Dolly Parton Album: “Just Because I'm a Woman”

Following her transfer to RCA at Porter Wagoner's insistence, this was Dolly's first solo album. In the sixties, her duets with Porter were considerably more successful, but I regard Dolly's early albums - solo and duet - as some of the finest that she recorded. This is not my favorite among them but I'm pleased to see it finally get a CD release in America. It was released in Europe on CD some years ago as half of a twofer, paired with her first duet album. On this re-mastered version, there are a couple of bonus tracks both live cuts, one of them being Coat of many colors before she did a studio recording.

The main album shows what Dolly singing the kind of songs that she does best - traditional country songs about life as it really is in rural America. When she recorded this album, there was a lot of vibrato in her voice, which I love, but Dolly received advice to get rid of it if she could. Over the years, she gradually changed her voice and the vibrato disappeared altogether over time.

Like Tammy and Loretta, Dolly established her reputation by recording some songs that women could relate to. On this album, the title track (proclaiming that women should not be blamed any more than men) is the clearest example of such a song, though men also love this song, perhaps for different reasons.

Apart from the title track, Dolly has a few other warnings to men in songs such as You're gonna be sorry, Little bit slow to catch on and I'm running out of love. Dolly sings about a sister in trouble because of a man (Baby sister), having two men (I wish I felt this way at home), marrying for money (I'll oil wells love you), the struggle to achieve fame (False eyelashes), trying to keep her man (The only way out is to walk over me) and suicide (The bridge). Two tracks (Love and learn, Try being lonely) are sad ballads about former relationships.

None of the songs on this album have become standards but that just means that there is all the more reason to by this album. Now, how about CD releases of In the good old days, My blue ridge mountain boy, Fairest of them all, Touch your woman, Bubbling over, Love is like a butterfly, Bargain store, The seeker/We used to and All I can do - not forgetting all those duet albums.

Having waxed an earlier LP for Monument, this isn't Parton's official solo debut, but with her meteoric rise to prominence as Porter Wagoner's duet partner, and her transfer to RCA, this 1968 release marks the true spiritual start of her solo career. It not only lays out the spare sound that would make her early recordings so powerful (and distinct from the countrypolitan records being churned out by Nashville at the time), but stakes out the songwriting prowess that would continue to shine to this very day.

In addition to a few of Wagoner's band members and fine Nashville studio hands (including stellar, and recently un-retired, steel player, Lloyd Green), Parton was lucky to have Chet Atkins' assistant Bob Ferguson at the producer's desk. In contrast to Atkins, Ferguson used a lighter sound that kept Parton and her background singers (including Anita Carter) front and center. Parton penned four of this set's tunes (the title track, the self-empowered "You're Gonna Be Sorry," the Bakersfieldian "I'll Oilwells Love You," and the powerful love-to-abandonment parable "The Bridge"), but she's also very well served by like-minded songs collected from others. "False Eyelashes" is a twangy tale of failed ambitions, and the self-discovery of Neal Merritt's "The Only Way Out (Is to Walk Over Me)" fits Parton's combination of fragility and resolve to a tee.

RCA's CD reissue adds two previously unreleased live tracks from 1970, one is the title tune, and the second of the first-ever recording of "Coat of Many Colors." While the latter doesn't have the heartstring-production of the subsequent hit single, it's sparse acoustic guitar accompaniment (rendering this nearly an a cappella performance) starkly frames its hymnal qualities. This is probably the only time you'll ever hear Parton announce on stage, "I'd like to do a song called 'The Coat of Many Colors'" and not hear the audience thunder with applause (until the end, of course). You can sense the breathless discovery of Parton's audience hearing this gem for the first time, and Parton's emotion in singing it for an audience that hasn't already heard the true-life story.

As great as Parton's hits are, it's even greater to hear them in the context of all the other fine songs she wrote and sang. A few of her later albums (e.g., 1971's "Coat of Many Colors") may edge this one slightly in overall strength, but this is a truly essential part of country music's heritage and a great place to begin one's appreciation of Parton's entire catalog.

Dolly Parton signed with RCA Records in October, 1967 and in December she would record this, her first full-length solo album for the label. "Just Because I'm A Woman" is now regarded by many as one of Dolly's best in-studio albums reflecting the era of late sixties Nashville and the evolution of the women's movement. In this one collection Dolly's songs encompassess everything from telling a man he is no better than her because he is a male, suicide, love gone wrong, lying about one's life to impress her family, and so much more. The record would also be one of the few early Dolly Parton LP's to garner a CD release in 2003 with bonus tracks.

Highlights include the title song that would go all the way to #17 on Billboard, "False Eyelashes", "The Bridge", "I'll Oilwells Love You" (perhaps an early indication of "I Will Always Love You"), "I Wish I Felt This Way At Home", and so many more.

The album was a certified hit going to #22 on the Billboard Country Charts.

The beautiful white dress that Dolly wears on the cover was the one she wore on her first meeting with Porter Wagoner in 1967 when he hired her as his girl singer on both his TV show and road concerts.

For any Dolly fan, this is a no brainer. Who wouldn't want to hear the album that started the phenomonon? All the characteristcs that come to mind when I think of Dolly can be found here. Her honesty, down-to-earth sensibility, ability to touch your heart, playfulness and spirituality. Her voice is a bit higher than I'm used to hearing but her honesty shines through in spades. I love the playful "I'll Oilwells Love You" and "Just Because I'm A Woman". Though overall I must admit to liking her current material more.

As a bonus, there is a live version of "Just Because I'm A Woman" included that was previously unreleased. Also previously unreleased, and included on this set, is the first ever recorded performance of a signature Dolly song "Coat Of Many Colors". What a treat!

I believe this album is the best album Dolly ever recorded, and I have everything she has done. It is her first album after signing with RCA Victor (she had two prior albums on Monument Label). RCA did a superb job of re-mastering this album on CD.

I like every tract, but my favorites are I WISH I FELT THIS WAY AT HOME, FALSE EYELASHES, THE ONLY WAY OUT, THE BRIDGE, JUST BECAUSE I'M A WOMAN and BABY SISTER.

Dolly wrote or co-wrote 4 tractrs including "The Bridge"

The producers added two unreleased tracts which were not on the original album - live versions of JUST BECAUSE I'M A WOMAN and COAT OF MANY COLORS. These are excellent.

If you want to hear Dolly when she was one of the best traditional country artists, then this is a CD which you must buy. You will not be sorry.