Hidden on 1979’s September Morn, Neil Diamond’s The Good Lord Loves You May Be the Album’s Warmest Moment
On September Morn, Neil Diamond leaves the public sweep of the hit single for something...
Melody Era
Buried on Beautiful Noise, Neil Diamond’s Jungletime Reveals Robbie Robertson’s 1976 Studio Touch
Some of the clearest evidence of change lives in the songs that were never pushed...
Hidden on the B-Side, Bee Gees’ ‘Barker of the U.F.O.’ Gave ‘Massachusetts’ Its Strangest 1967 Echo
On the reverse of a polished hit, the Bee Gees left a stranger little signal...
When the Bee Gees Turned Inward: Why “Bury Me Down by the River” Still Reveals the Soul of Cucumber Castle
In the unsettled space between breakup and renewal, The Bee Gees made room for something...
The Song That Lit the Fuse: Josh Turner’s Haywire and the Restless Heart of His 2010 Album Era
Some title tracks sit quietly on an album cover. Josh Turner‘s Haywire does something else,...
It Ends in Stillness: Josh Turner’s “Silent Night, Holy Night” Gives King Size Manger Its Final Grace
At the close of King Size Manger, Josh Turner turns Silent Night, Holy Night into...
Buried on 1998’s We Ran, Linda Ronstadt’s Icy Blue Heart Shows How Much Feeling Her Later Voice Could Hold
On We Ran, Linda Ronstadt found the frost inside John Hiatt’s Icy Blue Heart and...
Buried on 1975’s Prisoner in Disguise, Linda Ronstadt’s ‘Many Rivers to Cross’ Still Feels Like Her Most Soul-Baring Cover
On Prisoner in Disguise, Linda Ronstadt turns Jimmy Cliff‘s Many Rivers to Cross into a...
At the Very End, Grace Arrived: Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt Closed 1987’s Trio With Farther Along
At the close of Trio, three great voices leave the spotlight behind and return to...
Before Trio Had a Name, Emmylou Harris’ Even Cowgirls Get the Blues Brought Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt Together
Years before Trio became a formal collaboration, one song on Blue Kentucky Girl let three...
When the Harmony Changed the Song: Emmylou Harris and Gram Parsons on 1974’s “Love Hurts” from Grievous Angel
On the 1974 Grievous Angel recording of “Love Hurts”, Emmylou Harris does more than harmonize...
The Song That Said It Softly: Emmylou Harris’s ‘Strong Hand’ on Stumble Into Grace Was Her Tribute to June Carter Cash
Strong Hand is one of those rare late-career songs that honors a friend by refusing...
One Track Said It All: Creedence Clearwater Revival’s My Baby Left Me Was Cosmo’s Factory’s Hidden Bow to Sun Records
On Cosmo’s Factory, Creedence Clearwater Revival turned Arthur Crudup‘s My Baby Left Me into something...
Buried on a 1986 B-Side, John Fogerty’s “My Toot Toot” With Rockin’ Sidney Feels Like a Missing Piece of His Music
A rare 1986 B-side, John Fogerty’s version of “My Toot Toot” with Rockin’ Sidney is...
Long After the Screams, David Cassidy’s ‘I Never Saw You Coming’ Revealed the 1976 Reinvention Fans Missed
On Gettin’ It in the Street, David Cassidy‘s self-written I Never Saw You Coming turns...
Buried on 1972’s Shopping Bag, The Partridge Family’s Every Song Is You Feels Like a Secret Kept in Plain Sight
Inside a bright 1972 television-pop album, Every Song Is You carries a quieter kind of...
The Song That Revealed Linda Ronstadt’s Edge: Neil Young’s “Look Out for My Love” on Mad Love
On Mad Love, Linda Ronstadt takes Neil Young’s “Look Out for My Love” and changes...
A Quiet 1984 Triumph: Neil Diamond’s Sleep With Me Tonight Gave Primitive an Adult Contemporary Top 25 Moment
Some songs reach the chart with a shout; in 1984, Neil Diamond chose a softer...
Hidden on a 1993 Album, Bee Gees’ Blue Island Was Their Gentle Farewell to Father Hugh
On a 1993 album filled with polished craft, Blue Island is where the Bee Gees...
He Took the Hits and Stood Taller — Josh Turner’s Punching Bag Gave His 2012 Album Its Backbone
A title track can define an album, and Punching Bag does it by turning pressure...
The Last Song Says It All: Linda Ronstadt’s ‘Goodbye My Friend’ Reveals the Vocal Mastery of Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind
At the close of Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind, Linda Ronstadt turns...
When 1995’s Wrecking Ball Floated Into the Mist, Emmylou Harris Grounded It With Goin’ Back to Harlan
On Wrecking Ball, Emmylou Harris stepped into Daniel Lanois’ echo and twilight, but Goin’ Back...
One of Her Purest Performances: Emmylou Harris Lets “Darkest Hour Is Just Before Dawn” Breathe on Roses in the Snow With Ricky Skaggs
On Roses in the Snow, Emmylou Harris finds the quiet strength inside “Darkest Hour Is...
Before the Breakthrough, Linda Ronstadt’s “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” on Silk Purse Already Carried Her Signature Ache
Before the arena years and the run of major hits, Linda Ronstadt sang “Will You...
A Desert Road Sign Became John Fogerty’s “Searchlight” — and Gave His 1985 Comeback a Quiet Soul
On Centerfield, John Fogerty turned a passing highway sign into “Searchlight”, a song that carried...
The Side of David Cassidy Many Missed: Why ‘Treat Me Like You Used To’ Still Rewrites His 1992 Comeback
Treat Me Like You Used To is one of those later David Cassidy recordings that...
When Three Great Voices Went Still: Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, and Emmylou Harris on ‘Farther Along’ from 1987’s Trio
On Farther Along, Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, and Emmylou Harris set fame aside and find...
A Second Wind in 1982: Neil Diamond’s I’m Alive, Co-Written With David Foster, Still Shines on Heartlight
On Heartlight, Neil Diamond turned I’m Alive into more than a catchy refrain. In 1982,...
Hidden on the Flip Side, Neil Diamond’s The Time Is Now Made the 1967 Kentucky Woman Single Deeper Than Fans Realized
On the back of a hit 45, Neil Diamond left a smaller, sharper clue to...
Buried in the Bee Gees’ Comeback, Flesh and Blood on One Gave Robin Gibb a Rare Late-Era Showcase
On One, the Bee Gees were not chasing the past so much as proving they...