Emmylou Harris Album: “Light of the Stable”

Emmylou originally recorded this in 1978, when she was at the peak of her popularity. The instrumentation is generally sparse but effective, allowing Emmylou's voice to shine.

The set opens with the bright, upbeat Christmas time's a coming, done bluegrass-style with banjo and mandolin. All the remaining songs are slow to mid-tempo. They include the Rodney Crowell song Angel eyes, the Irish lullaby Golden Cradle and several Christmas standards, most very famous but including Beautiful star of Bethlehem which doesn't get recorded as often as the other carols here.

The album closes with the brilliant Light of the stable, which features Neil Young, Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt on harmony vocals.

Emmylou and her band were in top form when they recorded this album. A couple of extra upbeat songs might have made this album even better, but it's still a great album for those quieter moments around Christmas time.

This is a beautiful collection of Christmas songs... some familiar and some unique... all blended to make the holiday season more festive. It is a big part of what makes the Holidays at my home feel "homey". You will not be disappointed

This is one of my favorite Christmas CD's, one I must hear each year. All the ten songs are fine, but my favorite is "Beautiful Star of Bethlehem." It was a song we always sang in church when I was a child in East Tennessee. I have never heard it sung anywhere else. Harris does a fantastic job of this country/bluegrass carol. If you don't know it already, you will come to love it. "Little Drummer Boy" is another great one as well. I find myself humming these songs and others all day long after hearing this CD, a sure sign that I'm sold on it.

Ms. Harris is joined by Willie Nelson, Neil Young, Doly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Sharon Hicks, Cheryl Warren and Ricky Skags who sing backup vocals on the various songs. Brian Bowers, probably the reigning autoharp virtuoso, plays on some selections too.

This CD is a reissue from an earlier LP. Ms. Harris was photographed for that album in a getup that apparently was meant to make her look like the Virgin Mary. On this CD somebody had the good taste to abandon that look. She is photographed wearing a red evening gown and looking every bit as elegant as Kathleen Battle. A wondrous improvement!

Listening to this CD is one of the true joys of Christmas.

This has been in my top 3 ever since decades ago. From "Christmas Time's A-Comin'" thru the last note of "Light of the Stable" this album has my heart. Emmylou has the most sublime voice of anyone I've heard on a Christmas album. She and her fellow artists have channeled the heavenly. (Do I sound too effusive? I'm holding back.) Her "Little Drummer Boy" always moves me to tears, and "Light of the Stable" is, for me, the finest new carol written. If you're not into country-music, I say give it another try with this one. You just might become a once-a-year fan.

Emmylou's voice is beautiful on this CD. Her voice is relaxed, easy and floats over every note. The credits in the CD liner reads like a "Who's Who" of music. Ricky Skaggs, Brian Ahern, Emory Gordy, Jr., and Rodney Crowell are some of the listed instrumentalists on several songs. The vocals and instrumentals are just about perfect. On older records transferred to CD, I'm always concerned about audio quality. I found the sound quality to be quite acceptable. My only criticism is that this CD is only 30 minutes long. However, I'm glad that they didn't ruin a tremendous CD by slapping on a couple "bonus" tracks, just to make it longer. I recommend this CD to any bluegrass music or Emmylou Harris fan.