Customer Reviews

All I Can Do

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To coincide with Dolly Parton's 2007 European Tour SonyBMG (UK) release a series of three 2on1s (twofers). These feature some of the most sought after albums recorded during her days signed to RCA Records. Each album is beautifully remastered from the original American tapes. If you love the Country star you will adore these CDs....

The release, in August 1976, of "All I Can Do" was significant as it was Dolly's last studio album produced by her longtime mentor, Porter Wagoner. This Grammy nominated album, included the bouncy single Hey, Lucky Lady and Dolly's heartfelt rendition of Emmylou Harris's Boulder to Birmingham. Both the title song and album went on to reach #3 on the Country charts.

The next step was to begin recording, during the autumn 1976, her first self-produced album, poignantly named New Harvest...First Gathering. These sessions notably introduced her to the talents of masterful keyboardist, arranger and producer, Gregg Perry and were her first to be done, in part, outside of Nashville. The album, released in February 1977, was a #1 Country smash. The gospel-tinged lead single Light of the Clear Blue Morning also reached #11. New Harvest...First Gathering may only have made a marginal dent on the Pop charts but it did win Dolly an American Music Award for `Best Country Album' in 1978. It also sparked a special friendship and working relationship with Gregg Perry. The ultimate reward for the songstress is this album remains her most coveted by fans!

Tracklisting:-

1. All I Can Do

2. Fire That Keeps You Warm

3. When The Sun Goes Down Tomorrow

4. I'm A Drifter

5. Falling Out Of Love With Me

6. Shattered Image

7. Boulder To Birmingham

8. Preacher Tom

9. Life's Like Poetry

10. Hey, Lucky Lady

11. Light Of A Clear Blue Morning

12. Applejack

13. My Love (My Girl)

14. Holdin' On To You

15. You Are

16. How Does It Feel

17. Where Beauty Lives In Memory

18. Higher And Higher

19. Getting In My Way

20. There

Finally Dolly's back catalog is slowly getting re-issued on CD. The first of these 2fer's includes Dolly's 1976 and 1977 RCA albums. "All I Can Do" from 1976 was the first of her albums where she was beginning to break away from Porter Wagoner. The stand out tracks include the title track, "I'm A Drifter", "Shattered Image" and Emmylou Harris' "Boulder To Birmingham". 1977's "New Harvest...First Gathering" is one of Dolly's best. The album opens and closes with two songs that both begin very quietly and build to a rousing finish. The opener "Light Of A Clear Blue Morning" has been redone by Dolly twice since, but the original is the best performance of the song. The closing song is her haunting gospel number "There" one of Dolly's best songs. Also included is her tale of childhood banjo picker, "Applejack", her take on the Motown classic "My Girl" here retitled "My Love", She also covers the Jackie Wilson classic "Higher and Higher". The other two stand out tracks are "You Are" and the sad story of delusion, "Where Beauty Lives In Memory".

These have been a long time coming. Thanks to Stephen Munns for spearheading this project.

I am so glad that these albums have been remastered and rereleased! I have been looking for a copy of New Harvert...First Gathering for years! And the album All I can do is also one of my favorites also! I love the song Preacher Tom from All I can do...it reminds me of going to the old country churches that I was raised in. These are two of Dollys best! Don't delay, order these cd's while they are still available. These albums are from Dolly's early RCA days and you will really enjoy them!

finally some of dolly's older stuff is being released on cd!!! to bad the uk had to do it first tho! but at least now we can get these albums on cd for the first time ever!!! you wont be disappointed with these at all! these were two of dollys best albums i think!! I love her older stuff as well as her newer stuff such as "Those were the days" cd. and the price of these double cds are really great!!!! two for the price of one!!!!!

The first half of the album is from Dolly's 1976 LP album "All I Can Do". The title song for the first half reached #3 on the U.S. Country charts. Even though the second half from "New Harvest...First Gathering" LP album are more moving, "All I Can Do" is almost equally good with a more fun feel to it. When this half was originally released separate it was more successful then the second half of songs (I have no idea how) but like I said it's almost equally good, it's just that the songs from "New Harvest...First Gathering" were written better, they also have meaning and more feeling in them. The highlights on the first half are "All I Can Do", "I'm A Drifter", "Falling Out Of Love With Me", the original version of "Shattered Image" which would later be redone on her moving bluegrass album "Halos & Horns". Another highlighted song is "Boulder To Birmingham" which was originally written & sung by Emmylou Harris. The last standout on this half is "Preacher Tom".

The second half of the album is from Dolly's 1977 LP album, "New Harvest...First Gathering". This was Dolly's first album that she produced herself, also it was her first album that was recorded out of Nashville. This half has some of most saddest and most touching songs, like the original version to the uplifting "Light Of A Clear Blue Morning", one of Dolly's fan's favorites "Applejack", the beautiful, moving & uplifting "You Are", a very fun "How Does It Feel", the most saddest song on this half "Where Beauty Lives In Memory" and the big final with "There" which is so moving, it will make you cry. This cd is so worth it, really for this half of "New Harvest...First Gathering". This is probarly one Dolly's best & underrated albums from the 1970s.

Both of these albums include their original artwork from the LPs inside the CD booklet, it also haves linernotes, but no lyrics.

These two albums reveal hints of Dolly's modernized country, as she ventured toward a pop sound. The combination works, making these two albums my absolute favorites. The spiritual "There" off of New Harvest, is worth the purchase in itself.

It's very good to see two more original Dolly Parton albums finally available on CD. Recorded in February 1976, "All I can do" was Dolly Parton's final country music album for RCA before she crossed over into the world of mainstream pop music. Produced by herself and Porter Wagoner, this album has an overall country-rock feel to it. Dominating electric lead-guitars and rich vocal harmonies from the Lea Jane Singers lend a sound reminiscent of early recordings by The Eagles. "Preacher Tom", the Emmylou Harris-penned "Boulder To Birmingham" and the title track also have a strong gospel flavour. As usual for Dolly Parton's country music albums, most of the songs are written by herself. Aside from the title track which hit #3 in the country music singles chart, other Dolly Parton classics on the album are "Hey, Lucky Lady" and "Shattered Image" - a song written in response to derogatory allegations about her in tabloid newspapers. "All I Can Do" is a lively and thoroughly enjoyable album and the finale in a series of 16 purely country music albums which were recorded by Dolly in RCA's "Nashville Sound" studios - albums that represent the absolute cream of her music. "New Harvest...First Gathering" was Dolly Parton's first crossover album and was released in 1977. Produced by herself and co-produced by Gregg Perry, the album wasn't the huge commercial success that she had hoped for, perhaps because it simply lacks the quality of its predecessor in the choice and arrangements of some of the songs and in its overall production. Nevertheless, the album has its highlights. Dolly clearly demonstrates that she hasn't abandoned her country roots with "Applejack" - a favorite with fans that she had previously performed live. Other highlights are "Light Of A Clear Blue Morning" which was released as a single, and the dreamy love-song favorite "You are" which in production quality is superior to most of the other tracks on the album. Apart from Smokey Robinson's "My Girl" and Otis Redding's "(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher" the songs are written by Dolly herself. Whilst "New Harvest...First Gathering" isn't one of Dolly Parton's best offerings, it does contain some nice songs which makes purchasing a copy of the album worthwhile. Dolly's ambition of broadening her appeal and bringing herself to the attention of the pop music world wasn't realised with this album but it would be later on in the same year with the international smash hit single and album "Here You Come Again".

Historically, it makes perfect sense to release these two albums back-to-back on the one C.D. "All I Can Do" was the last album Dolly recorded with long-time duet partner Porter Wagoner as producer; "New Harvest . . ." being her first outing without his involvement. On the former, Dolly's constraint is almost palpable; holding back in more familiar territory and at the same time straining at the leash - rocking out without actually taking flight. In one of country music's most oft-related pieces of folklore, at the time of their split Dolly was a relatively young, multi-talented singer/songwriter, with her sights set firmly on global fame and fortune, and whose star was definitely on the rise. On the other hand, Porter was middle-aged, his career had long since peaked, and was now on the wane. Country music's take on "A Star is Born".

"All I Can Do" is a fine album, with stand out tracks including the title song; "Shattered Image", which Dolly revived on her critically acclaimed "Halos and Horns" outing; a slowed down, soulful rendition of the Emmylou Harris classic, "Boulder to Birmingham"; and the gospel inflected "Preacher Tom", which show-cases Dolly's very considerable more traditional, storytelling talent. However, the album never quite reaches the transcendent heights of its successor, the resplendent "New Harvest . . . First Gathering". From the first few celebratory lines of the opening track, the Dolly classic "Light of a Clear Blue Morning", the listener is indeed put on notice that something "new" is happening here. Miss Dolly has truly "won her freedom" and is eagerly sailing towards the sky. No point in selecting standout tracks here; with only one exception all the songs soar in the spirit of the high-flying eagle. The at times overly mawkish remake of The Temptation's soul classic "My Girl" (renamed "My Love" here) is the only misstep in an otherwise triumphant new beginning for Miss Parton. Furthermore, by way of contrast, her up-tempo, 'grassed-up version of the Jackie Wilson soul classic "Higher and Higher" succeeds, ticking all the right boxes perfectly. This album truly constitutes a new harvest, and what a bumper crop it delivers. And as Dolly sings "I'll Take You There" on the final track, her rousing promise has been more than adequately met. This album is Dolly at her best - highly recommended.

This is excellent and combines Dolly's talent in country, gospel as well as her ability to do some catchy pop numbers. It has become one of my favourites. I discovered songs like 'There,' 'Where beauty lives in memory' and a cute one called 'Lucky Lady.' I rediscovered great songs such as 'I'm a drifter,' 'Light of a clear blue morning.' For Dolly fans, it is a must. If you are not specially a fan, you won't regret it.

Length:: 2:10 Mins