Customer Reviews

Just Because I'm a Woman: The Songs of Dolly Parton

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Some of Dolly's best songs are given warm and soulful treatments by a number of talented women on this great new cd. It's interesting how many of them have found an earthy, bluesy vibe in the songs ,a marked contrast with Doll'ys original versions, and given them a distinct personal stamp. Alison Krauss kicks things off with a slowed down, bluesed up "9 To 5". Norah Jones' take on "The Grass Is Blue" could easily fit right into her own repertoire. Joan Osborne stands out on a version of " Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" that ranks among the best I've heard, and showcases her remarkable talent. Shelby Lynne takes a gutsy swing at "The Seeker" . Newcomer Mindy Smith gives "Jolene" an edgey, desperate interpretation that is perfect. Emmylou's classic take on "To Daddy" finds it's way back into our hearts. While Sinead O'Connor sounds like Lady MacBeth on a raging and vengeful "Dagger Through The Heart" ( a far cry from Dolly's own sad and tearful version). But the highlight of the record is Allison Moorer's version of "Light Of A Clear Blue Morning". It's intimate and tender, slow and comforting. Conjuring the warmth of the sun and the hope of a brand new day it is truly evocative and incredibly sensual. A comparison to Dusty Springfield may be overused but is truly in order. Can't say enough. Overall, a wonderful tribute record to a talented songwriter and singer.

I haven't been a fan of Dolly Parton (really out of ignorance; I haven't seriously listened to her music), but when I saw Shania Twain talk about and sing Coat of Many Colors w/Dolly Parton on Oprah, then saw Norah Jones & DP sing The Grass is Blue on the Country Music Awards, I had to get this CD. Because the songs are sung by musicians I already appreciated (Twain and Jones), I knew it wouldn't be a bad purchase. It has actually proven to be a great purchase. For someone who isn't that familiar w/DP, it is a great way to get introduced to what a great songwriter she is. The lyrics and tunes are really awesome. On the critical side, I would say that in my opinion, I do not like the Kasey Chambers number. The rest are great. Some are greater than others. The best in my opinion are the songs sung by Twain, Kraus, Osborne, Jones, Lynne, & Smith. I will be replaying those over and over for a long time. Because of this CD, I have come to appreciate DP and am now looking around for her older stuff.

Long before Dolly became America's favorite punch line, she was an accomplished songwriter, who never got her due because of the roots/country nature of her songs. After 35 years, someone has finally figured out what it takes to show the rest of the world (read: non-Dolly fans) what huge talent this woman was gifted with.
The songs on "Just Because" represent some of the best female authored country songs of the last 50 years, and the talent lined up to perform on this tribute should guarantee some major recognition of this project. And with all of the stars appearing here, it is wonderful to see that a relative unknown steals the spotlight - Mindy Smith's take on Dolly's best song "Jolene" is vocalized in just the manner the lyrics require - this story of a woman pleading for a homewrecker to leave her man alone requires both forthrightness and hurt, and Mindy nails the performance.
Melissa Ethridge's take on "I Will Always Love You" helps you realize what a perfect pop song this is - of course, it is rougher than Dolly's original, and more musically interesting than Whitney's remake.
Love hearing Joan Osbourne and Meshelle Ndegeocello on this project - they have two of the most unique voices in music, and have been given songs that meet their talent very nicely. And its great to hear Shelby Lynne's quite updated take on "The Seeker" - gospel type music (though this is a vastly different arrangement than the original) suits Shelby's husky vocalizing.
Even Shnia Twain's version of "Coat Of Many colors" (a personal Dolly favorite) is well rendered - its suprising to hear what happens when Shania takes it down a notch from her usual grandstanding.
The album closes with Dolly performing the title track of this tribute - this song is from her debut, released 35 years ago, and while updated for this project, the song remains soft and gorgeous - just like Dolly herself.
Great project with a number of outstanding contributions - let's hope this gets enough play that people discover these great old songs, and also get more of an insight into Dolly's many musical talents.

This album is like the girl with the curl--when it is good, it is very good, when it is bad, it's horrid. That being said the majority of the album is worth the money. However, I will break this down into the good, the bad and what I liked that others might not.
The Bad:
Suprisingly the first track on the album is "9 to 5" by Allison Krauss--a noramlly good song by a normally good singer. However, she slows it way down and mumbles the whole thing, removing the punch the song needs. Another big shocker is the normally good Melissa Etheridge doing an achingly dull "I will always Love You."
The Okay:
Norah Jones does a good version of "the Grass is Blue" but it is really predictable.
Mindy Smith's "Jolene" fell into the good category until I heard the one on One Moment More with it's haunting duet ending.
Shania Twain's "Coat of Many Colors" actually sounds country--unfortunately they cruelly plopped her between country's most heavenly voice Emmylou Harris and twang so sharp it can slice cheese Kasey Chambers. Unfortunately, you can really tell that this song was recorded in four pieces (AKUS instrumentals, Twain's vocals, AKUS vocals, Parton's voclas) and Twain just doesn't have the vocals to really let go and give this song the emotional push it needs.
Dolly Parton's "Just Because I'm A Woman" (bonus Track) is slightly dated, but more than anything else the open and emotional version she did originally is far superior than this overproduced attempt at empowerment. (If she wanted female empowerment she should have sung "Eagle When She Flies" and not simply added an R&B backdrop to a song involving the lyrics "Now a man will take a good girl/and you ruined her reputation/but when he wants to marry that's a different situation.")
The Good:
Surprisingly, the best cover on the album is from soulful rocker Joan Osbourne on a remarkable back-yard sounding "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind." Here is a rock singer who has talked about doing a country album that shows the vocal chops and musical knowledge to do it.
Shelby Lynne pulls a whole river full of Alabama gospel to turn out a moving "The Seeker."
Emmylou Harris' "To Daddy" disappoints by being the only track on the album previously recorded, but it is one of the best female country songs ever, so, what can you say.
Kasey Chambers does a driving version of "Little Sparrow." Musically, this is pretty much what you would expect form her, but she brings an amazing level of anger to her vocals, so different from the wounded hurt we have grown used to.
Allison Moorer's "Light of a Clear Blue Morning" suffers slightly from the retro production (read record scratchy) yet, the simple, quite joy she brigns to the lyrics takes your breath away.
Stuff I loved which may be off putting:
Sinead O' Connor's "Daggar Through The Heart" starts off stilted, but gets into the rage of he song really well.
I am a HUGE Me'shell N'degeocello fan and I love her rendition of "Two Doors Down," but others might find the funky, sultry mix way too non-country.

First let me say that I am NOT a Shania fan. Second, while I am a great admirer of Dolly, Joan Osborne, Allison Krauss, Shelby Lynne, and Norah Jones, it was Ms Twain who inspired me to buy this album. How's that for a twist? After seeing her break down in tears on Oprah over the meaningfulness of Dolly's songwriting in her life, and hearing her give emotive folk vocals to Coat of Many Colors, I realized that Dolly's songs were likely to draw great performances out of these artists. How true it is! This album is a fabulous showcase for these artists. I really can't stop listening to it. The biggest surprise is Sinead's amazing performance on Dagger. The only track I skip is Melissa Etheridge - bad, bad song choice. Lastly, Shania, if you're listening, keep it up! Tell Mutt he should do without all that Def Leppard production more often!

Country music has always taken the backseat when next to more popular genres. However, it is America's favorite, with best selling stars like Garth Brooks and the transcendent Dixie Chicks. Even folk music has divided into modern rock or country, so, it comes as no surprise that many contemporary artists who are in the popular genre are gathering up to salute a country diva - Dolly Parton.
Parton's music and impressive songwriting abilities have made her the legend that she is. With that status, Parton released the aptly titled Just Because I'm a Woman: Songs of Dolly Parton, a tribute album with and extraordinary guest list.
Parton's songwriting abilities produced one of the biggest singles of all time. The mastermind behind Dollywood penned the Whitney Houston smash hit "I Will Always Love You," which received a Sapphic rehashing by none other than Melissa Etheridge on this disc.
Parton, being country music's answer to Madonna, is never afraid of being honest, neither in her personal life nor the stripped-down lyrics of her songs, whether she is tackling everyday trailer hassles on "9 To 5," which is constructed beautifully by Alison Krauss on this album, or speaking out about poverty on "Coat Of Many Colors," redone here by Shania Twain and Union Station.
Jazzy vocals are laid on "The Grass Is Blue" by Grammy favorite Norah Jones and country blues on "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind," retouched by the mesmerizing strength of Joan Osborne's arrangements.
Although these tracks are all gems from a long list of Dolly Parton's songs, the cover version seal is very evident on most of them. Since it is extremely hard to equal the original, let alone provide a better version, many tracks fall short of their past glory, such as Mindy Smith's rendition of "Jolene" and Shelby Lynne's "The Seeker."
Me'Shell N'Degeocello offers a funkier version of "Two Doors Down," shying away from the very country line-up. Emmylou Harris delivers an unfathomable version of "To Daddy."
Parton herself closes the tribute album with "Just Because I'm A Woman," showing everyone who the big boss is.
This is an official tribute album consented and promoted by Dolly herself and it shows. This collection has many victories, however, all of which leave you only wanting to hear the original.

Dolly Parton is one of those peculiarly American institutions that seem to straddle all boundaries - blue collar, white collar, rich, poor, even to some extent black, white (she is phenomenally popular in Africa). She doesn't follow any rules but her own (witness her recent high-on-sentiment "For God and Country" after the critically acclaimed bluegrass albums), and for this reason, she's always authentic. She's never been given her full due as a songwriter, and an album like this was long overdue. Now, it's hard to top Dolly on any song she recorded herself (she's also not given her full due as a singer), and most of these singers wisely choose alternative interpretations. With the possible exception of Melissa Etheridge's "I will always love you" there's nothing I want to skip over. That song is tough, because even Dolly's retakes on it didn't touch her understated original version - try to put in too much emotion and it becomes overwrought. The standouts are somewhat surprising. I never liked Joan Osborne's big hit, "One of us", in part because she seemed to have put on a particular voice to sing it. None of that in "Do I ever cross your mind", which gets my vote as the outstanding song on the album - clean, clear, perfectly understood. This version rivals, if it doesn't surpass, Dolly's. Allison Krauss's "9 to 5" is fine, but I also prefer the pumped-up speed of Dolly's original. Norah Jones made "The grass is blue" work in a way I felt Dolly did not on her own album - didn't care for the song on that album, but Jones' quiet but moving delivery is perfect for it. Then there's Osborne, Shelby Lynne, and Emmylou Harris. Why are people complaining about Emmylou's previously recorded version of "To Daddy"? When something's perfect, why mess with it? This is an incredible song, and this version and Dolly's own are priceless. Mindy Smith's Jolene is a more vulnerable take on Dolly's classic, but to me she throws away the repeated Jolene's by singing them similarly. In Dolly's version, there's a build-up with each Jolene, and each is sung with a different emphasis. I give Smith major points for trying a new take, however. This is one song where no one will ever touch Dolly's version. The rest (Allison Moorer, Kasey Chambers, Meshell Ndegeocello) is fine, if not quite up to the standard of Osborne and Harris. Sinead O'Connor's version of "Dagger Through the Heart" is histrionic and frankly bizarre, but it gets to you in a way Dolly's didn't. I have to count it as a highlight. Shania Twain is not nearly as terrible as made out - she can't come close to the classic original of Dolly's because she doesn't have the voice or the acting skills, but back-up vocals by Dolly and Allison Krauss help a lot, and it's pleasing enough to the ear. It's interesting that of all the performers, Shania Twain probably related to this song most closely from her own life experience, though she's now the queen of glitzy country-pop. Heard on this album, the take is OK. If you play it and then play Dolly's original version, it does pale very badly in comparison. Overall, an interesting album that has earned repeated listens by me - for Dolly neophytes, get this and then get the originals.

this was a great tribute album! before this album, the only other tribute album i have ever even remotely enjoyed was 'duke ellington songbook,' which boasts the most heart-wrenching cover of 'what am i here for' (nnenna freelon's) that i have ever heard.

i am a black teenager with eclectic tastes, and certainly not ur stereotypical dolly parton fan, so i was thrilled to see that this album gathered a collection of artists which reflect dolly parton's diverse fan base. my absolute favorite tracks on this cd are, of course, the r&b-heavy updated version of the title track, followed by (and in this order), mindy smith's jolene cover, norah jones' the grass is blue cover, emmylou's to daddy cover and me'shell n'degeocello's two doors down cover. i think these tracks are the most in tune with the spirit of the album. the worst track of the album was, without a doubt, melissa etheridge's 'i will always love you.' it was atrocious and u really just expect more from an artist like her.

as for an explanation of my favorites:

JOLENE IS JUST A HEARTBREAKING SONG! you can't screw it up unless u r musically retarded. i have liked every version of this song i have ever heard from the white stripes' cover of it to reba mcintire's cover of it. mindy smith's, however, was truest to what i imagine was dolly parton's state of mind when she was writing and performing the song. it just makes u fall to pieces.

the grass is blue is probably my favorite dolly parton song, probably because I can relate to it more than any other song she's ever performed or written. people who dislike norah jones' cover of the song dislike it because they DON'T GET IT. complaints that its not emotive or that its predictable are from people who are MISSING THE POINT. it makes me wonder if they have ever listened to the song. 'i just can't go one day without u unless i pretend the opposite's true...the sky is green and the grass is blue and i don't love you. i don't love you.' the song's narrator is trying to forcibly detach herself from any emotion, any feeling she has for the man she speaks of and this, in itself, is what's so heartbreaking. since the song's narrator is already post-breakdown, the fact that norah jones was able to deliver the song sans any detectable histrionics makes the cover what it is: a true portrayal of the song's lyrics. the apparent lack of emotion in her voice, the distant tone of it are the precise elements which make it so depressingly GOOD.

emmylou's to daddy is just beautiful. it's a classic song by a classic artist and really, if u have ears, my attachment to the song needs no explanation. if u r a fan of traditional country music, then just this track along with dolly's updated 'just because i'm a woman' is worth the price of the album.

two doors down by me'shell n'degeocello...i was just amazed by this song. i'm quasi-familiar with this artist, she's a great bass player and i first became enamored with her voice when i heard the stripped-down 'you made a fool of me' on the otherwise pretty uneventful love + basketball soundtrack. she made two doors down an entirely new song. she made it entirely her own and often--as was the case with melissa etheridge's atrocious cover--this does not work. me'shell MADE IT WORK!!

Like many I have been a Dolly fan for most of my life. I have loved her through every phase of her career. Whether it is her '80's pop days or her recent return to her bluegrass roots. All of her various phases are represented here. Great songs that have been given a new spin by female artist both respected and new. I really appreciate all of the tracks(except maybe Melissa Ethridges weird version of "I Will Always Love You"). Each artist brings their own style and experience to the song they have chosen. The cuts that I was most impressed by were Alison Kraus' "9 to 5", Norah Jones' "Grass Is Blue", Kasey Chambers' "Little Sparrow", & most suprisingly Me'Shell N'Degeocello's "Two Doors Down". I was blown away by this particular tracks blusey quality. It totally took on a different light interpreted this way. Way to go. I would suggest that all Dolly fans buy this album. I would also suggest that all those that are put off by Dolly's "persona" also check this album out because her amazing song writing talent shines through.

If Emmylou Harris weren't writing and recording some of the best work of her career right now, she should take up producing records full time. Grievous Angel, the tribute she masterminded to Gram Parsons, was the best country cover concept album to date. And now Harris, as executive producer, pays equally loving tribute to Dolly Parton.

Parton is, quite simply, America's greatest living songwriter. The fact is often overlooked thanks to Dolly's trashy trappings; this cd should help give Dolly her due.

As on the previous Parsons tribute, the finest moments here come when artists choose to reinterpret Parton's classics. Allison Moorer (a great songwriter herself) delivers a woozy, haunting take on Light of a Clear Blue Morning. Alison Krauss' 9 to 5 gives in to the weariness of the song's lyrics where Parton's original played against them. Newcomer Mindy Smith delivers a stunning rethink of Jolene: Dolly's forceful delivery left no doubt that she could whoop Jolene's [behind] if given half a chance while Smith is left vulnerable and shattered. Me'Shell N'Degeocello's Two Doors Down is served up in a blue funk. Even Parton herself joins in to revamp the title track as prime Memphis soul.

Shelby Lynne, Sinead O'Connor and Joan Osborne give strong performances that stay closer to the original versions, and Melissa Ethridge deserves massive props for taking on I Will Always Love You; she matches Dolly's emotional intensity while bringing the song new shades of meaning.

Even the least among these tracks are quite good. Shania Twain's delivery on Coat of Many Colors is somewhat threadbare, but she has excellent support on the song. And once again the vastly overrated Norah Jones reaches into her one-pony trick bag to get by on vibe alone: at least this time she has an excellent song to deliver.

I would have liked to have seen a wider range of stylists for this project and - as always - Parton's amazing early catalogue gets the short shrift. For volume two, let's have PJ Harvey deliver Down From Dover and Connor Oberst sing Evening Shade.