Emmylou Harris Elite Hotel CD

Includes two previously unreleased bonus tracks.
Personnel: Emmylou Harris (vocals, guitar); Joanthan Edwards (vocals); Brian Ahern (guitar, bass); James Burton, Rick Cunha, Amos Garrett, Bernie Leadon (guitar); Ben Keith, Hank DeVito (pedal steel guitar); Herb Pedersen (banjo, background vocals); Byron Berline (mandolin, fiddle); Mike Auldridge (dobro); Micky Raphael (harmonica); Glen D. Hardin, Bill Payne (piano); Emory Gordy (bass, background vocals); John Ware, Ron Tutt (drums); Fayssoux Starling, John Starling, Dianne Brooks (background vocals).
Recorded at the Enactron Truck, Beverly Hills, California. Originally released on Reprise (2286).
Personnel: Emmylou Harris (acoustic guitar); John Starling, Rodney Crowell, Bernie Leadon (acoustic guitar, background vocals); Rick Cunha, Brian Ahern (acoustic guitar); James Burton, Amos Garrett (electric guitar); Mike Auldridge (dobro); Herb Pedersen (banjo, background vocals); Byron Berline (mandolin, fiddle); Ricky Skaggs (fiddle); Mickey Raphael (harmonica); Jo-El Sonnier (accordion); Glen D. Hardin (piano, electric piano); Bill Payne (piano); Ron Tutt, John Ware (drums); Emory Gordy, Fayssoux Starling, Dianne Brooks, John Randall, Linda Ronstadt (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Doug Beal; Brian Ahern.
Recording information: The Enactron Truck, Beverly Hills, CA (1975).
Photographer: Michael Putland.
Arranger: Brian Ahern.
While Emmylou Harris spent much of her career carrying on the legacy of Gram Parsons, Elite Hotel ranks among her most overt tributes to his genius, thanks to its covers of the Flying Burrito Brothers' "Sin City" and "Wheels," along with "Ooh Las Vegas" from the Grievous Angel album. In addition to the usual eclectic mix of covers -- which includes the Beatles' "Here, There and Everywhere" and Hank Williams' "Jambalaya" this time out -- Elite Hotel offers renditions of the country perennials "Together Again" and "Sweet Dreams," which were, respectively, Harris' first two number one chart hits. ~ Jason Ankeny
On her second album ELITE HOTEL, Emmylou Harris follows the blueprint she established with PIECES OF THE SKY. She even draws songs from many of the same sources, going to the well one more time for songs by Rodney Crowell ("Till I Gain Control Again") and the Beatles ("Here, There, and Everywhere"). With guitar legend James Burton, pianist Bill Payne, and singer Linda Ronstadt among the returning guests, the supporting cast also echoes that of PIECES. Whereas that album only hinted at Harris' potential commercial success, however, ELITE HOTEL delivers on the promise. With three top-five singles ("Together Again," "One of These Days," and "Sweet Dreams"), HOTEL established Harris as one of country's premier artists.
HOTEL goes further than Harris' previous album in acknowledging her debt to her mentor, country-rock avatar Gram Parsons. Three Parsons songs ("Sin City," "Wheels," and "Ooh Las Vegas") appear here, and other selections clearly reflect Parsons preferences (the Louvin Brothers' "Satan's Jewel Crown" and Buck Owens' "Together Again"). Harris does Parsons proud, maintaining his traditionalist musical vision while polishing his execution. In so doing, she accomplishes something Parsons never would have; Harris succeeds in reintroducing classic country to mainstream contemporary audiences.
Elite Hotel is the second album Emmylou Harris recorded for Warner Brothers, issued in the same year as her debut masterpiece, Pieces of the Sky. Elite Hotel is the album that garnered Harris her first pair of number one singles on Billboard's country charts, with her soulful reading of Buck Owens' "Together Again" and the impassioned performance of Don Gibson's "Sweet Dreams." And while these two tracks may have been the most played, they are far from the finest tracks on this stellar outing. While Harris continues to perform the material of her late collaborator, Gram Parsons, Elite Hotel is almost a tribute recording given thaEntertainment Weekly (2/27/04, p.99) - "[Transcends] distinctions between traditional and pop country music..." - Rating: A
Uncut (4/04, p.112) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[L]ess starchy, proving she'd absorbed the passionate economy of traditional country music..."