Dolly Parton Album: “RCA Years 1967-1986”

This is a great collection of songs from Dolly Parton, during her years with RCA. The songs " Heartbreaker, " Single Women", "Making Plans", and "Appalachian Memories" are standouts. The duet with Porter Wagoner "Making Plans" prompted me to also purchase "Porter & Dolly" cd because of my love of their duet. Dolly is at her best, in my oppinion, singing ballads, and this cd showcases that talent excedingly well. God love Dolly, she is truly one of a kind.

The first disc of this box set (although maybe there should've been smaller paper for packaging like a regular 2-CD set, but with the same liner notes and pictures, to make it less expensive) shows why Dolly Parton is a legend. With really good recordings like "Jolene," "Down From Dover," and "Just Because I'm a Woman," among others, she shows to be a great country singer and songwriter with an at times heartbreaking repertoire. The second disc shows why Dolly is a superstar. However, more pop recordings like "Here You Come Again" are sometimes good, but mostly fair and unindelible. If you can, borrow the first disc from someone and tape it or something. Then, you'll get one really disc that'll make you forget the downside of Dolly Parton's success.

Dolly Parton, who is in my opinion, one of the most overrated singers in country music history, has had some good songs down through the years, so I decided to go the box set route with her. It is a worthwhile set, with songs like "Coat Of Many Colors", "Nine To Five", and "I Will Always Love You" on it. and "The Seeker" The gems are the not so well known songs like "Love Is A Butterfly, and "Mule Skinner"" which are very good. One song on this CD I really hate is "Jolene". This has been done by FOUR different singers: Dolly, Martina McBride, Sherrie Austin, and Olivia Newton-John. I happen to have THREE of them (I don't have Martina's), and not one version appeals to me at all. I just don't get this song at all, it is pathetic, and I hold Dolly responible for it (Cause she wrote it).

I would recommend getting this set, but there are so many better boxes then this (In particular, "Strait Out Of The Box"). so if you can get it on sale, go get it.