Hard Bargain(Emmylou Harris album)
| Hard Bargain | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio albumby | ||||
| Released | April 26, 2011 | |||
| Recorded | August 2010 | |||
| Genre | Country Folk,Americana | |||
| Length | 53:04 | |||
| Label | Nonesuch | |||
| Producer | Jay Joyce | |||
| Emmylou Harrischronology | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | (6.9/10)MC 69/100,19 critics |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   2011 |
| Billboard |   2011 |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+link |
| guardian.co.uk | link |
| Los Angeles Times |  link |
| PopMatters | link |
| Slant Magazine | 2011 |
| The Independent | link |
| New Zealand Herald | link |
| Paste Magazine | link |
| Country Weekly | link |
| The Press (York) | link |
Hard Bargainis the twenty-sixth studio album by American country music singer-songwriterEmmylou Harris,released on April 26, 2011,[1]and recorded at Tragedy/Tragedy, TN. The album is her fourth solo recording forNonesuch Records.
With 17,000 copies sold in its first week, the album debuted at number three on the U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums,[2]Harris' highest entry since her bluegrass LPRoses in the Snowin 1980. At the same time it debuted at number 18 on the Billboard 200,[3]displacing 1977'sLuxury Lineras her most successful solo LP ever on that chart.
Album information[edit]
The songs which were to become the "Hard Bargain" album were, according to Emmylou, recorded within four weeks in August 2010. Only three people can be heard on the album, namely Harris herself, producerJay Joyce,and Giles Reaves. In December 2010 six video clips were filmed at Laughing House Studios, Nashville, TN, directed by Jack Spencer.[4]These videos, with additional commentary, can be found on the bonus DVD of the album's deluxe release.
The opening number "The Road" is about the lateGram Parsons,her musical mentor who died in 1973 and is the first Harris-penned song to directly focus on his death since "Boulder to Birmingham",a track from her 1975 releasePieces of the Sky.
"My Name Is Emmett Till" tells the story ofEmmett Till,an African-American boy who was killed in 1955.
"Darlin' Kate" is a tribute to the lateKate McGarriglewho died of cancer in 2010. Kate, and her sisterAnna McGarrigle,collaborated with Harris on numerous occasions since the 1970s.
"New Orleans" makes references toHurricane Katrina,which ravaged the city in 2005.
Track listing[edit]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Road" | Emmylou Harris | 5:31 |
| 2. | "Home Sweet Home" | Harris | 3:45 |
| 3. | "My Name Is Emmett Till" | Harris | 4:53 |
| 4. | "Goodnight Old World" | Harris,Will Jennings | 3:55 |
| 5. | "New Orleans" | Harris, Jennings | 3:38 |
| 6. | "Big Black Dog" | Harris | 3:26 |
| 7. | "Lonely Girl" | Harris | 4:44 |
| 8. | "Hard Bargain" | Ron Sexsmith | 3:23 |
| 9. | "Six White Cadillacs" | Harris, Jennings | 3:22 |
| 10. | "The Ship on His Arm" | Harris | 4:46 |
| 11. | "Darlin' Kate" | Harris | 3:08 |
| 12. | "Nobody" | Harris | 5:04 |
| 13. | "Cross Yourself" | Jay Joyce | 3:36 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14. | "To Ohio" (withThe Low Anthem) | Ben Knox Miller, Jeffrey Prystowsky | 3:27 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Six White Cadillacs" (video) | |
| 2. | "Goodnight Old World" (video) | |
| 3. | "Home Sweet Home" (video) | |
| 4. | "Darlin' Kate" (video) | |
| 5. | "Big Black Dog" (video) | |
| 6. | "The Road" (Acoustic Version) (video) |
Personnel[edit]
- Emmylou Harris – vocals, acoustic guitar
- Jay Joyce – guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, piano, omnichord, ganjo, mandolin
- Giles Reaves – drums, keyboards, percussion, piano, organ, vibraphone, marimbula
Charts[edit]
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart | 48[5] |
| Australian Country Albums Chart | 2 |
| Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders) | 39 |
| Belgian Albums Chart (Wallonia) | 95 |
| Canadian Albums Chart | 20 |
| Danish Albums Chart | 27 |
| Canadian Country Albums Chart | 2 |
| Dutch Albums Chart | 15 |
| German Albums Chart | 49 |
| Irish Individual Artist Albums | 36 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart | 28 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart | 11 |
| Swedish Albums Chart | 15 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 76 |
| UK Albums Chart | 30 |
| UK Country Albums Chart | 2 |
| USBillboard200 | 18 |
| USBillboardTop Country Albums | 3 |
| USBillboardFolk Albums | 3 |
| USBillboardRock Albums | 6 |
Release history[edit]
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | April 26, 2011 |
|
Nonesuch Records | [6][7] |
References[edit]
- ^"Emmylou Harris | Nonesuch Records".Nonesuch.Retrieved2011-07-26.
- ^Betts, Stephen L. (2011-05-04)."Emmylou Harris' 'Hard Bargain' Debuts at No. 3 on Country Chart".The Boot.Retrieved2011-07-26.
- ^Kaufman, Gil (2011-05-04)."Adele Tops Billboard Albums Chart Once Again - Music, Celebrity, Artist News".MTV. Archived fromthe originalon May 6, 2011.Retrieved2011-07-26.
- ^"Hard Bargain | Nonesuch Records".Nonesuch.Retrieved2011-07-26.
- ^"Top 50 Albums Chart - Australian Recording Industry Association".ARIA.Retrieved2011-05-15.
- ^Harris, Emmylou (April 26, 2011). "Hard Bargain(Liner Notes) ".Nonesuch Records.525966-2 (CD).
- ^"Hard Bargainby Emmylou Harris ".Apple Music.Retrieved22 July2023.
