MUSIC

We miss the Ryman. Here are 10 essential albums recorded at the Mother Church.

Matthew Leimkuehler Dave Paulson
Nashville Tennessean

We miss the Ryman Auditorium already.

Sure, our sofas are way more comfortable than those decades-old wooden pews, but we’re sure we’re not only when we say we wish we were seeing somebody – anybody! – at the Ryman tonight. As of this week, the historic Nashville venue has put everything on pause due the coronavirus pandemic.

At least this time spent away gives us all a chance to delve into our favorite artists’ back catalogs – and if you’re into country and Americana, there’s a decent chance you’ll find an album recorded at Country Music’s Mother Church.

While we wait for the next great live performance to be captured there, here are our favorite albums recorded at the Ryman.

Emmylou Harris and the Nash Ramblers – “At the Ryman” (1992)

We’re not ranking this list … but here’s number one. When Harris and her then-new band recorded this live album and concert film, the dilapidated Ryman hadn’t hosted a public concert in decades. Ask anybody: This was the spark that led to the Ryman’s renovation and reopening in 1994.

Beyond that context, the album is a proto-Americana gem, with Harris and her band tackling songs from Steve Earle and Bruce Springsteen alongside Bill Monroe and Stephen Foster.

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit — "Live from the Ryman" (2018) 

Few things in modern Americana feel as sacred as a pilgrimage to see Isbell's annual Ryman residency. His country-tinged rock 'n' roll stories, often drenched in a sobering reality, reach new heights when performed in front of the time-tested pews. And this album — captured mostly at his 2017 residency — offers sonic escapism for the listeners unable to make the Mother Church trek each October for an Isbell show. 

Neil Young – "Heart of Gold" (2006) 

Turn off the turntable and visually go inside the Ryman with this Johnathan Demme-directed concert film and documentary. The "Heart of Gold" captures Young's restless songwriting, plus a few bonus interviews, as he celebrates 2005 album "Prairie Wind" in full. And, no, he doesn't leave without an encore set of the Young essentials, either.

Pro tip: The film rents digitally for $3.99 on Amazon.

Neil Young, left, and Willie Nelson pose with movie director Jonathan Demme as they arrive for a premiere of the film "Neil Young: Heart of Gold" in Nashville on March 9, 2006. A two-night performance by Young at the Ryman Auditorium was filmed for the movie.

Levon Helm – "Ramble at the Ryman" (2011) 

Raised a Southerner, Helm returned to Nashville – home of the Grand Ole Opry and WLAC, airwaves that framed his musical upbringing – for a traveling take on his Midnight Ramble series. The 2007 show paid tribute to rock 'n' roll foreground with Chuck Berry's "Back To Memphis" and country tradition with The Carter Family's "No Depression In Heaven," while also hitting top marks from Helm's career in The Band. And Helm enlisted a slew of Nashville's finest – John Hiatt, Buddy Miller and Sheryl Crow, among others – to help create what would become a Grammy Award-winning live album. 

Patty Griffin – “A Kiss In Time” (2003)

Patty Griffin was four albums deep when she recorded this 2003 live set at the Ryman Auditorium. A decade-and-a-half later, it stands as a serene portrait of her early output – and a glimpse of the powerful, rootsy work to come. Highlights include the stirring “Mary,” unflinching “Tony” and the solo set-closer (or as she calls it, a “send-you-on-your-way” song) “10 Million Miles.”

Ringo Starr – “Ringo at the Ryman” (2012)

We’re bending the rules a bit for Ringo here, since this 2012 release is a DVD concert film. But that’s even better.

You get to see the legendary Beatles drummer (on his 72nd birthday) bound the Ryman stage and sing his heart out – for Ringo, anyway – through “Yellow Submarine,” “With a Little Help From My Friends,” even the “White Album” rarity “Don’t Pass Me By.” Added bonus: the biggest hits from the members of his “All-Starr Band,” and a special appearance from his brother-in-law, Joe Walsh.

Old Crow Medicine Show – “Live at the Ryman” (2019)

Old Crow’s been ever-faithful to the Ryman over the past 20 years, and that’s heard loud and clear on this raucous collection. “Live at the Ryman’s” 10 songs come from shows played at the venue from 2013-2019, and throughout, frontman Ketch Secor and company hardly pause to catch their breath. Alongside frantic numbers like “Shout Mountain Music,” a duet with Margo Price on “Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man” is an unexpected treat. And Old Crow knows to let you down gently, closing the collection with “Wagon Wheel” (of course) and “Will The Circle Be Unbroken.”

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – "Circlin' Back" (2016)  

Five decades after a group of long-haired Californians began melding roots, country and bluegrass music, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band returned to the Ryman stage for a celebration of the band's beloved career. The all-star romp, rooted in the band's 1972 favorite "Will The Circle Be Unbroken," featured appearances from fellow tenured troubadours John Prine, Jackson Browne, Allison Krauss and many more – all willing participants in ensuring Nashville's fabled circle remains unbroken.

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band arrives on the red carpet at the 2016 Americana Music Honors and Awards Show at Ryman Auditorium Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn.

Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors – “Live at the Ryman” (2016)

After a decade spent building a following in Nashville – and seeing countless shows at the Ryman – independent singer-songwriter Drew Holcomb got to headline the mother church with his band, The Neighbors.

He actually went to the Ryman on his first date with his now-wife (and bandmate) Ellie Holcomb. You only get to make your Ryman debut once, and they made the most of it – recording the set and releasing it on vinyl the following year.

Brothers Osborne – "Live At The Ryman" (2019) 

A Ryman residency may be a rite of passage for 21st century Americana, but it remains the Mother Church of Country Music – songs of hard drinkin', heartbreak and hard drinkin' because of heartbreak remain center stage at the institution. And, with cuts such as "Drank Like Hank," "Rum" and "Love The Lonely Out of You," the guitar-ripping Brothers Osborne keeps those traditions alive with a high-flying release. 

For your extended listening ...

A few more live Ryman albums for your playlist consideration. 

  • Robert Earl Keen — "Live at the Ryman: The Greatest Show Ever Been Gave" (2006): As the title suggests, this trusty Texas showman takes listeners through the best of his deep catalog. 
  • Rhonda Vincent and the Rage with Bluegrass Legends — "Live at the Ryman"(2018): A fitting celebration for the venue said to the birthplace of bluegrass music. 
  • Marty Stuart — "Live at the Ryman" (2006): The first and only live album from an artist where the Mother Church feels like an unmistakable home base.
  • The Raconteurs — "Live At The Ryman Auditorium" (2013): A Third Man Records vault release capturing what would be one of the last shows before an eight-year hiatus from the Jack White-led outfit. 
  • Band of Horses — "Acoustic at the Ryman" (2014): A stripped down take from an indie rock favorite.