December 7, 1974 my friend Early and I went to see Leo Kottke at Minnesota Orchestra Hall. The opening act that night was an unknown girl singer named Emmylou Harris. We had no idea what to expect and little interest - we'd come to see Kottke. As soon as we saw Emmylou, we began to get interested and when she opened her mouth and started singing, we were completely and totally mesmerized. A voice like nothing we'd ever heard before. And, a voice that is still instantly identifiable.

Pieces Of The Sky came out early in 1975 and I was almost afraid to play it, afraid that it could never match what I remembered from that cold December night. But as soon as the needle hit the record, I knew that it was everything I remembered and more. "Bluebird Wine", "The Bottle Let Me Down", songs that really show that she can make a song move. "If I Could Only Win Your Love", the first of many Louvin Brothers songs that she exposed to a whole new audience. And my favorite, "Too Far Gone." Everything about the way "Too Far" is produced says that it should be a disaster. I mean, heavy strings, for Pete's sake? Instead, Emmylou makes both the song and the arrangement a masterpiece.

Since "Pieces", I've bought nearly all of Emmylou's works and have rarely been disappointed. I would urge anyone who doesn't own this disc, to get it immediately. It's a timeless piece of work that stands as well today as it did when it was released 30 years ago.

Thanks for all you've done for country music, Emmylou. I just wish that today's Nashville suits would go back and listen to this CD and and understand how beautiful three chords and the truth can sound. They - and we - need you more than ever.

I kid you not, this is pure country. But Emmylou has always had a huge non-country audience. There is something in her voice, in her delivery, that one has to like, regardless of genre.

I was a D.J. (among other duties) at a small radio station in Cottonwood, Arizona, when Emmy Lou came out with this, her first album. That was over 30 years ago, and this still stands as a classic.

Anybody listening to this album will have his or her favorites. These are mine:

"Too Far Gone", a soulful ballad in which emmylou's plaintive voice expresses a beauty, an integrity, which is still her trade mark.

"If I Could Only Win Your Love", which I believe was her first hit. Whatever, it sounds just as fresh to me as it did thirty-something years ago.

"Boulder To Birmingham" is another enduring favorite, expressing Emmy Lou's versatility and ability to evoke emotion.

It takes a truly great singer to take songs associated with other singers and present us with a worthwhile interpretation comparable in quality to the original. Merle Haggard's "Bottle Let Me Down" could've been written for her, her version being uniquely styled.

Dolly Parton's "Coat of Many Colors" again illustrate her superb way of handling another's song. The current term of course is "cover", but in the case of these two songs, the term just doesn't seem to fit, IMHO.

I will quickly mention one cut which I consider a lesser one, but well worth noting, Lennon/McCartney's "For No One". Even at the very beginning, she showed off the diversity, the range of her talents.

This debut album is brought to a close with the rousing, yet poignant "Queen of the Silver Dollar", written by the great Shel Silverstein. Listen carefully, very carefully, and you will catch Linda Ronstadt's voice in the background.

All in all, as I said from the beginning, this is a classic album which is pure country, yet with an appeal to all musical tastes.

Back in the early seventies when my friends and I were sorta hippie, sorta bluesy, sorta blue-grass...all long-haired and raggamuffinish...we chanced to attend a Merle Haggard concert

(imagine, if you will, 4 california not-quite-post-hippie teenagers, rockin out to the strains of "We don't smoke marijuana in...")...the opening act was a tiny little woman with a HUGE voice...thus we were introduced to Emmylou Harris.

After that, every time she came out with an album (umm-hmm, vinyl) we got it. The harmonies alone are priceless.

On the morning of 9-11, as i sat watching to horror show that was the news, and calling friends just to touch base with fellow humans...the words to Pieces of the Sky kept filling my ears:

"what if pieces of the sky were falling

in your neighbors yard

but not on you?"

Among my countless CDs of varied musical genres, I consider Emmylou Harris' Pieces Of The Sky as one of my all-time favorites. This is the first of her albums that introduced me to this sweet-voiced singer and since then, I've been hooked!

One can't help but be touched listening to Emmylou Harris' performance on this album. Her heart-rending reading of her own composition, the tender 'Boulder to Birhingham', Merle Haggard's honky tonkish 'Bottle Let Me Down', Dolly Parton's autobiographical 'Coat of Many Colors', and Paul McCartney's heartbreaking 'For No One' leave nothing to be desired. Her touching and heartfelt interpretation of such gems like 'Too Far Gone' and 'Sleepless Nights' are not bad either.

And if you think Emmylou Harris is a one-dimensional singer who is limited to interpreting slow paced songs, then you've got a surprise coming! Listen to her uptempo and danceable interpretations of 'Queen Of The Silver Dollar' and 'If I Could Only Win Your Love' and you'll know what I mean.

Dim down the lights, stretch out your legs on the sofa and program your CD player to play Emmylou Harris' soothing and slow numbers. I'm not sure if you'll ever have a sleepless night!

This is one of the best debut albums I've heard. It would establish a style that would continue to evolve over the course of her career. The album is eclectic and achingly beautiful. The emotion is so raw and captivating. She does a great cover of The Beatles "For No One", the Louvin Brothers' "If I Could Only Win Your Love" (a hit for her), and of course one of the most stirring pieces of music she's ever recorded, the song "Bolder to Birmingham", a tribute to her mentor Gram Parsons (she puts her stamp on a lot of his songs throughout her career). A must have!