In 1985, anyone with even a passing familiarity with
Emmylou Harris' work knew that she was one of the strongest and most insightful interpretive vocalists of her generation, capable of bringing a striking beauty and depth of meaning to anything she chose to sing. However, she very rarely wrote her own material, preferring to explore the nooks and crannies of the work of others. That changed with 1985's
The Ballad of Sally Rose, an ambitious and semi-autobiographical album in which
Harris told the tale of an aspiring singer and the musician who becomes her mentor, champion, and lover during their short time together.
The Ballad of Sally Rose was inspired by
Harris' years working with
Gram Parsons, who discovered her and helped give her a career, and with producer and co-writer
Paul Kennerley she created an album that was part grand storytelling, part memoir, and part tribute to her fallen comrade (though in real life,
Parsons and
Harris were not romantically involved). Considering that the last time she'd cut songs of her own was on her misbegotten (and largely disowned) 1968 debut, Gliding Bird,
Harris shows impressive skills as a tunesmith on
The Ballad of Sally Rose; studying the work of great writers was clearly not lost on her, and her lyrics on these tunes are consistently thoughtful, incisive, and emotionally intelligent, and the melodies roll with a graceful assurance that matches the understated sadness of many of the tunes.
Kennerley's production is rich but never overstated, dressing the songs in what sounds like an updated variation on classic countrypolitan, and with her Trio partners
Dolly Parton and
Linda Ronstadt adding harmonies,
Harris' backing vocalists sound every bit as skillful as she does. The lack of an obvious single on
The Ballad of Sally Rose prevented it from making much of a commercial impact when it was first released, and it was widely regarded as a dud, but the album later developed a loyal following among
Harris' fans, and with good cause. It still sounds like one of
Emmylou Harris' most heartfelt and personal works, and it opened the door for such late-career triumphs as
Wrecking Ball and
Red Dirt Girl. ~ Mark Deming