Emmylou Harris’ ‘Wrecking Ball’ Gets Remastered, Rereleased

Emmylou Harris’ classic 1995 album Wrecking Ball is getting rereleased later this year courtesy of Nonesuch Records.

If you didn’t pick up a copy of the songs back in the 90s or are just getting into the acclaimed singer-songwriter’s work, then now’s the chance to see what all the fuss is about. The folks at Nonesuch will release a remastered version of the album on April 8.

In addition to getting your hands on the Grammy award-winning record, you’ll get a ton of unreleased material and a DVD featuring the behind-the-scenes documentary Building the Wrecking Ball. The film contains interviews with Harris as well as some footage of the singer putting the songs together in the studio.

“The album features unvarnished, otherworldly renditions of songs written by Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Steve Earle, and other lesser-known artists,” Rolling Stone magazine said of Wrecking Ball.

To celebrate the reissue of the classic album, EmmyLou Harris will embark on a short tour through North America. Since the singer isn’t heading to many venue this year, fans might have to make a road trip to catch her on-stage.

Here’s a list of Harris’ upcoming stops.

April 3 – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, California
April 5 – The Warfield – San Francisco, California
April 7 – The Royal Oak – Royal Oak, Michigan
April 8 – The Vic – Chicago, Illinois
April 11 – The Lincoln Theatre – Washington, D.C.
April 12 – TBA – Brooklyn, New York
April 13 – The House of Blues – Boston, Massachusetts
April 15 – Massey Hall – Toronto, Ontario

Wrecking Ball took home the trophy for Best Contemporary Folk Album at the 1996 Grammy Awards. According to The Chicagoist, the record helped the country artist find a new audience with the alternative rock crowd. The sound she crafted for Wrecking Ball ultimately found its way into the albums Red Dirt Girl and Stumble Into Grace.

At the time of the album’s release, the folks at Gadfly asked Emmylou Harris about the future of country music. She predicted that a handful of musicians would come along to reinvent the genre while keeping certain traditions alive.

Harris told the publication:

“What’s going on in country now, of course, I find a bit sterile. But for me, country is a broader genre. I kind of put bluegrass in there, too. But it’s hard to expand the [bluegrass] form, after the Stanley Brothers and Bill Monroe and Scruggs. There are very strict boundaries, and once you start changing it it really disappears. But you have the musicians who grew up on bluegrass, like Jerry Douglas and Mark O’Connor, who are extraordinary and bring some of that bluegrass blood into the rich stew of other music.”

Are you planning to pick up a copy of the remastered Emmylou Harris album Wrecking Ball when it hits retail shelves on April 8?

[Image via chris87 / Shutterstock.com]