Nashville
Solomon Burke
Dolly Parton, Gillian Welch, Patty Griffin, Emmylou Harris, Patty Loveless
Producer: Buddy Miller
Shout! Factory, 2006
1 CD
Catalogue #: 10179
EAN: 0826663101799
UPC: 826663101799
You save: 25%
Personnel: Solomon Burke (vocals); Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, Patty Loveless (vocals).
Soul legend Solomon Burke harbored a desire to sing country tunes ever since his early days at Atlantic, but the powers-that-be wouldn't let their golden goose take the gamble. Four decades down the line, he finally got the opportunity, and he embraced it with open arms. Produced by twang titan Buddy Miller, NASHVILLE is the third album of Burke's "comeback" period that began with 2002's DON'T GIVE UP ON ME. NASHVILLE's two predecessors found Burke tackling often ill-fitting tunes by a bevy of rockers, but taking a country turn sounds completely natural for the 66-year-old soul man.
Crucial to this aesthetic success is the fact that Burke and Miller avoided the obvious dusty honky-tonk warhorses. Instead, Burke invests Tom T. Hall's "That's How I Got to Memphis" with stirring pathos, plays the scorned lover on Miller's "Does My Ring Burn Your Finger," and fills Kevin Welch's "Millionaire" with warmth and grit. New tunes written to order by Gillian Welch and Patty Griffin keep things fresh, and guest vocals from Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton keep King Solomon squarely rooted in the NASHVILLE of his dreams.
Tracklist
Solomon Burke
While not as widely known as such contemporaries as Otis Redding and Wlison Pickett, Solomon Burke was one of the true pioneers of soul and R&B in the 1950s and 1960s. Gritty and passionate, Burke made music that carried an almost evangelical fervor--fitting for a man once known as the "Wonder Boy Preacher." A major influence on rock & roll, Burke has achieved legendary status after decades of hard work and great, passionate music. In 2006, nearly a half century after his debut, Burke released the critically acclaimed country album NASHVILLE.
Dolly Parton
Best known as one of the most beloved singers in country music, Dolly Parton is also a successful screen actress. Her greatest talent, songwriting, may also be her least heralded: Parton has penned numerous classics, among them "Coat of Many Colors," "Kentucky Gambler," "9 to 5," and "I Will Always Love You." Her first hits came in the 1960s via her duets with Porter Wagoner, but on her own she skyrocketed to fame with an angelic voice, potent songs, and a style that distinctively mixed folk, country, pop, and bluegrass.
Gillian Welch
When her debut album appeared in 1996, Gillian Welch was a marked contrast to her contemporaries. Miles removed from the Lilith Fair generation, Welch offered a willfully anachronistic sound deeply rooted in the traditions of bluegrass, folk, and old-time country. With partner David Rawlings, she crafted striking original songs that sounded like they came from another era. Her participation in the craze-starting bluegrass soundtrack for O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? raised her profile considerably, though by 2001's TIME (THE REVELATOR) she had expanded her approach a bit beyond her old-school influences.
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris first came to public attention as Gram Parsons's singing partner, but her solo career took off after his passing. Throughout the 1970s and '80s, she was a major force in progressive country, championing the works of great songwriters like Townes Van Zandt and Paul Siebel. By the '90s, the eclecticism that she'd always practiced came to full bloom in the hands of producer Daniel Lanois, especially on her milestone 1995 album, WRECKING BALL.
Patty Loveless
As one of the "New Traditionalists" of the mid-1980s, Patty Loveless had a pure country voice that helped return country music to its roots. Though she's never traded on it, Loveless is in fact country music royalty, being a cousin of Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gayle. A favorite duet partner of both Vince Gill and George Jones, Loveless continues to record a winning mix of songs both heartbreaking and humorous, managing always to stay true to the maxim "keep it country."
