Dolly Parton in the 1970s

Dolly Parton recorded for "Monument" company for only two years (1965-67) before she was discovered by Porter Wagoner and via his highly popular TV shows introduced to much bigger audiences - she had released one studio ("Hello, I'm Dolly") for "Monument" and than moved on to RCA, but "Monument" still had some unreleased and non-album tracks in their archives. Just as "Columbia" continued milking their archives with early Aretha material once she moved on to "Atlantic" and became hit, "Monument" wanted to have their share of pie with Parton's new fame.

It is not bad, but certainly these are not "hidden treasures" - Parton's best songs were used for her debut album and here are kind of less interesting, generic ideas. Nothing here matches spark and determination of "Hello, I'm Dolly". The album starts on a high note, with energetic "Why, Why, Why" and "Hillbilly Willy" before it suddenly drifts into weepy territory of "You lie/I cry" variety and the rest is very unexceptional material that could hardly compete with Parton's current hit singles. I am not sure what lady herself thought about release of this new "album" because it was clearly a recording company gimmick and had nothing to do with herself. I doubt anybody even asked her for permission.

Wonderfully crazy album with equally mad cover that perfectly epitomized Dolly Parton's eccentric and sentimental world. Here she takes almost all songwriting responsibilities and comes up with quirky stories that certainly are NOT autobiographical. The very first words we hear are "In this mental institution.." as her protagonist cried for "Daddy come and get me" just to be followed by "Chas" where girl loves a man married to a invalid and he can never be hers. The rest is more or less in similar vain, sentimental stories about "Mammie" who raised the girl whose mother had died (of course Mamie also dies during the song) and half-brother "Robert" who loves her not knowing they are related. (Where she got all these ideas? By reading magazines, watching her audience?) The title song is actually nothing special, much better is sweet "Just the Way I Am" where girl explains her childish behaviour (she sounds very impulsive for sure) but the BEST of all is "Down from Dover" - now, this was never a hit but it had turned into Parton's cult classic and its truly one of the best songs she has ever written, dramatic story about unwed girl who has to leave home because of embarrassment her pregnancy brings to her family. It stands out in any songbook because of its compassionate treatment of the subject but it makes perfect sense here on this album - its a haunting song with excellent lyrics, strong melody and Dolly is heartbreakingly convincing. If you can pass over Parton's sugary little girl voice and funny image, this is really first sign that she could be great songwriter (and the fact that Porter Wagoner was against it shows that business is basically built on less serious subjects, but "Down from Dover" still stands as timeless and still deeply touching song).

Around the same time when Janis Joplin suffered sad disappointment on her high-school reunion back home, another southern gal had a completely different home reception. This live album is a concert recording of Dolly Parton's return to home audience. Parton is thrilled and emotional here, but the audience clearly adores her and welcomes every of her quip and song with greatest enthusiasm - one of their own had reached national fame, after all (they couldn't possibly know she would raise to far higher spheres later). Parton treats them with some of her earliest songs ever ("You Gotta Be My Baby" and "Tall Man" she used to sing on local radio as a child) before raising the roof with energetic version of her biggest hits up that point ("Dumb Blonde", "Something Fishy") but the greatest surprises are her unexpected guests (Porter Wagoner, who was hiding carefully so she wouldn't know he was invited) and proclamation of that day as "Dolly Parton Day" by the Governor of Tennessee. Her happiness reflects in singing so almost everything here is far better than in studio versions. She would have many other live albums and perhaps far bigger, glossier production but nothing will ever match this pure heartfelt welcome. Triumph.

Parton's 1971. gospel album is a lovely collection of religious songs where she pours her heart out in a material that obviously means much to her. It sounds very much as expected, with big chorus and Nashville production - some of the songs actually have very pleasant early 1970s touch (country-rock) with strong guitars and memorable melodies. Where on her previous solo albums she was singing eccentric soup operas about tragic characters, here she focuses on completely different kind of lyrics - its easy to be cynical about this, but Parton has always been singing at least one gospel song in her concerts trough the years so this actually perfectly fits with her personality. Stately "I Believe" and "How Great Thou Art" sound fine, but they are less interesting than uptempo material like Parton's own "The Master's Hand" where she unleashes her imagination and that cute, little fluttering voice. On certain songs she actually sounds more inspired than on her regular country releases. If you listen this without prejudice towards Dolly, country or gospel, its very satisfying musical experience.
Its a very sweet, short little album that Parton obviously had to do.

A casual glance at Parton's discography shows that girl was on a roll in early 1970s - in addition to constant touring, concerts and TV work with her duet partner Porter Wagoner, Dolly had released THREE albums in 1971. with most of the songs were written by herself (except gospel album, but even there she managed to squeeze few originals). And listen folks, these songs were not just a throwaway either, rollicking "Joshua" was her first Nr.1 chart single and got her "Grammy" nomination that year.

"Joshua" also marks beginning of slightly harder sound. Where on previous albums Parton was surrounded with typical Nashville arrangements of the times, here for the first time we hear some excellent musicians in the background and they surround her with strong guitar playing that inspired Parton in some of her most self-assured singing ("Daddy's Moonshine Still"). As usual she looks at her background for inspiration and "Chicken Every Sunday" romanticises poor childhood, this song could easily fit on her slightly later concept album "My Tennessee Mountain Home". Only title song was big hit but it surely Nashville paid attention, because Kitty Wells recorded "J.J. Sneed" on her own album. And the very same year Skeeter Davis recorded a full album of Dolly songs called "Skeeter Sings Dolly" with "Joshua" on it. Of course Dolly wouldn't be Dolly if she didn't end this triumphal album with a sentimental "Letter to Heaven" that perfectly describes her obsession with death, children and Heaven.

The THIRD studio album by Dolly Parton of 1971. "Coat of Many Colors" is now recognised as one of all-time greatest albums of country music and finds her at the height of inspiration, though its not so different from "Joshua" - similar sound, themes and musicians. Perhaps it has slightly more classics than previous album, since title song, "Traveling Man" and "My Blue Tears" became standards loved by audiences trough decades. Several of these songs would later find another life in re-recordings by Parton herself or cover versions. Some of the song subjects might appear a little strange but only to listeners not familiar with her early 1970s work - if you think "If I Lose My Mind" is unusual, check out her "The Fairest of Them All" album filled with songs about outcasts, eccentrics and dying protagonists. "Early Morning Breeze" is one of loveliest things Parton ever wrote, while "A Better Place To Live" cute piece-love-harmony singalong. (By the way - Porter Wagoner wrote swinger's song "If I Lose My Mind" but he had earlier found Parton's "Down from Dover" too controversial?)

Considering this was the FOURTH studio album Parton recorded in 1971. (released in March 1972.) no wonder it sounds a little less inspired than previous albums. There is nothing wrong with "Touch Your Woman" album, except that it doesn't have so many stand-out classics like "Coat of Many Colors" or "Joshua". Parton wrote most of the songs again (including title song that was a hit single) and Porter Wagner helps with lovely "Mission Chapel Memories" and ""Loneliness Found Me" but significantly the best song here is actually one by Bill Owens ("Love Is Only As Strong (As Your Weakest Moment)") in a true country tradition of weeping ballads about cheating. "In that moment of weakness anyone can go wrong" croons heartbroken Parton and surely she had touched many hearts with that one. She follows this with "Love Isn't Free" where orphaned children are results of these temptations and it could have been interesting concept album if she wanted to do so.

Well, she certainly didn't have to look far for inspiration. Porter Wagoner has long been her close duet partner and he wrote many of the songs that so closely resemble her own work that honestly they could have been written by Parton herself. Its mostly melodramatic material about heartbreak one way or another, expected sentimental number ("The Bird That Never Flew" where she recites), gospel ("When I Sing for Him") and best of all, uptempo ditties ("What Ain't To Be, Just Might Happen", "Washday Blues") where Parton enjoys herself so much that's really pity she didn't stick to a whole album of this material instead. As good as she is in ballads, she is really excellent in uptempo songs.

A celebrated concept album about poor childhood that comes naturally from Parton who had often reached back to her own Tennessee upbringing trough her earlier work, but here she focuses exclusively on this. Honestly, music is actually very similar to what she did before ("Old Black Kettle" could have been "Joshua") but lyrics are inspired and the main reason why this album still stands out as one of her most important early works. If she wanted, she could easily simply collect some of earlier autobiographic songs and put them here. In fact, this is just what she did with "In The Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)".
Parton is backed with excellent band and vocal chorus (The Nashville Edition), its truly a great 1970s country music.

RCA obviously noticed that between many hit songs Parton had recorded herself and with Porter Wagoner, there are quite a few gems that she had written herself so this cute little compilation is the very first "Dolly Parton Songbook" (not counting tribute "Skeeter Sings Dolly" released a few years ago).
Everything that always made Dolly great artist is here - cute, little girl voice, country musicians, ballads with melodramatic twists and so on. The strange cover aside, this album is only for those listeners who don't have her late 1960s/early 1970s studio albums, because everything collected here has already been released as part of her regular discography. Any compilation that includes her "Down from Dover" is a strong one.

"Bubbling Over" is a classic 1970s Parton - wholesome, adorable and perky.
If you can't stand someone else expressing sheer delight of being in love and delighted with it, well maybe Dolly is not for you. Inclusion of new recording of ""Travelling Man" makes sense only as a perfect continuation of happy opening song, but sounds exactly as before. Her cute little voice is at height of its pure loveliness and whenever she yodels with joy on uptempo numbers, album explodes with happiness - not that her ballads are weak but Parton truly needs happy material to glow and here she sparks quite a lot. "My Kind of Man" is step back to the kind of weepy ballads she did in the 1960s, though ""Pleasant as May" is a very pretty folkie melody. Most of material is self-written except two songs by Porter Wagoner  whose style compliments Parton so closely that music is basically difficult to tell apart from her own originals.

1974. "Jolene" has two Parton's all-time biggest hits so this is already enough to lift it above her 1970s discography but even the rest of the album is quite nice.
Parton was always best when she would leave weepy ballads aside and focus on happy songs and here are some of her loveliest melodies (as usual self-written) though I actually like moody "Early Morning Breeze" (yes, she recycles herself, so what). Same for "Lonely Comin' Down" that she already sang on her Porter Wagoner tribute. To everybody tired of Whitney Houston version, the original "I Will Always Love You" comes as a surprise because Parton is so heartbreakingly honest here that music and lyrics (stripped of vocal acrobatics) came straight from the heart and are deeply touching. Two Nr.1 hits here!

Sometimes Parton plays a little too much on her cuteness and even though this is part of her charm as an artist, title song always sounded like a children's song to my ears. (And surprisingly, it sneaks on you before you know it). Since I don't care much for her weeping ballads about cheating men or rural background, there are few other highlights here like explosive, gospel-hair-rising "Gettin' Happy" and "Highway Headin' South (To Dixie)" where she let that adorable little squeak rip with joy and joy it is, it never fails to cheer me up. When Parton gets happy (with huge gospel backing chorus behind her) the happiness pours out of the music. She follows it with surprisingly good country blues "Once Upon A Memory" and ends the album with feel-good gospel song "Sacred Memories" that might even make you a believer. Its one of her strongest 1970s albums.

Very un-characteristic, downbeat Parton album - where elsewhere she shines on upbeat material, here she wallows in self-pity and it not even "story song" like on earliest collections,but "you/me" variety. Perhaps one or two ballads would be fine, but length of the whole album is a bit too much of the same. The only exception is gospel song "The Seeker", which brings some of the fire of usually sparkling artist. Her voice is angelic, but the music is too weepy and lacks variety.