Emmylou Harris Album: “Rarities Box”

The music on this set speaks for itself, you don't get the hits, instead you get the rare stuff, duets, tributes, album cuts etc. Incredible music. The packaging for this set matches the music. Inclosed in a hard case with two hard cover booklets inside. One houses the five discs, the other is a 200 page book with track by track notation, filled photos and song info and intro by Emmylou herself. A beautiful set and well worth the price of admission.

Note: The packaging is top notch, however the discs are very difficult to remove from the sleeves. You do have to be careful or risk tearing the sleeve.

I liked the bold statement on the casing: "Mastered in Analog" by Brian Ahern & Donivan Cowart. Analog sound is typically warmer than digital and the sound quality here is excellent, with a few exceptions: notably the gorgeous song "Sonny", which has suffered terribly in this process - what happened there Brian and Donovan ? To condense such a varied and exhalted career into 4 CDs is a tough ask, and naturally everyone will have some tracks that they would have liked to have been included. For me, I would have liked a little more from the to-date unissued "Evangeline" and the strangely distributed "Cimarron". In Australia Cimarron was released in the early 90s on CD by EMI, as part of their Legendary Masters collection (432099-2) with typical quality of the period - nothing special. Then in 2000, it was released in the US as 'remastered with bonus track' by the Eminent label. It is hard for the average punter to understand how these two albums were not released on CD by Warner and afforded the proper treatment. It's like why is "Pronto Monto" the only Kate & Anna McGarrigle record never to get a CD release ? Maybe now, fan's feedback will encourage Emmy to get Brian and Donivan to remaster Evangaline and Cimarron completely for release in analog (!), and while they're at it, the original "Trio", as "My dear companion", included in this set,comes up a treat compared to the original and only available pressing? As to everyone's bone of contention, I have to agree with nearly all the previous reviewers - the packaging is appalling. It looks fantastic and the liner notes and photos are beautiful, however, unlike everyone else, I am not so concerned about tearing the sleeve (it seems too tough) but to remove each disc requires dangerous man-handling resulting in finger prints and possible scratching. That said, this set is a must for any fan, despite the obvious drawbacks of the packaging. Handle with care !! and you will be justly rewarded, as she is one of music's true legends.

This collection will blow your mind! If you are an Emmylou fan, it is indispensable for all of the unreleased and "forgotten" gems it contains. If you know Emmylou's music only in a casual way, this is the best in-depth survey you could ask for, especially since Emmylou handpicked the tracks. With her track-by-track commentary, it's like sitting down with her for an afternoon and letting her take you through her favorite moments of her career.

If you don't know Emmylou's music at all, then this collection will introduce you to one of the most important musical artists in America. There is no fluff here -- these songs will move you to the core of your soul. There are many top-name guests included in this collection, so in addition to Emmylou, you get wonderful vocal performances from a variety of artists.

Do not hesitate to pick this one up!! You will not be disappointed!

P.S.-- The packaging is beautiful, but you will have to be careful in removing some of the discs. It's not that big of a deal, however, and certainly no reason to knock a star off of the review.

Rhino is intentionally packaging their box sets to make the removal of the discs nearly impossible without damage to the discs and or the boxes themselves. It's true of this set and many others recently issued. It leaves the buyer with no place to store the CDs after surgically removing them from the packaging. The music on this set is wonderful and it has enough unique tracks to make it worthwhile for longtime listeners. Buyers need to complain to Rhino directly and demand replacement CDs for any damaged due to their intentionally lousy packaging.

As time goes by, I find myself drawn more and more to the music of Emmylou Harris. When I began listening to country music as a child, she was still having regular hits on the Billboard charts. I liked her music, but in those days would not have listed her as one of my favorite artists. Over the years that slowly began to change, and today she is definitely on a very short list of favorites. Whether this is case of my musical tastes maturing, or an unconscious rebellion against the increasingly pop-oriented music coming out of Nashville these days, I do not know, but I've been listening to a lot of Emmylou these days and decided that I had to add Songbird to my collection.

This is beautifully packaged with a hardcover booklet that contains a biography of Emmylou and a track-by-track commentary. This is by far the nicest boxed set I've ever purchased. I was a little concerned when I read so many other reviews that complained that the discs were difficult to remove from their sleeves. I did not find that to be the case at all, so perhaps Rhino has addressed that problem since the set was originally released.

This is not a greatest hits package, but rather, as the title suggests, rare tracks culled from Emmylou's back catalog, and collaborations that originally appeared on other artists' albums. The absence of any big hits further illustrates the consistent quality of Emmylou's body of work. There was never any filler on her albums; there isn't a weak track on this set. Each one can hold its own against any of her more familiar radio hits. Thirteen tracks were previously unreleased. Among these are the real gems of the set -- the collaborations with Linda Ronstadt and Dolly Parton, which were recorded in the 1970s for the aborted Trio album that was never released due to complications with three artists who were under contract to three different record labels. (In 1987, the ladies finally got together in the studio and recorded the now classic "Trio" album). Other standout tracks are "Sonny", a collaboration with Ireland's Dolores Keane and Mary Black and the live version of "Prayer In Open D".

This is a must-have for any serious Emmylou fan, and even casual fans will find much to enjoy here. It makes a fine companion piece for the 2001 Anthology (The Warner-Reprise Years), which contains the big hits that are missing from Songbird. It's a fine collection from a true artist who, unlike so many others, has never compromised her artistic integrity in pursuit of greater commercial success. It is that kind of artistry that has earned Emmylou Harris widespread respect, and a well-deserved space in the Country Music Hall of Fame.