Dolly Parton Album: “Something Special”

This has got to be one of my favorite Dolly albums ever. When she first came out in the 60's, she was very dark and depressing. She was an artist of rare form. This album shows that she hasn't changed. They talk about how heavy metal songs drive teenagers to commit suicide, but "Crippled Bird" is even more dangerous. It is filled with hopelessness and despair. If you are depressed when she says "Oh to die would be a pleasure", you want to search for a knife. This songs says you have nowhere to go. You feel the emotions and the pain. "Something Special" has a mellow Mowtown sound with a nice positive message about not forgetting to let someone know that you love them. "Change" We all wish we could end a relationship peacefully with understanding. Instead, we hang on because we don't want to be alone. Sometimes, we need a change. We're better off that way. "I Will Always Love You" If you haven't heard it, you've been in a coma. The original was very sweet, touching and honest. The second version, for "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" had a happy ending,... in the movie. Whitney Houston's version was more successful, but if you listen to it very carefully, you hear Dolly's original version. Who was tickling her anyway? This version, with Vince Gill could be the best version yet, because you get to feel both sides of the story, the way it was intended. The next two songs make you remember your first love. Tight jeans, untucked shirt and messy hair. When he tilted his head and smiled, you didn't care about the rest. "Jolene" The haunting melody and emotion are gone. "No Good Way of Saying Good-bye is another 'we need to separate' song, but different from the others on this album. The vocals and music are louder, but they need to be. It's like she's thinking, 'you're not listening to me and you can't make me change my mind.' "The Seeker" is a good upbeat religious song about needing direction. "Teach Me to Trust" We've all been here before. In a new relationship and still hurting from the last one. It's a plea to save a relationship. 'I love you, but I'm afraid. Please understand' If you can't say it yourself, play this song to the one you love. It will help. Although this album is filled with depressing material, it is very peaceful and cleansing. It can give you courage to make a change if you let it.

This is a more obscure release from Dolly Parton. Not her best, but there's some great gems here. On this 1995 release, she gives some of her older songs a new flair and style. Songs that were reworked include "The Seeker", "Jolene" and the classic "I Will Always Love You". Her reworking of "I Will Always Love You" is especially good, since this time it is remade as a duet with Vince Gill. The song was a mild hit with country radio, and one of her last to crack the top 20. The rest of the album is a mixed bag. "Crippled Bird" is an incredibly poetic but sad ballad. "Change" is a nice ballad that is very honest about wanting a change in a relationship. "Teach Me To Trust", the album closer, is another nice song. The rest of the songs are ok, but nothing too special really. Not an essential release from Parton by any means but the avid fan will want it.

This album is one of my favourite Dolly ones. No, sorry...it IS my favourite. From the first song 'Crippled Bird' a real sad song (not recommended for the depressed), to beautiful love ballads to spiritual songs, this album is truly special. Vince Gill lends his vocal talents to a remaking of 'I will always love you'. Dolly has a true talent of writing songs that speak to the heart and soul, no matter what the subject is. Listen to the heart breaking 'Change'. Her voice trembles with emotion. What a talent. What a voice.

At first listen this CD may not win you over as it's not what we have come to expect from Dolly. We have always heard the sad Dolly from the beginning with her heartbreaking songs during the 60's and 70's but they were always done with that traditional country sound. Then there were the pop ballads that she did so well. This album is not country but its not pop either. Here, Dolly shows us her sophisticated mature side. Once you do listen to it more than once you will fall in love with this fantastic CD. It has many sad songs driven with mostly simple piano arrangements. "Crippled Bird", "Change", "Teach Me to Trust" & "No Good Way of Saying Goodbye" are extremely well written simple tunes. They prove that the power of simple lyrics are usually much more powerful than songs that attempt to put in more complicated lyrics. "Something Special" & "Green Eyed Boy" are more lighthearted but are reflective and are great songs when you are in the mood to revisit the past a bit. "Speakin' of the Devil" is a slight miss here. Its an extremely well written song but just seems to be a bit out of place on this more elegant CD and I am hoping one day Dolly will re-record it on a different project and give this deserving song a slightly different take. The 3 re-records here of some of her classics (Jolene, I Will Always Love You, & The Seeker) are nice but they are not as powerful as her original versions. Overall, as a complete project this CD actually comes out amazing. It's not a CD when you're in a dancing mood, but on those quite nights where you just want to have a glass of wine and relax this may be just what you're searching for.

By the mid 1990s, Dolly's career was slowing down, radiostations were not playing her music anymore, because they thought she was too old. "Something Special" was a hit! for Dolly, making it on the U.S. country album chart at #10. The album features three updated classics from her own repertoire: "Jolene", "The Seeker" and "I Will Always Love You" which was recorded as a duet with Vince Gill. The duet version of the song "I Will Always Love You" hit #14 on the U.S. country singles chart, making it Dolly's highest charting song single in four years, her last hit song at the time was "Rockin' Years" from her 1991 album "Eagle When She Flies". Also the duet verison of the song "I Will Always Love You" was named Country Music Association's Vocal Event Of The Year. Pretty good for someone who wasn't being played on the radio anymore.

1. Crippled Bird - is one of the saddest, but one of the most beautifully sung songs I've ever heard Dolly sing.

2. Something Special - is the main title to the album. The song is mostly low key & instead of a drop, at one point in the song, there's a lift from the music and from Dolly's vocals.

3. Change - is another low key song, that sort of has a power to it, thanks to Dolly's singing voice.

4. I Will Always Love You - This is Dolly's third version of the song that she wrote years ago. It's also probarly the best version to date, due to her matured voice and music style of the 1990s, not to mention Vince Gill helped too. The original version was on her 1974 album "Jolene" and later became a hit for her with "The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas" version. The duet version was also a hit like I said in the review above, making #14 on the U.S. country singles chart.

5. Green-Eyed Boy - By the title you know it's about a boy, that she misses. Cute & playful song.

6. Speakin' Of The Devil - has a old traditional country feel to it. The song is very playful too.

7. Jolene - This is Dolly's second version of the song, it has a more modern sound to it, and Dolly's vocals are more matured, then the original one, making this version better.

8. No Good Way Of Saying Good-Bye - is the second best song on the album, it's a little low key, but has a familiar sound & name to it like "I'll Never Say Good-bye" which appears on "Hungry Again".

9. The Seeker - This is Dolly's second version of the song, it's also better then the original and is one of Dolly's best religious songs she's ever sung.

10. Teach Me To Trust - is a very sad song, just like "Crippled Bird" & "Change", this song has a power to it too, maybe because of Dolly's vocals.

P.S. - Better late then never.