Dolly, Linda & Emmylou

The first loop to throw the listener is the almost complete lack of electric ornamentation and modern country accouterments, but there are more pleasant surprises: Though it's Harris and Ronstadt who've been most compared to each other over the years, it's Ronstadt who most sounds like the odd woman out here. The shock is in how indistinguishable Parton's and Harris' sweet trills often are from one another.

Also unexpected is the mix of material, ranging from the expected traditionals (the gospel-flavored "Farther Along") to country versions of non -country oldies (Phil Spector's "To Know Him Is to Love Him") to unknown contemporary ballads (selections by Kate McGarrigle and Linda Thompson, both of which are given operatically stiff but undeniably lovely lead vocals by Ronstadt).

Forget all the "new traditionalists" out of Nashville who've been raising ersatz controversies with supposedly trend-bucking country that isn't that traditional at all. This album is part of a real retro-revolution, with participants famous enough to perhaps fan the flames in a way that similarly intentioned but lesser known projects (like T Bone Burnett's sparkling acoustic effort of last year) haven't been able to. One listen to these three veterans harmonizing, and you may never be able to settle for the Sweethearts of the Rodeo again.