Search - Various Artists :: Just Because I'm a Woman: The Songs of Dolly Parton

DeeDee F. from NIANTIC, CT
Reviewed on 6/11/2007...

What a wonderful tribute this album is to the great Dolly Parton. The songs are rendered beautifully by some of my favorite artists (although there are 2-3 renditions that I don't like and skip over). I found this CD at a yard sale, never knowing it existed, and it has since become one of the favorites in my collection. It's a must-have in my book for any Dolly fan.

C G. (countrygal) from SAINT FRANCIS, AR
Reviewed on 4/11/2007...

This is one of my favorites - Alison, Melissa, etc. You can't go wrong with this CD

Wasn't really a Dolly Parton fan, but love this CD

11/12/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I haven't been a fan of Dolly Parton (really out of ignorance; I haven't seriously listened to her music), but when I saw Shania Twain talk about and sing Coat of Many Colors w/Dolly Parton on Oprah, then saw Norah Jones & DP sing The Grass is Blue on the Country Music Awards, I had to get this CD. Because the songs are sung by musicians I already appreciated (Twain and Jones), I knew it wouldn't be a bad purchase. It has actually proven to be a great purchase. For someone who isn't that familiar w/DP, it is a great way to get introduced to what a great songwriter she is. The lyrics and tunes are really awesome. On the critical side, I would say that in my opinion, I do not like the Kasey Chambers number. The rest are great. Some are greater than others. The best in my opinion are the songs sung by Twain, Kraus, Osborne, Jones, Lynne, & Smith. I will be replaying those over and over for a long time. Because of this CD, I have come to appreciate DP and am now looking around for her older stuff."

A Mixed Bag

stormy3 | Austin | 03/13/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This album is like the girl with the curl--when it is good, it is very good, when it is bad, it's horrid. That being said the majority of the album is worth the money. However, I will break this down into the good, the bad and what I liked that others might not.
The Bad:
Suprisingly the first track on the album is "9 to 5" by Allison Krauss--a noramlly good song by a normally good singer. However, she slows it way down and mumbles the whole thing, removing the punch the song needs. Another big shocker is the normally good Melissa Etheridge doing an achingly dull "I will always Love You."
The Okay:
Norah Jones does a good version of "the Grass is Blue" but it is really predictable.
Mindy Smith's "Jolene" fell into the good category until I heard the one on One Moment More with it's haunting duet ending.
Shania Twain's "Coat of Many Colors" actually sounds country--unfortunately they cruelly plopped her between country's most heavenly voice Emmylou Harris and twang so sharp it can slice cheese Kasey Chambers. Unfortunately, you can really tell that this song was recorded in four pieces (AKUS instrumentals, Twain's vocals, AKUS vocals, Parton's voclas) and Twain just doesn't have the vocals to really let go and give this song the emotional push it needs.
Dolly Parton's "Just Because I'm A Woman" (bonus Track) is slightly dated, but more than anything else the open and emotional version she did originally is far superior than this overproduced attempt at empowerment. (If she wanted female empowerment she should have sung "Eagle When She Flies" and not simply added an R&B backdrop to a song involving the lyrics "Now a man will take a good girl/and you ruined her reputation/but when he wants to marry that's a different situation.")
The Good:
Surprisingly, the best cover on the album is from soulful rocker Joan Osbourne on a remarkable back-yard sounding "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind." Here is a rock singer who has talked about doing a country album that shows the vocal chops and musical knowledge to do it.
Shelby Lynne pulls a whole river full of Alabama gospel to turn out a moving "The Seeker."
Emmylou Harris' "To Daddy" disappoints by being the only track on the album previously recorded, but it is one of the best female country songs ever, so, what can you say.
Kasey Chambers does a driving version of "Little Sparrow." Musically, this is pretty much what you would expect form her, but she brings an amazing level of anger to her vocals, so different from the wounded hurt we have grown used to.
Allison Moorer's "Light of a Clear Blue Morning" suffers slightly from the retro production (read record scratchy) yet, the simple, quite joy she brigns to the lyrics takes your breath away.
Stuff I loved which may be off putting:
Sinead O' Connor's "Daggar Through The Heart" starts off stilted, but gets into the rage of he song really well.
I am a HUGE Me'shell N'degeocello fan and I love her rendition of "Two Doors Down," but others might find the funky, sultry mix way too non-country."