?

But really, I found the album to be watered down Daniel Lanois, even with another producer, and every song sounds more or less the same. "Red Dirt Girl" is an O.K. song. But overall, I have gone back to it several times, and it is still dull. I worship the woman. I am glad she is out there writing what the hell she likes and putting out the albums the way she wants to. Still, it does not grow on me.

No accounting for taste!!!

yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: Emmylou, Red Dirt Girl?
From: Fortunato
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 11:09 AM

Emmylou is at the top of her game, great voice, great musicians and her song writing is better than most of the stuff coming out of Nashville. Red Dirt Girl is right there. I buy no mainstream Country CDs. None. We do buy Emmylou. Now. I think her recordings are over produced. IMHOP the her beautiful voice is way over processed. But I buy her cds.

Subject: RE: Emmylou, Red Dirt Girl?
From: GUEST,BigDaddy
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 10:39 AM

Sorry about that. Don't know what I did to cause the double reply. Hadn't even finished typing. Anyway, Emmylou went through several styles before she ever touched bluegrass, and has done so since. No doubt she'll continue to do so. If you ever have a chance to see her live, do so.

Subject: RE: Emmylou, Red Dirt Girl?
From: Mike Regenstreif
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 10:36 AM

lamarca,

Daniel Lanois did produce an earlier album by Emmylou Harris ("Wrecking Ball"), however "Red Dirt Girl" was produced by Malcolm Burn.

Mike Regenstreif

Subject: RE: Emmylou, Red Dirt Girl?
From: GUEST,BigDaddy
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 10:36 AM

I got hooked on Emmylou with the release of Roses in the Snow. Started buyinbg every Emmylou album I could. Started losing interest shortly after Sally Rose (which I liked a lot). There's Emmylou and then there's Emmylou. There's a sound she has that makes me feel it just doesn't get any better, and then there's another way she sings that I just can't listen to. Hard to describe...I'd have to do it by song I guess. I checked out Red Dirt Girl at the library the other day. First thing I noticed was percussion where I didn't feel it belonged. Liked a couple of the songs a lot, found most to be forgettable. Will probably give it another chance. Saw her perform back in '81. Awesome show. People seem to think Emmylou has "bluegrass roots" because of her Roses in the Snow LP and some other subsequent work. She started out as more of a folksinger with country overtones. She was inspired by (and involved with) Gram Parsons.

Subject: RE: Emmylou, Red Dirt Girl?
From: lamarca
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 10:10 AM

I got this CD for Christmas last year, and really enjoy it....BUT, when I first heard it, I said to myself, "Gosh, that sounds like U2...". Daniel Lanois is really heavy handed at making over everyone he produces into his image.

In the film "Down From the Mountain", Emmylou starts singing "Red Dirt Girl" backstage, acoustically - then gets interrupted by her damn baseball game pager. Just the couple lines she does sing are just as powerful as all Daniel Lanois' overwhelming synth backup, showing that Harris' songwriting is the real strength of this album.

Subject: RE: Emmylou, Red Dirt Girl?
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 03 Dec 01 - 02:22 AM

I stareted this thread as a reply to a negative response I had received from a regular and esteemed catter regarding this work. Not only has it not changed my opinion of the CD, everytime I listen to it I'm hoping that they listen to it again. I've listened to it a bunch of times since an I think it's marvellous.

Subject: RE: Emmylou, Red Dirt Girl?
From: catspaw49
Date: 02 Dec 01 - 09:50 PM

The Insurgent Country Home Page is my favorite EmmyLou site. Michealngelo is there but the other two are lyrics only on the Josef Summer site you can link to.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Emmylou, Red Dirt Girl?
From: Joe Offer
Date: 02 Dec 01 - 09:20 PM

You'll find a nice selection of Emmylou Harris lyrics < ahref=http://digilander.iol.it/lerenti/lyrics/full/h/harris_emmylou.htm>here (click). Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight is on Quarter Moon In A Ten Cent Town (1978) - love that album title.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Emmylou, Red Dirt Girl?
From: WyoWoman
Date: 02 Dec 01 - 08:25 PM

I haven't heard that one. Which CD is it on?

ww

Subject: RE: Emmylou, Red Dirt Girl?
From: 53
Date: 02 Dec 01 - 08:04 PM

i haven't heard that cd, but one of my favorites of hers i leavin louisiana in the broad daylight. BOB

Subject: RE: Emmylou, Red Dirt Girl?
From: WyoWoman
Date: 02 Dec 01 - 01:03 PM

I'm refreshing this thread because I finally got this CD and am absolutely in love with it. I don't know what's not to love. The songwriting, most of it, is topnotch, and the melodies are scrumptious. She's a long, long way from her bluegrass roots, but artists get to go where they need to go, far as I'm concerned.

Several of the songs have "got their hooks in me," as rangerroger says above, and just won't let go. I'd love to learn "Hour of Gold" and "My Baby Needs a Shepherd" and "Michelangelo," if anyone has the chords for them. (I have the lyrics from the CD cover.YUMMY!!!)

WW

Subject: RE: Emmylou, Red Dirt Girl?
From: rangeroger
Date: 08 Aug 01 - 10:03 PM

While I have stated in the other threads that my frst reaction to this CD was a little irritation at the continued Daniel Lanois touch,I love this album.

To me it shows Emmylou branching out with HER music in the way she wants to do it.There are a couple of songs on it that reach right into me with hooks and grab me.

Hour of Gold is one of those.

rr

Subject: RE: Emmylou, Red Dirt Girl?
From: Dita
Date: 08 Aug 01 - 05:16 AM

Best thing she's done since the the first three or four albums, might even be her best ever. Saw her in Glasgow at the turn of the year, best concert of the last couple of years.
My SO who only came because she is a Patty Griffin fan was bowled over, an instant convert. The fact that she came on and sang back-up vocals for Patty, who was her support act, showed the lass still knows where she's coming from. Maxumun respect. If you don't get "Red Dirt Girl" check your pulse
love, john.

Subject: Emmylou, Red Dirt Girl?
From: Steve Latimer
Date: 07 Aug 01 - 11:36 PM

Okay, there have been some postings lately saying that this isn't a very good CD. I listened to it again tonight, I think it's a wonderful CD. Your thoughts please.

Steve