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"The Thrill, the desire, the Excitement
is gone ... We Seem to have found a safe comfort zone"...
these words that open Dolly Parton's enchanting new disc could
be a lament for all country music as heard on the radio. Dolly
is another legend who has been banished and its doubtful any
of these songs will break there way through the artifice of country
radio DJ's shortsightedness. This is heartbreaking because this
album is not just another piece of work of someone's career,
the songs here are like piece's of Dolly's heart, its so sad
that anyone who cares about country music would discount them.
In the liner notes it is read that Dolly went back to her Tennessee
Mountain cottage and fasted and prayed for several days before
writing a word of any of these songs. It shows. What could seem
like some sick publicity gimmick for someone less devoted and
talented a songwriter obviously here has rendered these songs
into jewels of purity.
The opening "Hungry Again" amply
describes Dolly's experience at writing these songs---with aching
need for someone to stand in the middle of the whirlwind of a
life like hers and get back to where it started." The salt
of my tears" is a kicky, fun " I have had it"-kind
of song that might accidentally be peppy enough for country radio
to give it a shot but is so beautifully sparse in its production
, (as is the whole album, recorded in Dolly's cousin and co-producer
Richie Owens' basement studio with minimal, haunting arrangements
gorgeously harmonized by Dolly's group of talented back-up folks.)
it probably doesn't sadly stand a chance to be a hit, but it
should.
" Honky Tonk Songs" is the most
original take on a country stand-by theme of drinking and crying
to come along in years with the imbibing protagonist queryiing
"Why don't more Women sing Honky Tonk Songs."-- with
said protagonist being FEMALE. The partially autobiographical
" Blue Valley Songbird, " " I Wanna Go Back There,
" and " Paradise Road" recall Ms. Parton's classic
standard "Tennesee Mountain Home" and "I Still
Lost You" with its heartbreaking pedal steel licks show
that the girl from the Porter Waggoner show hasn't comepletely
gotten subverted in the 80's MOR pop star that Dolly became.
And how could there NOT be some Gospel
on this cherishable set of songs? " Shine On" and "
When Jesus Comes Calling For Me" are religious songs that
at once thrill the ear and stir the soul. The reservations that
keep this album from being a five are two-fold. One, if you're
looking for the Dolly from "9 to 5" and "Islands
in the Stream," you will be gravely disappointed. Two, if
you are not a fan of Dolly at her purest to begin with, this
album could get old mighty quickly. But if you are like some
of the rest of us and have admired the buxom superstar all the
way from "Muleskinner Blues" hawking Breeze detergent
on Porter's show to Pop awards by the dozen and back again, you
will definitely find this disc an unabashed delight. |
