At the Ryman

Recorded live at the original Grand Ole Opry building (the Ryman Auditorium) from April 30, 1991 to May 2, 1991. The generous set reaches all the way back to the 19th century for Stephen Foster's "Hard Times," also touching on cowboy songs "Cattle Call," "Montana Cowgirl", honky tonk "Half As Much", gospel "Get Up, John", bluegrass "Walls of Time", and modern traditionalism "Guitar Town". Harris also manages to nod toward rock (Bruce Springsteen's "Mansion on the Hill," John Fogerty's "Lodi") without breaking stride. Throughout, her band provide seamless, effortlessly virtuosic support. At the Ryman is a great album from one of modern country's greatest artists. [Note: This product is an authorized CD-R and is manufactured on demand]

While live recordings can be treasured mementos for those who were present at the show, they're often substandard versions of favorite material. The live At the Ryman avoids this by covering the material of artists who've influenced Harris's music, rather than concentrating on her own hits. From Steve Earle and Bill Monroe to the Everly Brothers and Creedence Clearwater Revival, her choices are solid and sometimes unexpected (Bruce Springsteen). Harris's love of the music--and appreciation for the audience--shines through in these performances. The songs may have been done better elsewhere (most notably by the songwriters) and Emmy's delivery is at times uneven (as with any live performance), but the talented, fun-loving, all-acoustic Nash Ramblers do much to compensate. --Alexandra Russell