I looked forward to this album with much anticipation... being as big a fan as I am of all the amazing music these alt.country/gospel/whatever folk are putting out as well as being a longtime fan of Stella with my fond remembrances of the big hits she had in the 1970s such as "The Danger of the Stranger That you Meet In the Dark" and "Standard Lie #1."

I find myself after listening annoyed, saddened and throwing up my hands. ( And nearly my lunch.)

As I will reiterate later, it really is such a tragedy that so much of this album is so confusingly lame. The sparse bluegrassy production is lovely and Stella may be able to take the Parton out of her name but not her voice. Like her sister's, her instrument is as clear and sweet as a mountain stream.. but....

OK, before the "buts" that nearly gave this album 1 1/2 instead of two measly stars.. the highlights.. ( such as they are)

Ironically one of the best cuts is her wonderful take on the classic "Satisfied Mind." The delivery is lovely and soaring and sadly a screaming red flag warning us that the rest of this CD easily COULD have been as good as this one cut. The other irony here is that one of the most famous hit versions of this tune was done by Dolly's former conmpadre Porter Waggoner, who didn't take too kindly to the fact that Dolly marched off from being just "the girl singer" on his TV show hawking those threadbare towels you could "only get in boxes of Breeze" to an icon. A 100 ugly lawsuits later Porter and Dolly mended fences but still this seems like somewhat of a loopy choice for material considering the soap-opera attached to it's background.

"I draw from the Well" is lovely and haunting with some gorgeous harmonies and "Songbirds' Heart" is a charmer--even if the lyrics are a bit hoary and creaky. (e.g. " The song the bird sings is of freedom-"- Thank you Maya Angelou.)

Her take on the classic "Wayfaring Stranger" is wonderful except for some badly mixed harmonies that don't end up sounding RAW -- they just sound out of tune and "One Honest Love" is a sweet song that is marred by some goofy recitation in the coda.

OK, with that many songs still having their good points on this rather thin album.. why the low rating?

Because what is bad on this album is head-scratchingly ridiculous.

"Up IN The Holler" according to the press released made Stella's father cry. Listen to it's out-of-whack chords and key structure and her vocal errantness on this track and you might agree with me maybe Pop was crying because she wouldn't shut up, not because he was touched. To the aforementioned loopiness-- the otherwise sweet "Child of My Body" has a good song in it SOMEWHERE --and I am all for enigmatic lyrics; but there is indeed a point where enigmatic becomes loopy. "You are a child of my body, also of my other, not of my son.. " Anyone have a gander about what the hell that MEANS? Same for the lyrics in " I'll Think about Shadows" ..-- " I have given my friends a second chance.. I have raised my children and it's no big deal.. I' ll think about Shadows Later." How about thinking about some coherency NOW.

The thing that is so maddening here is most of the hideous misfires Stella wrote herself. The classic covers and the superstar- song-writer Paul Overstreet contribution " The Missing Part" are what save this album from begin a total bomb. There is nothing sadder then when so much talent extends itself in a direction that is not of the talented one's expertise. In other words, if this is an example of Stella's writing.. let someone else do it next time because you REALLY suck.

From the press material it seems this album is a huge success in Europe. And While I am indeed thrilled for Stella, (success might mean she could give us a follow-up that showcased the strengths of this disc more instead of more goofy self-penned hogwash.) I think perhaps the non native English speakers on that continent might be treating this like English- speakers treat Opera. If it's gloriously pretty (which this album pretty much always is) then it doesn't matter if you can understand what the hell is being said.