Search - Porter Wagoner, Dolly Parton :: Porter Wagoner & Dolly Parton - 20 Greatest Hits

Not quite as the title suggests

Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 08/02/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Dolly has been my favorite singer since I started collecting music seriously, but quite apart from the brilliance of her own music, she also has an outstanding catalog of recordings made with others - in recent years with Kenny, Linda, Emmylou, Tammy and Loretta as well as numerous guest appearances with many different singers. Yet, some of the best recordings Dolly ever made were her duets with Porter.



They recorded a lot of albums, all of which I bought on vinyl. Apart from Essential Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton, this is the strongest compilation of their music so far released. Fifteen of the tracks here can also be found on Essential, yet if you use Billboard as a guide, the 20 tracks on the Essential compilation were actually their 20 greatest hits. For this compilation, five of their bona-fide hits were dropped and replaced by songs that were popular among their fans.



Of the five non-hits, two were songs about unlucky children (Silver sandals, Jeannie's afraid of the dark). Also here is Forty miles from Poplar Bluff, one of my favorite Porter and Dolly tracks. It was very controversial at the time because of its use of horns although anybody listening to it will realize that they enhance the recording, which is still solidly country. However, maybe the controversy prevented its release as a single. The other two non-hits were Just between you and me and Before I met you - again, both sound good enough to have been hits. Both were covers but Porter and Dolly had several cover hits (see later). To make may for those five tracks without increasing the number of tracks, they dropped Always always, The right combination, Together always, We found it and Say forever you'll be mine from this compilation.



Many of the songs Porter and Dolly recorded were written by Dolly, including (on this set) Tomorrow is forever, Daddy was an old time preacher man, Lost forever in your kiss and Together always. Porter also contributed by writing Burning the midnight oil and co-writing with Dolly two of their biggest hits (Please don't stop loving me and If you go I'll follow you).



They also recorded covers - not as many as was the custom in those days, but always well chosen. They had hits with The last thing on my mind (Tom Paxton), Yours love (previously a hit for Waylon), Just someone I used to know (originally a hit for George Jones, but titled A girl I used to know), If teardrops were pennies (first a hit for Carl Smith) and Making plans, written by Johnny Russell (who later also did a duet with Dolly on the song).



The other songs are excellent originals, written by a variety of writers. Every song on this collection is a masterpiece. Anybody who claims to be a true Dolly fan needs some of her duets with Porter, a fine singer with a nice baritone voice, but who will be forever remembered for his work with Dolly, despite being the first to have a hit with Green green grass of home and making many other wonderful records."

20 GREATEST HITS PORTER WAGONER & DOLLY PARTON

HELEN CASTEEL | APOPKA, FLORIDA United States | 04/21/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"THIS IS TRADITIONAL COUNTRY MUSIC AT ITS VERY BEST. THERE ARE GREAT FEMALE/MALE DUOS TODAY, BUT PORTER AND DOLLY CAN REALLY PUT ALL THE EMOTION THAT THE SONGS ON THIS CD REQUIRE. WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND!"