Dolly Parton Album: “Live and Well”

Description :

Personnel include: Dolly Parton (vocals); Kent Wells (vocals, guitar, acoustic guitar); Richard Dennison (vocals, acoustic guitar, keyboards); Randy Kohrs (vocals, dobro); Gary Davis (acoustic guitar, banjo); Brent Truitt (mandolin); Jimmy Mattingly (fiddle); Jay Weaver (acoustic bass guitar); Steve Turner (drums). <p>Recording information: Celebrity Theater, Dollywood, Tennessee. <p>Recorded in 2002, this live performance by singer Dolly Parton proves that the 56-year-old crooner could still sing with the same vim and vigor as she did in her youth. The concert begins with a blistering version of "Orange Blossom Special," which displays the awesome technical abilities of Parton's bluegrass band. The ensemble then moves through 22 fantastic country tunes, including material from Parton's album HALOS & HORNS, which was new at the time. <p>The crowd goes wild for Parton's famous "9 to 5," from the movie of the same name. She gets the audience cooing along with her on this ditty, and the band gives this pop song a much more traditional "mountain music" feel. Nonetheless, Parton's "A Cappella Medley" is the most endearing selection on this two-disc set. Comprised of four delicate country ballads, including Parton's own "Two Doors Down," this medley is marked by exquisite four-part harmonies and many subtle lyrical nuances. The most peculiar track on LIVE AND WELL is Parton's cover of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven," a tune she converts into a bluegrass ballad with a light backbeat. Her rendition of this rock classic is insightful, warm, and (as it turns out) quite a crowd-pleaser.

I always wonder how good any live album actually will be. I assumed Dolly would deliver, but you just don't know for sure. This live album is fun to listen to...almost more for what she says in between the songs than the actual songs themselves. I did say "almost"--the song material is exceptional and, for the most part, from her bluegrass trilogy, "The Grass is Blue," "Little Sparrow" and "Halos and Horns." Of course, her standards are included as well, so you get a little of the old Dolly and the new and improved Dolly, too. This cd is bluegrass heavy, and with that mountain voice, I could listen to Dolly sing it all day long. I started listening in '78, but her work in the last 5 years is some of her finest and my favorite. She is brilliant as a bluegrass musician. Dolly and bluegrass go together like biscuits and gravy. My favorite cut is #4 "Mountain Angel." The song is great, but the banter at the end is even better. With all the jokes and storytelling and her heartfelt sincerity, it's almost just like being there.

This LP is a rare gem among the country genre. Parton's voice is angelic as is her delivery of these great tunes. Given that Parton has been established for decades, the fact that she composes these gloriously melodic songs is enough to garner this LP 5 stars. As a rule, the LIVE recordings leave so much to be desired in the quality department: Not here. Very impressive music and sound. Parton's voice is NOT over powered in these selections. Parton and all the musicians on this LP are to be thanked for a job well done. Seems so effortless, I'm certain it is not.

This is Dolly's newest Live album, taken from her Halos and Horns tour in 2002. I only hope they do another live cd for her current tour, Hello I'm Dolly. This is a nice intimate set where Dolly sings mostly her new material, with a few older hits thrown in for good measure. The set is bluegrass heavy, drawing from her past three albums mostly. What makes this enjoyable is not only the music, but the time she takes to talk and interact with the audience. Highlights include "After The Goldrush", "I Will Always Love You", "Mountain Angel", "The Grass Is Blue", "Halos and Horns" and many others. A true testament to the excellent entertainer she is.

I've always loved Dolly's music, but I never realized how versatile and phenomenal of a performer she is until I caught the concert that this 2-disc set is based on. During the concert, she plays over 7 instruments, covers a range of songs from her bluegrass mountain roots to a beautifully uplifting version of "Stairway to Heaven," and gets in some good banter with the audience while she's at it. She even manages to work the phrase "Drag Queen" into one of her songs...how can you beat that!

I could honestly listen to this album for days at a time. I highly recommend it!

AND I LOVE YOU DOLLY!!!

This is a concert recorded live at Dollywood in December 2002, when she was promoting her HALOS AND HORNS album. It was her first tour (although short) in over 10 years. This is a must have for Dolly's fans. She sings a lot of material from her latest albums, THE GRASS IS BLUE, LITTLE SPARROW and HALOS AND HORNS. She also sings a lot of old favorites. The music is great, but so is Dolly, who takes a lot of time during the concert to joke around and talk with the crowd. This is the ultimate collection really for Dolly, because it gives you the full package of who she is as a performer. Highly reccomended!