It's nearly 40 years since Emmylou Harris gave a young Texan singer-songwriter his big break when she signed him up for her aptly named Hot Band. Rodney Crowell played rhythm guitar and sang harmony to Emmylou's enchanting, crystalline voice, and for a time in the late 1970s there was no finer country rock band. On
Old Yellow Moon
they seek to renew that connection, even getting Harris's old producer – and ex-husband – Brian Ahern to man the controls, and players such as guitarist James Burton to plug in. They don't deny the passing of time – Matracta Berg's poignant
Back When We Were Beautiful
, for example – but Harris and Crowell can still melt the heart and rock the soul, as on the opening duet
Hanging Up My Heart
. It's not perfect but the feeling is good.
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Download:
Hanging Up My Heart
,
Chase the Feeling
,
Back When We Were Beautiful