No Dolly Parton thread? Well then -- classic or hyperclassic?

I haven't heard about that, but seems to be a common complaint on her recent tour.

The demo of "My Blue Tears" is better than the studio version.
ysi??

-- Lingbert, Saturday, 8 September 2007 03:26 (3 months ago) Link

all the plastic surgery stuff -- it's strange, because for someone else, it would seem freakish, but something about dolly parton just seems so normal and grounded that she could do almost anything, and I would still think she was pretty cool.

I saw her on Larry King, and a caller asked if she'd had any work done. Without missing a beat, she said, "Hey, whenever's something saggin', baggin', or draggin', I gotta do what I can." Brilliant.

Major props for including "Imagine" in her sets when pro-war sentiment was at a fever pitch ('02-'03).

new album - "Backwoods Barbie" on Dolly Records

apparently it's her first mainstream country record in 15 years

Is Jack White involved?

i certainly hope not

Sanneh gave it thumbs-up on Sunday.

It's my favorite album of the year so far, for whatever that's worth. (And I've never been an absolutely huge Dolly fan either, for whatever that's worth, though I've loved some of her songs in the past, for course -- mainly the poppier ones, like "9 to 5" and "Romeo" etc. Reviewed the new one for emusic, but review's not up there yet.)

I pretty much like the straight country Dolly, around '70 on RCA. The new one--the songs where she's dispensing homilies I can do without, but "I Will Forever Hate Roses" and "Only Dreamin'" I like fine. What can you say about her, but I never really liked listening to her that much, about as much as I like to listen to Yoko Ono. Her new one isn't terrible, anyway. I talk to Dolly here

I heard "Baby I'm Burnin'" for the first time last week.

which album should I start with? is there a good greatest hits, or do I need to work my way through albums?

The two-disc Essential comp is exactly what it promises, although it's got too many blah 80s numbers.

thanks!

Idols singing Parton songs this week...I've only heard a few songs, but i'm youtubing her catalog now, and it's so goddamn great! I'm listening to an amazing live version of "Down from Dover" right now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xal27WBGC4M

Dolly Parton vs. Google. Sorta.

it's like tim buckley or something

Is Hannah Montana's Aunt Dolly Gay?
Tue., Mar. 24, 2009 1:48 PM PDT by Marc Malkin

Hannah Montana's Aunt Dolly is not a lesbian.

Well, at least the country legend who plays her isn't.

Dolly Parton knows that she's been the target of gay rumors for years and years because of her close relationship with lifelong best friend Judy Ogle.

And once again, for the umpteenth time, she's setting the record straight...

"We're absolutely totally honest, open and comfortable with each other," Parton says in the new issue of AARP magazine. "We've been accused of being lovers. We do love each other, but we've never been like that." (For the record, Parton has been married to her retired businessman husband, Carl Dean, for 43 years!)

is the dolly parton vs loretta lynn good vs evil thing codified? dolly as the blonde wronged wife vs loretta as the raven world-weary other woman? e.g. "jolene" vs "coal miner's daughter" albums. east vs west coast w country songstresses?

no

well i'd like to officially codify it then.

that done, "here i am" is a stone cold classic. i can't stomach pop dolly.

you are mistaking Dolly & Loretta for Betty & Veronica, which is sooooo wrong.

that is a much better analogy than the rappers.

holy cow

er nevermind

i went to dollywood last month. i saw the actual Coat Of Many Colors. i almost cried tears of joy.

Backwoods Barbie, despite the kinda awful title, is really great. The FYC cover works better than the big pop covers on the bluegrass trilogy (e.g. "Shine", "Stairway").

It almost made my top ten that year.

And deservedly! I don't remember hearing of the songs on country radio in 2008, which is a pity. The songs would have sounded totally normal there.

I'm listening to the new box set now. Even her greatest hits albums were in disarray before this, in that there are so many of them that you might get stuck with rerecordings if you're careful (for instance, of "I Will Always Love You").

Well, the country old guard doesn't get played much except new old guard member George Strait.

You're right, but in Dolly's case I'd think there's room for an exception; never mind her extraordinary musical talent, she's a household name without compare in country.

been loving "love is like a butterfly" lately. ignored it for being to sweet for a long time, but there's some little turns in the melody that are fantastic and keep me glued.

"The Bargain Store" is my new favorite.

love that one too!

The really early sides on the box set are eye-opening; her voice was quite different on the first two songs, much higher. And the sound of the songs in the first half of that first disk is more like "Dumb Blonde" and the song "Don't Drop Out" (that you might know from the One Kiss Leads To Another Rhino box set from a few years back). That's to say, more girl group than honky tonk. Her range as an artist is broad (no pun intended), more like Ray Charles or Aretha Franklin than Merle Haggard or George Jones.

"the bargain store" is great. uses an a-minor/g-major progression similar to "jolene," she likes those minor chords.

my parents saw dolly at merlefest the year she put out that bluegrass album and LOVED her - they weren't expecting much one way or the other but they said she sang her heart out and had great stage presence, made light of herself and her "assets" continually until no one could hold them against her, and just basically won over a crowd of bluegrass purists who were probably ready to hate her guts at the slightest misstep...

i didn't really realize "here you come again" was her - i always liked that tune, maybe i should dig up some of her other stuff

Your digging will be amply rewarded.

There's a feeling I get when I look to the west---or at least, when I hear this song from 1975, on disk 3 of the box:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtaGkXvXHfA

http://www.omgblog.com/2010/08/omg_a_dolly_parton_fashion_sho.php

http://www.youtube.com/v/LNcDXOemlRA&border=1&color1=0xcc2550

pure gold. now i know what to wear to a hog roastin' or maybe a rooster fight in the country.

I love her new album!

OK so I am finally getting around to listening to The Grass is Blue, which I copied off my Mom on my last visit. This is my first time listening to Dolly other than on the radio.

First song fucking SLAYS, then side 1 sags for awhile until 'Steady As the Rain' and 'I Still Miss Someone' (a song which I'll listen to anyone's version of, frankly). Then 'Silver Dagger' fully kills it and holy crap the lyrics and affect of 'The Grass Is Blue'. This album has more than its share of awesome.

Grass is Blue and Little Sparrow are both great, I think I prefer the latter more except it has that Collective Soul song on it which, even though she acquits herself admirably with her take, is just such a shitty song.

The Grass is Blue is awesome in stretches.

"Heartbreaker" is generic L.A. crap but wow her performance.

i saw her in brisbane last year, she was completely wonderful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv90nFTTqqc

nice find! unusual to see her "dressed down" as it were. That 80s album with the three of them is okay.

she's a national treasure obviously

yeah, i love this.
my mom had the Trio tape in the car constantly when I was a kid, there is some nice stuff on there.