Customer Reviews

Ultimate Dolly Parton

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

To anybody who already owns a compilation of Dolly's music for RCA, the track listing here has a familiar look to it with few exceptions. The exceptions are Please don't stop loving me, a sensational duet with Porter Wagoner not normally included on Dolly's solo compilations, To know him is to love him, from the first Trio album, and Why'd you come in here looking like that, from Dolly's period with Columbia.

The other tracks here include many Dolly classics, notably Jolene (her only UK top ten solo hit), Islands in the stream (a duet with Kenny Rogers that became a USA number one pop hit and UK top ten hit), Here you come again (a USA top three pop hit), Coat of many colors (Dolly's autobiographical signature song - the only song here that didn't reach number one on the USA country chart, peaking at number four), Bargain store (which some radio stations thought too risqué), 9 to 5 (a USA number one pop hit), It's all wrong but it's all right (much more risqué than Bargain store) and Love is like a butterfly (one of Dolly's finest romantic songs).

This is among the best single CD collections of Dolly's music BUT there is a 36 track double CD version, which contains all twenty tracks here plus sixteen more Dolly classics including Dumb blonde, Just because I'm a woman, Touch your woman, My Tennessee mountain home, The seeker and Two doors down and which I've already reviewed. The double-CD was eventually released in America in 2005 re-packaged and re-titled (Essential Dolly Parton) with one extra track (Shine). I recommend the double CD instead of this single CD - but this is still an excellent collection.

Though the title is a bit of a misnomer, "Ultimate Dolly Parton" captures the essence of the hit-making career of country-pop singer extrodinare Dolly Parton. It is both historic and enjoyable to listen to this disc, and it should belong in any casual Dolly fan's record collection.

The disc can be divided into three distinct sections. The first includes the first seven tracks, and easily qualifies as the best moments on "Ultimate." Here, Dolly's Smoky Mountain-bred sensibilites mesh into the "countrypolitan" leanings of musical partner Porter Wagoner to create some of the early '70s best country hits. Tracks like "Jolene," "Coat of Many Colors," and the anthem "I Will Always Love You" secure Dolly's place in country music history and shold not be missed.

Tracks 8 though 16 follow Dolly's rise in popularity, and a general mainstreaming of her sound. This era is capped by great tracks like "Here You Come Again" and "9 to 5," but like her "Islands in The Stream" singing partner Kenny Rogers' music from the late '70s and early '80s, much of what you hear from this period is better forgotten. What stareted as well-intended country crossover degenerated into bad schmaltzy pop, which never holds interest for long.

The last few tracks show how Dolly redeemed herself from the horrors of Carter administration -era soft rock to reclaim her rightful position as the queen of modern country. The aforementioned "Stream" is a delight, as is "To Know Him Is To Love Him," with the equally endearing Linda Rondstat and Emmylou Harris. The last track, "Why'd You Come In Here Lookin' Like That," is a nod to the "hot country" that would dominate the 1990s, but Dolly wisely decided to sidestep the rat race of contemperary country radio and forge a stunning bluegrass-tinged fourth musical era. None of that is covered on "Ultimate," but it's worth the trip to seek out some of Dolly's most recent output.

Buy this album without hesitation, and check out her new music as well.

Ultimate Dolly Parton is a chronological retrospective containing twenty of Parton's most successful singles from the 1970s and 1980s. Aside from "Coat of Many Colors" (her greatest composition), all of the enclosed recordings hit number one on the country charts.

Leading off the set are the colorful, uptempo sagas of crusty "Joshua" and that tramp "Jolene," as well as the simple but effective devotionals "I Will Always Love You" and "Love Is Like A Butterfly" from the early-to-mid-70s. This period comprises Parton's best recordings, the most consistent work by a female singer-songwriter in country music history. Also included from this era is her biggest hit with longtime music partner/mentor Porter Wagoner, "Please Don't Stop Loving Me" (I prefer their heartbreaker "If Teardrops Were Pennies").

With "Here You Come Again" from 1978, Parton went pop, or more precisely, middle-of-the road. The six tracks that follow it, like "Starting Over Again" and "You're The Only One," are sluggish, bland soundalikes - usually written by others - that failed to exploit her immense personality. Thankfully, the collection emerges from this sonic coma with Parton's spunky, self-penned "9 To 5" (1980) and the delightful yodelfest "Tennessee Homesick Blues" (1984).

Mid-80s collaborations with Kenny Rogers on "Islands In The Stream" plus Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris on "To Know Him Is To Love Him" (the exquisite Parton-centered "Wild Flowers" should be here, not this ordinary, Harris-led effort) amply exhibit Parton's harmonizing skills, while other country chart-toppers from this period (the Rogers' duet "Real Love," the enchanting "Think About Love") are inexplicably omitted from this set. Instead, it's left to 1989's "Why'd You Come In Here Lookin' Like That" (licensed from Sony) to brings things to a rousing conclusion.

So, you ask, does this cd truly represent Parton's "ultimate" work? No way. Check out Essential Dolly Parton, Volume Two (which concentrates on her late '60s-through-mid-70s recordings) or her recent bluegrass efforts for that.

The last few years have seen a flood of "ULTIMATE" or "DEFINITIVE" collections from many beloved artists from the last few decades of music. Each one attempts to present a comprehensive, career-spanning retrospective of that particular artist's music. With this ULTIMATE DOLLY PARTON collection you only get half the story. This 20-track collection will give you most of Dolly's #1 country hits, but it misses out on other essential better-known songs. You will NOT hear "Two Doors Down" but instead will get "You're The Only One." You will hear "I Really Got The Feeling" instead of "The Seeker" and "Single Women" takes priority over "Applejack" and "Me and Little Andy." And while "To Know Him Is To Love Him" was the #1 hit from her TRIO album, it's an Emmylou Harris song with Dolly providing back-up vocals. They should have included one of Dolly's solo numbers to represent that album.
The problem is that Dolly has had such a long and prolific career that it is impossible to do it justice on one CD. There is a 2-disc version of this collection available as an import that includes 16 additional songs and I recommend that you seek it out instead of this 1 disc American version.
The CD closes with "Rocking Years", a #1 duet with Ricky Van Shelton from 1991. Since then, Dolly released a live album, two more trio albums (one with Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette) and had great success by going back to her bluegrass and traditional country roots. You won't get any of that stuff here.
This may be a good collection for the casual listener, but if you are a long-time Dolly fan I'd pass this one up and hope for a long overdue box set or anthology collection later on.

I think this is an excellent, single-disc overview of Dolly's biggest hits. What sets this collection apart from the many other hits collections that have been previously released is the sound quality. Mastering engineer Vic Anesini brings out the warmth in this original recordings. Compare these versions with what's on the two volumes of the "Essential" Dolly Parton discs and you can easily hear that the latter have a thin and bright tonal balance. The "Essential" discs just don't sound as musical as this "Ultimate" disc.

I sympathize with some of the other negative reviews. There needs to be more Dolly mastered like this. I understand that Vic Anesini also did the 2-cd German import version of this title, so I might check that out. Steve Hoffman of the now-defuct DCC label previously mastered Dolly's "Here You Come Again" album, and that also sounded terrific but is now very difficult to find. We definitely need more well mastered Dolly music available. Here's hoping that BMG is already having Vic Anesini work on more Dolly tracks.

The contempt that RCA/BMG has for Dolly Parton fans is shown yet again in this utterly pointless compilation that does absolutely nothing but repackage the same songs the company has been compiling over and over and over and over again.

Every one of the twenty songs contained on this latest RCA/BMG product (which comes only one year after the release of the "Country Legends" package that had most of these same songs) is available on dozens other compilations that the label has been releasing over the past 10-15 years while literally hundreds of Parton's songs gather dust in the vaults. An Australian label issued a compilation of Dolly's pre-1977 pop tracks, while the European arm of RCA/BMG has issued CD's with not one, but TWO of Dolly's country albums on one disc (one contains "Joshua" and "Coat of Many Colors" the other "My Tennessee Mountain Home" and "Jolene" -- each comes with impressive remastered sound and new liner notes). Apparently the American arm of the label is either too lazy to do something similar or has been lulled into complacency by an American public who keeps buying the same songs over and over again.

It is time to rise up and demand that RCA/BMG treats the back Parton catalogue with the respect that it deserves. The only way to get the message across to the label is to cease buying this redundant compilations. Otherwise you can look forward to yet ANOTHER compilation with "Here You Come Again," "9 to 5," "I Will Always Love You," "Islands in the Stream" etc. at the expense of far more compelling material. And let's face it. Just how many more of those do you REALLY need?

This is a great collection; something for everybody who is a fan. My question is, when are we fans going to get a Dolly Parton Box Set spanning her entire career and include some true rarities like "Girl Left Alone", "Ping Pong", and "Puppy Love"? For an artist of this stature a six CD Box Set is in order.

When I hear the titel "ultimate"....I think of a great bunch of songs (which Dolly has for sure). I wonder why they only release one disc. Dolly has so many more songs that should be on a compilation called "ultimate"! If this was the german release of the compilation I d rate it with 5 stars. cos the german release has 36 songs on 2 discs. I wonder why they dont release the 2 disc version in the US. So be sure if you d rather buy the US release or the German release. oh and the UK release (also one disc) has one bonus track "Early Morning Breeze" (Remix by Bent Feat. B.J.Cole) !!!

As a big Dolly fan I miss more re-releases of her older albums instead of one compilation after the other one.

greetz, Mario

WOW! When I first heard that there was going to be another greatist hits CD I Though that this was going to be another one of those 10 or 8 simple songs again put on a CD (Songs like "Coat of Many Colors" "I Will Always Love You" "9 to 5" etc......) But I Was Wrong This One Is Great! You Have more of a variety to listen to. SO BUY IT!

I Also Recommend Her Greatist Work Ever: HUNGRY AGAIN, THE GRASS IS BLUE, LITTLE SPARROW, HALOS AND HORNS, LIVE AND WELL and THOSE WERE THE DAYS! I would only recommend FOR GOD AND COUNTRY to a dolly fan or someone who really loves thier Country.

This CD contained almost all of the songs I was hoping to get on one unit and none that I did not want. These span most of Parton's career and demonstrate her unique talent.