Released in December 1975, just a few months after PIECES OF THE SKY, Emmylou Harris's ELITE HOTEL is already a first achievement in her career. Twelve songs, twelve little musical pearls. One would never repeat enough that half of the success of a singer depends on the members of the band playing in the recording. In ELITE HOTEL, the Angel Band hides such great names as Glen D. Hardin at the piano, James Burton at the electric guitar or Herb Pedersen at the banjo. Some of you certainly remember that Glen D. Hardin and James Burton used to play with another successful singer : Elvis Presley...

Twelve musical pearls because, like in PIECES OF THE SKY, Emmylou gives to the musicians the opportunity to develop superb instrumental solos. In my opinion, Buck Owen's " Together Again " can be compared to Ray Charles's version partly thanks to the incredible piano arrangement invented by Glen D. Hardin. The supporting vocals are also terrific, specially in Gram Parson's " Sin City " , John Starling forming with Emmylou a duo that has haunted me for days.

Three songs recorded live " Ooh Las Vegas ", " Sweet Dreams " and Hank Williams's " Jambalaya " and an homage to Emmylou Harris's former mentor Gram Parsons with " Sin City ", " Ooh Las Vegas " and " Wheels ". At last, a perfect version of Lennon/McCartney's " Here, there and everywhere " that is going to make you wonder why this song is not one of the most known recording of the Beatles.

A CD for your library.

Emmylou Harris' second Warner/Reprise album follows the pattern of its predecessor, Pieces of the Sky. Genre-wise, it's a mixed bag containing everything from Hank Williams ("Jambalaya") to the Beatles ("Here, There and Everywhere"); stylistically, it's an absolutely coherent masterpiece that unifies those vastly different genres and elevates them to a higher plane. Emmylou co-wrote the lead-off track, the rollicking "Amarillo," with Rodney Crowell, a superb singer-songwriter in his own right whose professional relationship with Emmylou has been long and fruitful. Crowell penned what's arguably the finest song on the album, "Till I Gain Control Again," a confessional ballad with a slow rhythmic groove that draws the listener in utterly and completely. Three Flying Burrito-era Gram Parsons tunes--"Sin City," "Ooh Las Vegas" and "Wheels"--add lyrical depth and stark musical imagery to Elite Hotel, and even the Buck Owens chestnut "Together Again" is rendered with such passion that the borderline-trite lyrics seem profound. Perhaps the most moving track of all is Earl Montgomery's "One of These Days." Reputedly the singer's mother's favorite, it showcases Emmylou's voice in a breathtaking balance between tenderness and tenacity, humility and grit. As good as it sounds on the first hearing, this album still grows on a person. After listening to Emmylou sing the classic "Sweet Dreams" enough times, even the most diehard Patsy Cline fan might wonder if the remake isn't superior. One caveat: The crowd noise (apparently dubbed in) between three of the tracks is annoying. All in all, it's a superb sophomore effort from the singularly divine entertainer who is Emmylou Harris.

I've loved this album since it was first released.

It's just as fresh and exciting as it was then.

Emmylou's voice has always been one of America's National Treasures but I'm predjudiced having been a fan from the beginning in the DC area. Actually had the pleasure of sitting next to her while listening to Liz Meyer & Friends with Danny Gatton on guitar and Pete Kennedy(The Kennedys) sitting there too.

Recordings, live shows...doesn't matter to me. Her voice is truly that of an angel

I'm buying this album again.

I've been a fan for 30 years and this was it as far as I'm concerned. Start to finish this plays like a great roadhouse jukebox pumped full of quarters in the mid-70's. She was never so twangy or more tender. The Hot Band was never hotter. Combine this with Bob Dylan's "Desire" where she sings harmony on five tracks and Linda Ronstadt's "Heart Like A Wheel" with a great duet on "I Can't Help It If I'm Still In Love With You" and you have what I consider classic Emmylou.

This album has everything that makes Emmylou one of our best vocal interpreters. She nails Here, There & Everywhere and makes it her own (not a small feat for a Beatles song). Even a standard like Sweet Dreams becomes something new. When it comes to straight out Rock and Roll abandon no heavy metal band could have the energy and grit she puts into Ooh, Las Vegas or Amarillo. Twenty years after first discovering this album I keep going back to it with a constant sense of awe.