Emmylou Harris

Item: Light of the Stable
Author: Chris Parks

Light of the Stable

(1979)

Reviewed by Chris Parks

Discogs Apple Music TIDAL Spotify YouTube Music

Label Warner Bros. RecordsThe Phantom Tollbooth1998

bluegrass country folk

A friend described Emmylou Harris's Light of the Stable as one of the best Christmas albums ever made. While there are plenty of folks who will prefer other artists and musical styles, this album is also high on my list of favorites, because it presents familiar songs in unfamiliar settings, and introduces the listener to some songs, old and new, that haven't had mainstream exposure.

There are four traditional songs very familiar to American listeners ("O Little Town of Bethlehem," "Away in a Manger," "The First Noel," and "Silent Night") which are presented in a pleasing, country fashion that is both simple and traditional. "The First Noel" is done a cappella with three voices, with Sharon Hicks and Cheryl Warren wrapping lush harmonies around Harris's lead. "Silent Night" begins simply with finger-picked guitars and vocals and some subtle autoharp textures; violins and pedal steel add a fuller sound on later verses.

On the remaining tracks, Ms. Harris ventures away from traditional carols. Her version of a familiar and modern tune, "The Little Drummer Boy," sounds fresh by virtue of the looser feel created by leaving out the obligatory driving drumbeat and sung "rum pum pum pum pum" underneath the melody. In place of the choir singing the melody, Ms. Harris sings solo, over Ms. Hicks and Warren's soft harmonies. There is also a brief, traditional Irish lullaby, "Golden Cradle," done as a duet with the song's arranger Nancy Ahern, sung over strummed arpeggios from a single, gut-string guitar.

Four more recently-written songs complete the album. The stand-outs are the opening and closing cuts. "Christmas Time's A-Coming" is an upbeat, traditional country song about going home to the country for the holiday, featuring guitar, mandolin, banjo and autoharp. "Light of the Stable" is my favorite song on the album, and would be sung by the shepherds if the Incarnation took place today, and the shepherds had a good backing band. One of the nice things about being as well known and respected in the recording industry as Emmylou Harris is the possibility of getting Neil Young, Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt to sing backing vocals for you on a Christmas song, as they do on this one.

Indeed, the supporting cast adds a great deal to this album. Ricky Skaggs plays mandolin and violin. Skaggs, Rodney Crowell (who wrote one of the songs on the album) join Ms. Harris on guitar, and Brian Ahern plays three different kinds of acoustic guitar and some bass. Nancy Ahern arranged two songs, on which she sings fine duet vocals; Ms. Hicks and Ms. Warren add backing vocals on most other tracks, while Willie Nelson sings backing vocals on only one.

Light of the Stable is an excellent change of pace to the standard holiday music played on radios and party boom boxes. The only reason not to buy it would be an intense dislike of country music in any form. Otherwise, it may just become one of your most cherished Christmas albums.

4.5 tocks