Light of the Stable
{{more citations needed|date=November 2017}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Light of the Stable
| type = Album
| artist = Emmylou Harris
| cover = EmmylouHarrisLightoftheStable1.jpg
| alt =
| released = November 1979
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| length = 30.20 (LP): 41:32 (2004 CD)
| label = Warner Bros. Nashville / Rhino
| producer = Brian Ahern
| prev_title = Blue Kentucky Girl
| prev_year = 1979
| next_title = Roses in the Snow
| next_year = 1980
| misc = {{Extra album cover
| header = 1992 alternative Cover
| type = studio
| cover = EmmylouHarrisLightoftheStable2.jpg
| border =
| alt =
| caption = 1992 album cover
}}
{{Extra album cover
| header = 2004 alternative cover
| type = studio
| cover = EmmylouHarrisLightoftheStable3.jpg
| border =
| alt =
| caption = 2004 album cover
}}
}}
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = Allmusic
| rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}} {{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0000203370|first=Mark|last=Deming}}
|rev2 = The Austin Chronicle
|rev2Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.austinchronicle.com/music/2004-12-24/244207/ |title=Light of the Stable |last=Caligiuri |first=Jim |date=24 December 2004 |website= |publisher=The Austin Chronicle |access-date=24 February 2020 |quote=}}
}}
Light of the Stable is the first Christmas album by Emmylou Harris. It was originally released in 1979 by Warner Bros. Records but has since gone through several intervening releases. The 1992 Warner release was a remastered version of the original with a different album cover. The latest edition was released in 2004 by Rhino Records. It contains three newly recorded tracks in addition to remastered versions of the ten original tracks. Its cover came from the record sleeve of the original 45-rpm single version of "Light of the Stable" that was released in 1975. The title song featured harmony vocals from Neil Young, Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt.
Critical reception
Mark Deming of AllMusic gives the album 4 out of a possible 5 stars and writes, "Emmylou Harris is an artist with the rare sort of voice that communicates an honest and firmly grounded humanity while possessing a crystalline purity that verges on the angelic. In short, she was a singer born to make a great Christmas album, and in 1979 she did just that with Light of the Stable".
Gavin Edwards lists this album at No, 19 in Rolling Stone's 40 Essential Christmas Albums list. He writes, "Harris has always sung like an angel, and on this 1979 album she played the part, a living herald of joyful Nativity tidings. Some of the other golden-throated seraphim providing backing vocals: Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, and, er, Neil Young."{{cite web |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/40-essential-christmas-albums-35316/emmylou-harris-light-of-the-stable-221269/ |title=40 Essential Christmas Albums |last=Edwards |first=Gavin |date= |website= |publisher=Rolling Stone Magazine |access-date=24 February 2020 |quote=}}
Jim Caligiuri of The Austin Chronicle gives this album 4 stars and says, "Emmylou Harris possesses the voice of an angel, so it only makes sense that her versions of Christmas classics are unequaled, as are special guests Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and Dolly Parton."
Track listing
=Original release=
{{track listing
|headline = Side one
|title1 = Christmas Time's A-Coming
|writer1 = Tex Logan
|length1 = 2:51
|title2 = O Little Town of Bethlehem
|writer2 = Phillips Brooks, Lewis H. Redner
|length2 = 3:40
|title3 = Away in a Manger
|writer3 = Martin Luther; arr. Jonathan E. Spillman
|length3 = 2:37
|note3 = with Nancy Ahern
|title4 = Angel Eyes (Angel Eyes)
|writer4 = Rodney Crowell
|length4 = 3:18
|title5 = The First Noel
|writer5 = Traditional
|length5 = 2:40
}}
{{track listing
|headline = Side two
|title1 = Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
|writer1 = Arthur L. Phipps
|length1 = 3:05
|title2 = The Little Drummer Boy
|writer2 = Katherine K. Davis, Henry Onorati, Harry Simeone
|length2 = 4:02
|title3 = Golden Cradle
|writer3 = Traditional; arr. Nancy Ahern
|length3 = 2:05
|note3 = with Nancy Ahern
|title4 = Silent Night
|writer4 = Josef Mohr, Franz Gruber; arr. Brian Ahern
|length4 = 3:33
|title5 = Light of the Stable
|writer5 = Steven Rhymer, Elizabeth Rhymer
|length5 = 2:29
}}
=2004 expanded version=
{{track listing
|title1 = Christmas Time's A-Coming
|writer1 = Tex Logan
|length1 = 2:51
|title2 = O Little Town of Bethlehem
|writer2 = Phillips Brooks. Lewis H. Redner
|length2 = 3:40
|title3 = Away in a Manger
|writer3 = Martin Luther; arr. Jonathan E. Spillman
|length3 = 2:37
|note3 = with Nancy Ahern
|title4 = Angel Eyes (Angel Eyes)
|writer4 = Rodney Crowell
|length4 = 3:18
|title5 = The First Noel
|writer5 = Traditional
|length5 = 2:40
|title6 = Beautiful Star of Bethlehem
|writer6 = Arthur L. Phipps
|length6 = 3:05
|title7 = Little Drummer Boy
|writer7 = Katherine K. Davis, Henry Onorati, Harry Simeone
|length7 = 4:02
|title8 = There's a Light
|writer8 = Beth Nielsen Chapman
|length8 = 2:54
|note8 = new track
|title9 = Cherry Tree Carol
|writer9 = Traditional/arr. Kate McGarrigle/Anna McGarrigle
|length9 = 3:33
|note9 = new track
|title10 = Golden Cradle
|writer10 = Traditional/arr. Nancy Ahern
|length10 = 2:05
|note10 = with Nancy Ahern
|title11 = Silent Night
|writer11 = Josef Mohr, Franz Gruber; arr. Brian Ahern
|length11 = 3:33
|title12 = Man Is an Island
|writer12 = Kate McGarrigle, Anna McGarrigle, Jane McGarrigle
|length12 = 4:45
|note12 = new track
|title13 = Light of the Stable
|writer13 = Steven Rhymer, Elizabeth Rhymer
|length13 = 2:29
}}
Personnel
- Brian Ahern – acoustic guitar, percussion, 6-string bass
- Nancy Ahern – backing vocals
- Mike Bowden – bass
- Brian Bowers – autoharp
- Tony Brown – clavinet
- James Burton – electric guitar
- Rodney Crowell – acoustic guitar
- Hank DeVito – pedal steel guitar
- Emory Gordy Jr. – bass
- Glen Hardin – piano
- Sharon Hicks – backing vocals
- Albert Lee – mandolin
- Willie Nelson – backing vocals
- Dolly Parton – backing vocals
- Frank Reckard – electric guitar
- Linda Ronstadt – backing vocals
- Ricky Skaggs – banjo, mandolin, violin, acoustic guitar
- John Ware – drums
- Cheryl Warren – backing vocals
- Neil Young – backing vocals
- Emmylou Harris – vocals, acoustic guitar
Charts
| class="wikitable" border="1"
|+ Album – Billboard |
| Year
! Chart ! Position |
|---|
| 1980
| Billboard 200 |
| 1981
| Top Country Albums |
Release history
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Release history and formats for Light of the Stable !scope="col"| Region !scope="col"| Date !scope="col"| Format !scope="col"| Label !scope="col"| Ref. |
| scope="row"| North America
| November 1979 | {{hlist|LP|cassette}} | Warner Bros. Records | {{cite journal |last1=Harris |first1=Emmylou |title=Light of the Stable (Liner Notes) |journal=Warner Bros. Records |date=November 1979 |id=BSK-3484 (LP); M5-3484 (Cassette)}} |
|---|
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Emmylou Harris}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Light Of The Stable (Album)}}
Category:Christmas albums by American artists
Category:Emmylou Harris albums
Category:Albums produced by Brian Ahern (producer)
Category:Warner Records albums
Category:1979 Christmas albums