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Blue Pony

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Blue Pony
Studio album by
Released1997
LabelHighTone[1]
ProducerJulie Miller, Buddy Miller
Julie Miller chronology
Invisible Girl
(1994)
Blue Pony
(1997)
Broken Things
(1999)

Blue Pony is an album by the American musician Julie Miller, released in 1997.[2][3] It was Miller's first album of secular music.[4][5]

Miller supported the album by touring with Emmylou Harris.[6][7]

Production

[edit]

The album was produced by Julie and Buddy Miller.[8] It was recorded in the Millers' Nashville dining room.[9] Steve Earle sang on "I Call on You", Emmylou Harris on "Forever My Beloved".[10][11] "Face of Appalachia" is a cover of the John Sebastian/Lowell George song.[12] "Dancing Girl" is about child prostitution in Thailand.[13]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[14]
The Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionA[15]
Entertainment WeeklyA[16]
Los Angeles Daily News[17]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide[8]

The Washington Post wrote that "the songs are given mostly acoustic, string-band arrangements that take on a chamber-music flavor when violinist Tammy Rogers or cellist Matt Slocum join in."[10] Entertainment Weekly deemed the album "one of the year’s most haunting surprises," writing that Miller is "armed with dark, poetic lyrics about betrayal, redemption, and the damage caused by long-held secrets."[16] The Los Angeles Times called it "a touching, poetic album that is among the year's strongest progressive-country releases."[18]

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution determined that, "with a winsome voice pitched somewhere between innocence and experience, Julie Miller's debut is smart, heartfelt and catchy as hell."[15] The Los Angeles Daily News opined that "Miller's gorgeous record has a steely center."[17] The Philadelphia Inquirer labeled it "a mix of exquisite songwriting, Appalachian yearning and up-to-the-minute ethereality."[19]

AllMusic called the album "a wonderful slice of contemporary country that draws heavily on both folk and rock music."[14]

Track listing

[edit]
No.TitleLength
1."A Kiss on the Lips" 
2."Take Me Back" 
3."By Way of Sorrow" 
4."Dancing Girl" 
5."Give Me an Ocean" 
6."All the Pieces of Mary" 
7."The Devil Is an Angel" 
8."Letters to Emily" 
9."I Call on You" 
10."Face of Appalachia" 
11."Forever My Beloved" 
12."Blue Pony" 
13."Last Song" 

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Missed for a Decade, Roots Icons Buddy and Julie Miller Return to a Shared Spotlight". NPR.
  2. ^ "Julie Miller Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  3. ^ Friskics-Warren, Bill (September 1, 2006). I'll Take You There: Pop Music and the Urge for Transcendence. A&C Black.
  4. ^ "Behind the Scenes". The Austin Chronicle.
  5. ^ McCall, Michael; Rumble, John; Kingsbury, Paul (December 16, 2004). The Encyclopedia of Country Music. Oxford University Press.
  6. ^ Reece, Doug (Apr 26, 1997). "Roadwork". Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 17. p. 29.
  7. ^ Renzhofer, Martin (4 July 1997). "Club Notes". The Salt Lake Tribune. p. C14.
  8. ^ a b MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 759.
  9. ^ Orr, Jay (23 May 1997). "Singer riding `Blue Pony' to stardom". Nashville Banner. p. D1.
  10. ^ a b "Julie Miller: 'Blue Pony'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  11. ^ Guarino, Mark (May 9, 1997). "Julie Miller gets it just right with debut album 'Blue Pony'". Time Out. Daily Herald. p. 8.
  12. ^ BeDell, Andrew (12 June 1997). "Blue Pony Julie Miller". Go. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 8:1.
  13. ^ McCall, Michael (May 15, 1997). "Miller's Crossing – Christian singer moves comfortably into the secular world". Nashville Cream. Nashville Scene.
  14. ^ a b "Blue Pony". AllMusic.
  15. ^ a b "Julie Miller 'Blue Pony'". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 24 Apr 1997. p. F4:1.
  16. ^ a b "Blue Pony". Entertainment Weekly.
  17. ^ a b Shuster, Fred (30 May 1997). "Sound Check". Los Angeles Daily News. p. L21.
  18. ^ Boehm, Mike (21 June 1997). "The Millers' Tale: Emmylou Harris Continues to Have a Knack for Finding Talented Pilgrims". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 2.
  19. ^ DeLuca, Dean (19 Sep 1997). "Buddy and Julie Miller". Features Weekend. The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 15.