Dolly Parton Album: “Coat of Many Colors”

For an artist of Parton's stature, it's incredible that her towering early achievements are so spottily available on CD. Many of her brilliant solo albums of the '70s - the sides waxed before crossing over to pop stardom - have been left unreissued. The few that have seen CD, such as this classic 1971 release, have moved in and out of print. Buddha provided a straight-up reissue in 1999, and an imported two-fer on BMG paired this title with Parton's "Joshua" LP. The domestic Buddha release is now replaced by this bonus-track augmented Legacy reissue, but fans that want the extra tracks here and "Joshua" on the import will buy themselves some duplication.

Parton's early years under the tutelage of Porter Wagoner were rich in material and performances, and "Coat of Many Colors" contains some of her best. The title track weaves biography, bible verse and gospel soul into one of Parton's most heart-rending compositions. Her words capture the emotional turmoil of childhood through the discovery of an adult's nostalgic memory, and her voice holds both a little girl's confusion and a women's knowingness. It's breathtaking to hear songwriting, singing and production mesh so fully.

The unrivaled quality of Parton's voice is heard on the bluegrass-harmony backed "My Blue Tears" and the forthright "She Never Met a Man (She Didn't Like)." Parton's sassy comedic edge, which would carry her into the mainstream, is heard on "Traveling Man," and the outré "If I Lose My Mind" must have shocked a few country listeners in 1971. The backings include fiddle, steel, twangy guitar, funky swamp beats and even a touch of '70s soul, and it's a testament to Parton's artistic gravity that it meshes so well into an album.

The reissue's four bonus tracks include three cast-offs from the original 1971 sessions, and the a superb acoustic demo of "My Blue Tears." Parton rerecorded her own "My Heart Started Breaking" for her 1975 "Dolly" LP, but this 1971 version's never been heard before. Her "Just as Good as Gone" was left to the songbook, and her rendition of Porter Wagoner's "The Tender Touch of Love" now joins the previously released edition by Jim Ed Brown. All three of the studio-produced bonuses fit the sound and feel of the album, but it's the voice-and-guitar demo of "My Blue Tears" that catapults this disc past earlier reissues.

Legacy's reissue (along with accompanying volumes of "My Tennessee Mountain Home" and "Jolene") fills out the packaging with newly struck liner notes by Chet Flippo and chart and session information that was missing from the earlier Buddha edition. The running time is still short (38 minutes, instead of the original LP's 27), but it's a great place to start a Dolly Parton collection; those who own the earlier CD reissue should consider upgrading for the bonus tracks and new booklet. [©2007 hyperbolium dot com]

I must fully agree with those who are praising the reissue of this album. It seems that many of Parton's earlier more country oriented work will gradually be reissued. Now that she seems to be rediscovering her roots with albums like "Hungry Again," and "The Grass is Blue," it is time for the rest of the world who seems to think that Shania Twain is the real deal, the understand what a real country album sounds like. This is the place to start!

For too long, RCA/BMG has treated the catalog of Dolly Parton with incompetence and indifference. Albums from her early country period have been out of print for years while collection after collection contain the same songs from her uninteresting pop phase of her career. With the long overdue reissue of this album, BMG may be sending signals that it is ready to treat this music with the respect and honor it deserves.

If there was no other song here then the title track, this CD would be worth having, but as it turns out the entire disc is full of the kind of music Dolly Parton has always done best. Now that commercial radio has turned their backs on her, Parton seems to be headed back in the place she should have never left. Let us hope that BMG's reissue of this classic album is a sign of good things to come from them. Here's to more Parton reissues.

Rolling Stone magazine named this album last year as one of the top 100 greatest albums of all time by any artist in any genre. Heavily regarded by many critics and Dolly fans as one of the top 3 albums in her career, "Coat of Many Colors" is simply a standout. This collection comes with new liner notes, recorded dates of the song sessions, beautiful repackaging of the original LP art, and 4 new songs never released, with the exception of "Just as Good as Gone" that was a rare single B-side released back in 1972. A must have for any music fan. The rare Dolly pictures too are the most glamorous I have ever seen of Dolly Parton.

COAT OF MANY COLORS is the first solo album of Dolly Parton, released in October 1971. The CD presents already seven songs composed by Dolly. The song that gives its name to the CD - " Coat of Many Colors " - has become a classic and is truly a little masterpiece partly because one feels that Dolly Parton has put in it a bit of her own blood. Other all-time classics include such songs as " Traveling Man ", " My Blue Tears " and " Here I Am ".

It's astonishing to see how Dolly Parton already masters in her first album the sweet ballads as " Early Morning Breeze " as well as the gospel style for " Here I Am ". In comparison, the three songs composed by her mentor at that time - Porter Wagoner - look very pale if not slightly ridiculous like " The Mystery of the Mystery " . One can also regret that the producers of this BUDDHA and BMG re-release didn't judge necessary to print the texts of the songs nor the names of the great musicians who were behind Dolly Parton during the recordings. A little respect doesn't cost a lot.

A CD for a Dolly future fan.