Her first solo recording since 2003*s Stumble Into Grace, Emmylou Harris*s All I Intended To Be follows on the heels of the vocalist*s induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame. It*s a fitting coincidence, as the album presents Harris not only in her less-appreciated mode as a songwriter but interpreting classic country songs alongside Dolly Parton, Vince Gill, and Buddy Miller. :~ Barnes & Noble

Tracks:
01. Shores of White Sand
02. Hold On
03. Moon Song
04. Broken Man*s Lament
05. Gold
06. How She Could Sing the Wildwood Flower
07. All That You Have is Your Soul
08. Take That Ride
09. Old Five and Dimers Like Me
10. Kern River
11. Not Enough
12. Sailing Round the Room
13. Beyond the Great Divide



On her second Nonesuch disc, Emmylou Harris assembles an extraordinary cast of veteran musicians and fellow singers, all of them longtime friends, for a set that indeed showcases this Nashville icon, and 2008 CMA Hall of Fame inductee, as all she has intended to be - a singularly expressive vocalist, a brilliant interpreter of other people*s songs, a graceful and confident songwriter. In particular, the album displays Harris*s ability to bring new life to songs that may have been overlooked, forgotten or lost along the way. Some of the most affecting material here may be the least well-known - though not for long: John Wesley Routh*s celtic/country “Shores Of White Sands” and trucker-poet Michael Germino*s heartrending story-song, “Broken Man*s Lament.” Harris has chosen these songs with conceptual care. Like much of the gently uplifting All I Intended To Be, the stories may be bittersweet, the characters may be downtrodden, but somehow a sense of redemption always vanquishes regret. The shared history of all the artists involved deepens the feeling of hard-won wisdom that informs All I Intended To Be. Producer Brian Ahern was behind the boards for such early Harris classics as Elite Hotel, Pieces of the Sky and Blue Kentucky Girl. The players and guest stars are not only a veritable who*s-who from the worlds of country, bluegrass and folk, but they have each intersected with Harris throughout her four-decade career as a recording artist. They include Dolly Parton, singers Pam Rose and Maryann Kennedy, dobro player (and longtime Seldom Scene member) Mike Auldredge, keyboardists Glenn D. Hardin (of Harris*s Hot Band and Elvis Presley*s legendary TCB combo) and Bill Payne (of Little Feat). Two songs - the June Carter tribute, “How She Could Sing The Wildwood Flower” and the breathtakingly beautiful “Sailing Round the Room” - were co-written by and performed with Kate and Anna McGarrigle. Singer-songwriter Karen Brooks, whose own eighties-era version of “Shores of White Sands” was the inspiration and thematic jumping-off point for this entire album, contributes backing vocals throughout, Randy Sharp, Brooks* singing partner, did the vocal
arranging. (Harris won a 2005 Best Country Vocal Performance Grammy for her rendition of Sharp*s “The Connection.”) Harris*s own songs, like the heartache ballad “Gold” and the elegiac “Not Enough,” blend seamlessly with work by Patty Griffin (”Moon Song”), Merle Haggard (”Kern River”) and Billy Joe Shaver (”Old Five and Dimers,” from which the album title is taken). Harris revives what is arguably Tracy Chapman*s most eloquent song, “Fast Car” notwithstanding - “All That You Have Is Your Soul,” a cautionary tale with a simple but profound prayer of a chorus. Displaying the maturity, elegance and ease that distinguished All The Road Running, her best-selling 2006 collaboration with Mark Knopfler. Harris has created a riveting emotional and spiritual journey. All That I Intended To Be is everything a listener and fan could hope for. :~ Amazon


All I Intended To Be counts as Emmylou Harris’ first solo album in five years. Recently inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, Emmylou recorded these songs over a four-year span in Nashville. Emmylou Harris serves as a beacon of light in the music world. Discovered by Gram Parsons in the early 70s, Harris’ work throughout her career deemed her a twelve-time Grammy winner.
Emmylou wrote or co-wrote 5 of these songs. She always enjoyed covering other writers’ songs. She recently spoke about the song selection for All I Intended To Be: “I’ve always seen myself as a relentless song-finder, a singer of other people’s work whom I admire greatly, and an occasional songwriter.”
Emmylou’s voice serves as a medicinal tonic to any wounded soul. All I Intended To Be proves a laid-back collection of 13 songs. Jack Wesley Routh’s “Shores of White Sand” sounds like a modern-day cowboy song heard out on some lonesome salt flat. Jud Johnstone’s “Hold On” transmits a soothing tribute to all farming families in a voice that can calm the most feverish soul. The lush, warm instrumentation on these songs gives a continuous mood to these compositions.
Emmylou renders Patty Griffin’s “Moon Song” in a way that blurs distinction between songwriter and singer. Her cover of Mark Germino’s “Broken Man’s Lament” somehow harkens the ghost of Townes Van Zandt.
Harris penned the song “Gold”, a melancholy tune that balances between a Grand Ol’ Opry hymn and a psalm out of the Carter Family songbook. “How She Could Sing the Wildwood Flower”-a song Emmylou wrote with Kate and Anna McGarrigle—stands as a sad song about an orphan girl. Most musicians these days never even cover a song with this much soul, much less possess the capacity to write such material.
Emmylou’s own “Take That Ride” resembles a Daniel Lanois production. Billy Joe Shaver’s “Old Five and Dimers” proves one of the best songs on the album, but Emmylou’s voice still commands as the main instrument. Her ability to transform a song into gold just by her talents indicates why Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson and other luminaries commissioned Emmylou to work with them. Merle Haggard’s “Kern River” tells a story of someone who will not swim because this river claimed the life of their best friend, enduring…permanent messages burn as the cohesive thread on these songs.
“Not Enough”, another new Emmylou tune continues a somber parade in a classic mosaic presentation of songs. “Beyond the Great Divide” ends this quiet CD. All I Intend To Be writes Emmylou Harris’ name in the eternal book of soulful messengers…:~ James Calemine


Original News:
Emmylou Harris and Brian Ahern
By Rick Clark

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