You were right, wherever you are.

[when i was cruel]

A few years ago I had argued with another avid EC about North and it's songs, but really it was an argument pertaining to me being a jackass because I told him his taste 'sucks'. I can now happily say... I couldn't have been more wrong ! He argued that the album (North) is 'like a fine wine that becomes better with age'. He was right, songs that I once felt were not only lacking in quality but in sentimentality as well, have now done a figurative 'One-Eighty'. Songs like 'When It Sings' and 'When Green Eyes True Blue' now deeply resonate with me on a musical and personal level. Interestingly this album, once, if you can imagine, seemed dissonant and I used to feel as if Elvis 'Jumped The Shark' on this one.

[Poor Deportee]

I respect North more than I love it. I agree that the charge of 'sentimentality' can't be substantiated and that there's a real beauty to some of these songs, but the album's formalism seems at odds with the passion that inspired it - this being my fundamental problem - and I find a slightly off-putting sameness to tracks (this is especially true of the intros, which so often feature the same gentle kind of piano chording). And then there's personal preference, i.e., I just do like my records to be more varied, both musically and thematically. I'd never say it's bad, but I never found myself warming to it in the way you describe, and these days hardly ever listen to it.

[bronxapostle]

yeah pd? and i LOVE it more than RESPECT it! if it was just me saying "WOW, look what he did here"...that would be me blowing smoke. i LOVE it for what it IS! a great "gee whiz, i fell in love. i hope you do too" LP!

[krm]

I love it too!

[watercamp]

Considering the title track is about the country I have lived in all my life, I am a little bias.
It's not my favorite EC album (tha'll always be MAIT) but I do like the maturity of North not to mention the great cover.
My only complaint is that North is not on North, or any other compilation...yet.