A Lonely Classic Became a Conversation: Josh Turner and Allison Moorer on “Alone and Forsaken”
In Josh Turner and Allison Moorer’s 2020 duet, “Alone and Forsaken” stops being only a...
Melody Era
Buried on Long Black Train, Josh Turner’s Good Woman Bad Revealed His Early Country Magic
An overlooked track from Long Black Train, Good Woman Bad showed early on that Josh...
Before Trio, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris Found Something Sacred on “The Sweetest Gift”
On “The Sweetest Gift”, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris turned a quiet country song into...
Before Linda Ronstadt Changed Lanes, “I Knew You When” Lit Up Get Closer in 1982
On I Knew You When, Linda Ronstadt turned a mid-1960s memory song into one of...
She Didn’t Just Sing It: Linda Ronstadt’s “Por Un Amor” Became a Homecoming on Canciones de Mi Padre
On “Por Un Amor”, Linda Ronstadt did far more than record a beloved ranchera. She...
At the End of the Long Ride, Emmylou Harris’s ‘The Road’ Became Her Quietest Tribute to Gram Parsons
The Road is Emmylou Harris looking back without illusion—following the miles of a musical life...
More Than a Cover, Emmylou Harris Made Dolly Parton’s “Coat of Many Colors” the Quiet Heart of 1975’s Pieces of the Sky
On Pieces of the Sky, Emmylou Harris sang “Coat of Many Colors” not as a...
The Risk That Paid Off: Emmylou Harris’s Roses in the Snow Made Bluegrass Feel Mainstream in 1980
With Roses in the Snow, Emmylou Harris trusted the old acoustic language of bluegrass, and...
The Song Became a Mountain Ghost: Emmylou Harris Made “Goin’ Back to Harlan” the Dark Heart of Wrecking Ball
On Wrecking Ball, Emmylou Harris turned “Goin’ Back to Harlan” into something larger than a...
Before Trio Had a Name, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt Turned ‘Gold Watch and Chain’ into Pure Bluegrass Grace on Roses in the Snow
On “Gold Watch and Chain”, Emmylou Harris took an old Carter Family sorrow and made...
The Night a Bruce Song Turned Country: Emmylou Harris Remade Mansion on the Hill at the Ryman in 1992
With Mansion on the Hill at the Ryman, Emmylou Harris and the Nash Ramblers did...
As Creedence Clearwater Revival Fell Apart, “Sail Away” Became John Fogerty’s Quiet Goodbye on Mardi Gras
On Sail Away, Creedence Clearwater Revival sounded almost serene, even as Mardi Gras captured a...
Before Creedence Found Its Roar: The Golliwogs’ 1966 “Fragile Child” Captured John Fogerty Becoming Himself
Before Creedence Clearwater Revival found its swamp-rock certainty, “Fragile Child” revealed a younger John Fogerty—earnest,...
Not the Bayou but Home: John Fogerty’s “Swamp River Days” and the California Heart of Revival
On Revival, the idea of “Swamp River Days” feels like a return to first memories—where...
The Summer Song Fans Overlooked: David Cassidy’s Some Kind of a Summer Was the Quiet Heart of Rock Me Baby
A hidden 1972 gem, Some Kind of a Summer shows how David Cassidy could turn...
When the Teen Idol Glow Faded, David Cassidy’s Where Is the Morning Reframed 1975’s The Higher They Climb, the Harder They Fall
In Where Is the Morning, David Cassidy sounded like a man stepping out of the...
That Bright 1971 Feeling: Why The Partridge Family’s I Woke Up In Love This Morning Gave Sound Magazine Its Glow
A song about waking into certainty, I Woke Up In Love This Morning turned the...
It Felt Like Coming Home: Linda Ronstadt’s La Cigarra and 1987’s Canciones de Mi Padre
La Cigarra on Canciones de Mi Padre was not simply another beautiful recording by Linda...
When Three Great Voices Became One: Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris Turned Telling Me Lies Into a 1987 Country Classic
On the 1987 Trio album, Telling Me Lies became more than a song of romantic...
The Song That Proved Everything: Linda Ronstadt’s ‘Skylark’ on 1984’s Lush Life
Linda Ronstadt’s “Skylark” is not just a beautiful standard on Lush Life—it is a lesson...
The Quiet Comeback That Cut Deep: Bee Gees’ Still Waters (Run Deep) Defined Their 1997 Return
In 1997, “Still Waters (Run Deep)” proved that the Bee Gees were not returning on...
The Song Came Home: Bee Gees Turned “Islands in the Stream” Into a One Night Only Revelation at the MGM Grand
At the MGM Grand, Bee Gees did more than sing “Islands in the Stream”—they brought...
Before the Reinvention, Bee Gees’ My Life Has Been a Song Revealed the Fragile Heart of 1973
Long before the comeback years, My Life Has Been a Song captured the Bee Gees...
Late-Career Grace: Neil Diamond’s The Art of Love Is Melody Road’s Quiet Revelation
In The Art of Love, Neil Diamond sounds like a man no longer chasing romance,...
Buried on Beautiful Noise, Neil Diamond’s “Stargazer” Is the 1976 Gem Too Many Fans Missed
On Beautiful Noise, Neil Diamond gave the spotlight to big statements, but “Stargazer” remains the...
Hidden Behind ‘Cracklin’ Rosie,’ Neil Diamond’s ‘Gitchy Goomy’ Shows the Boldest Side of Tap Root Manuscript
A playful, off-center gem, “Gitchy Goomy” captures Neil Diamond in 1970 at the moment he...
That Deep Voice, That Old Spirit: Josh Turner’s Good Ol’ Boys Revives Waylon Jennings on Country State of Mind
On Country State of Mind, Josh Turner turns Good Ol’ Boys (Theme from The Dukes...
A Quiet Late-Career Beauty: Josh Turner’s ‘Two Steppin’ On The Moon’ Keeps Traditional Country Grounded
Josh Turner‘s ‘Two Steppin’ On The Moon’ turns an easy dance-floor image into a tender...
A Voice from Another Era: Why Josh Turner and Bobby Osborne’s I Pray My Way Out of Trouble Feels So Powerful
On I Pray My Way Out of Trouble, Josh Turner and Bobby Osborne do more...
The Cover That Caught Fire: Linda Ronstadt’s Just One Look on Living in the USA Turned a 1963 Soul Hit Into Pure 1978 Rush
On Living in the USA, Linda Ronstadt gave Just One Look the kind of bright,...