An interesting album from Harris

WHITE SHOES marked the last album that Emmylou Harris worked with her longtime producer Brian Ahern. The result is a very experimental album that is the closest thing Harris has done to a rock album. There are some really inspired cover song choices here, like a cover of Donna Summer's "On The Radio" which is inspired, and Johnny Ace's "Pledging My Love". The title track is an instant favorite. The hits from the album were "Drivin Wheel" and "In My Dreams". Other favorites include the old showtune "Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend", and two Rodney Crowell covers "It's Only Rock N Roll" and "Baby, Better Start Turnin Em Down". Overally a really unique offering from Harris that all fans should own.

More rock, less country

As was the custom in those early years, Emmylou relied heavily on covers, but the choice of songs gives you the first clue that this album differs from its predecessors. Among the songs covered are Pledging my love (a rock'n'roll classic by Johnny Ace, though I first came across it via a Teresa Brewer cover and her version is still my favorite), On the radio (very different from the disco version by Donna Summer) and Diamonds are a girl's best friend (an old show tune that is most commonly associated with Marilyn Monroe although Jo Stafford was the first singer to have a hit with it) and Like an old-fashioned waltz (originally written by Sandy Denny, a brilliant folk singer-songwriter).

The opening track, Driving wheel, is a brilliant rocking song that was co-written by Billy Swan (famous for I can help) and T Bone Burnett. White shoes is from the songbook of Jack Tempchin, who wrote several Eagles songs including Peaceful easy feeling and Already gone. Randy Meisner, once a member of the Eagles, recorded White shoes on one of his solo albums, three years before Emmylou recorded the song.

Some continuity with the past is provided - there are two Rodney Crowell songs (Baby better start turning 'em down, It's only rock'n'roll). The album is completed by two brilliant original songs, In my dreams (the biggest hit from the album) and Good news.

This is a fascinating album in many ways, not like any of Emmylou's other albums. It is albums like this that make me grateful for having eclectic musical tastes. The music is brilliant but it is not obvious what the target market was. It was a decisive move in the direction of rock music, but with Brian Ahern as producer (his last Emmylou album in that role), it probably was not decisive enough for those rock fans that weren't won over by her country-rock albums of the seventies, while some of her existing country fans just didn't want to know.

So this album's appeal was limited to die-hard Emmylou fans and those (like me) with eclectic tastes, which is a pity because there are some great performances here. Perhaps the fans that Emmylou acquired with Wrecking ball and other more recent albums may appreciate this album more than Emmylou's traditional fans.

My review of this album was published in 1985

My review of "White Shoes" ran in the June 1985 issue of CD REVIEW magazine. The music is great and the fidelity is exceptional. Great band, songs, production. It's probably Harris's most rocking album.