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Dolly Parton | Little Sparrow

A return to the roots from this divine songbird.
CD, Sugar Hill/Munich

Tekst: Jeff Wall

Publicatiedatum: 29 maart 2001

Dolly Parton has been making great music for about 40 years. That's a pretty good career for a 35-year-old woman. She's redefined, rediscovered, and rebuilt herself more than any person I can think of in the music business. Her early work with Porter Wagoner, her solo country work, her movie career, and even that pop crap she did with Kenny Rodgers, have kept Dolly gainfully employed and in the forefront of our hearts and minds. Say what ever you want to about Dolly Parton, but there ain't no denying that she's a survivor. Dolly says she had to get rich to be able to make the kind of music she wanted to. I wish more folks would follow her lead.
'Little Sparrow' is Dolly's second release on Sugar Hill records. Her first, 'The Grass is Blue', won her the Album of the Year award at the International Bluegrass Music Association Awards. 'Little Sparrow' is better. Oh my God, this album is good. I think it's the best thing she's ever done. I'm starting to think it's the best thing anybody's ever done.
'Little Sparrow' isn't straight Bluegrass like 'The Grass is Blue' was. Most of the same pickers are back. Smiling Jim Mills, Jerry Douglas, Bryan Sutton, Barry Bales, and Stuart 'Stu-Bob' Duncan all returned. Chris Thile is playing mandolin this time. The Celtic band Altan joins for two numbers. Rhonda & Darrin Vincent, Alison Krauss, Claire Lynch, Becky & Sonya Issacs, Carl Jackson, Rebecca Lynn Howard, and Dan Tyminski all provide harmony vocals. A crowd like this could make anybody sound good. In fact, with a crowd like this, it would be difficult for a lead vocalist to not get overshadowed by everyone else's phenomenal talent. Not to fear, not even the sun can outshine Dolly Parton. There are 14 tracks, of which Dolly wrote half. The title track, 'Little Sparrow', is a Dolly-penned bluegrass number about heartbreak and loss. There's a lot of heartbreak, loss, dead babies, and insanity on this record. Dolly has the most delicate voice. When she sings about heartbreak, you can feel it. It makes you want to go hunt down the man who done her wrong. Fortunately, there are songs of hope and joy mixed in as well.
'Shine' is one of the most ambitious covers heard in a long time. After hearing Dolly's version, you wonder why Collective Soul didn't cut it with a banjo, fiddle, and dobro. Frankly, Dolly's version rocks harder than the rock version does. The Louvin Brothers' 'I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby' and Cole Porter's 'I Get a Kick out of You', a song normally associated with Sinatra, both get the Dolly treatment to great success. She also chose to cover Steve Young's classic 'Seven Bridges Road' to great success. One of the most beautiful covers is Dolly doing the Amazing Rhythm Aces' Butch McDade's 'The Beautiful Lie' with just the great Stu-Bob accompanying her on the fiddle.
The Dolly-penned songs are just as strong as the covers. 'Bluer Pastures' with its reference to Monroe, the Mountain Gothic Witch tale 'Mountain Angel', the old-timey feel of 'Marry Me', and 'Down from Dover' have no trouble standing alongside the cover tunes. There's not a weak song on this record. If you have ever wondered what heaven was like, listen to this record with your eyes closed. Imagine streets paved with gold and being surrounded by perfect love. Listen to the joyful sound of the Celestial Angels. They wish they could sing like Dolly Parton.

http://www.kindamuzik.net/recensie/dolly-parton/little-sparrow/113/
Meer Dolly Parton op KindaMuzik: http://www.kindamuzik.net/artiest/dolly-parton