It is not possible to fit all Dolly's important songs on two CD's, never mind one, but this is the best single-CD collection I've yet seen. Originally a full-price TV advertised album, it was later re-issued at mid-price but is now out of print.
Thirty years of Dolly music are represented here, from 1967's Dumb blonde (although as Dolly herself once quipped - she ain't dumb and she ain't blonde) to 1997's Just when I needed you most.
In between are many Dolly classics - Jolene, I will always love you (two versions), Here you come again, 9 to 5, Islands in the stream and My Tennessee mountain home among them. I've never been keen on Heartbreaker and would have preferred the brilliant Baby I'm burning from that album. Other notable omissions include Bargain store, The seeker, Two doors down and Old flames - but like I said, you can't put everything on a single CD.
As compensation, this does include Applejack (one of my favorite Dolly tracks, which does not appear on these compilations as often as I think it deserves), a duet with Porter Wagoner (a great version of Last thing on my mind), her version of In the ghetto and a little-heard duet with Willie Nelson (actually a sixties Dolly recording with Willie's voice added a few years later).
You also get some of her best Sony/Columbia recordings, including Yellow roses and Eagle when she flies, though missing out Romeo.
Track listing
1 Jolene
2 Islands In The Stream - with Kenny Rogers
3 Here You Come Again
4 I Will Always Love You - 1982 recording
5 Love Is Like A Butterfly
6 Everything is beautiful (in it's own way)
7 Just Because Im A Woman
8 Why'd you come in here looking like that
9 Last Thing On My Mind - with Porter Wagoner
10 In the ghetto
11 Bargain Store
12 9 To 5
13 Joshua
14 Heartbreaker
15 Rockin Years - with Ricky van Shelton
16 To daddy - 1976 recording
17 Coat Of Many Colors
18 Yellow Roses
19 Applejack
20 Eagle when she flies
21 Put it off until tomorrow - with Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn
22 Dumb blonde
23 My Tennessee mountain home
24 Just when I needed you most - with Alison Krauss
25 I Will Always Love You - 1973 recording
