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DVDfever.co.uk – Dolly Parton: Live From London CD reviewElly Roberts reviews
Sony Music
- Released: January 2010
- Rating: CD: 10/10; DVD: 8/10
- Vote and comment on this album:View Comments
Hits, hits, and more hits.
When country music legend Dolly Parton comes to town, you should brace yourself. Parton is well known for two things (I know what youre thinking) her simple country gal personality, end her, ahem, huge bust. But behind that image, theres a killer songwriter. Shes written some of the most memorable country / crossover songs of all-time. If you can put up with some family history ramblings and interview drop-ins, youll probably enjoy this show.
Theres nothing spectacular going on here, presentation wise. Simple band singer format with various projected backdrops.
Voluptuous 64-year-old Dolly, still arguably the biggest name on the country scene, can still use that heavily lilted soprano to devastating effect. We mustnt forget that this Dollywood star didnt get her reputation on a meal ticket. She grafted away for years, and just to prove shes got bundles, of talent. She plays guitar, banjo, autoharp, piano, drums, Appalachian dulcimer, fiddle, harmonica, and pennywhistle. So her assets are quite, er, impressive!Former dirt-poor farm girl Dolly Rebecca Parton made her name subbing for Norma Jean (not Marilyn Monroe) on The Porter Wagoner Show in 1967, and it was a sort of baptism from hell shed never forget.
Since her 1967 debut, Hello, Im Dolly, shes released 41 albums, so theres plenty in her long and distinguished career to dip into.Filmed at Londons O2, the ultra-chatty superstar rolls back the years. She had to, because it was 1982 when she stopped by last, and there was a lot of catching up to do for the fans.Twenty-six years on, she proved she still had what it takes.
Parton with her easy-going stage persona is simply unstoppable and incomparable when shes in this mood.Pink-stetsoned fans packed out the worlds most popular arena.The band played on with Dolly backstage then came her entrance.
Well hello London, in her squeaky Tennessee drawl with fans going nuts. Hows everybody doin tonight?, as if she needed an answer.
In her spray-on sparkly blues dress, she instantly engaged the fans with show-biz chit-chat, then slipped into Two Doors Down, a country and pop hit in 1978.It was recorded in the more country style by Zella Lehr, while Dollys was a looser and popier take which she does here. After a short intro about a redheaded gall, we get called Jolene, a song (loosely based on a real woman who tried to steal her husband Carl Thomas Dean) that went number one in 1974.
This tour, apart from being a hits-fest, was to promote her then new album Backwoods Barbie. She sings the title track about her dreams of being pretty with great energy , but she does rattle on a bit beforehand , which has been edited, and not cleverly either. Its first time she tackles a guitar too.After a whopping (and tedious) 6 minute family history we eventually get her signature tune Coat Of Many Colours, with that twang in fine fettle. Her 2007 smash-hit Better Get To Livin is well received, bringing the biggest cheer of the night, so far. A mostly a capella Little Sparrow is stunning.
At the piano she tackles a stirring The Grass Is Blue, followed by an impressive collective a capella How Often Do I Cross Mind?, then straight into her 1978 Grammy-winning album and title track Here You Come Again, her first million selling album.In a grand finale she duets (with back-up singer) for her 1983 hit Islands In The Stream, then her 1980 hit 9 To 5 gets the party treatment.
I Will Always Love You proves to be a show-stopper with the 20,000 crowd singing along.The CD, with chit-chat kept to a minimum (i.e. heavily edited) will prove a winner.
The verdict A real superstar in action.
Weblink:dollyparton.com
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Two Doors Down
2. Jolene
3. Backwoods Barbie
4. Coat Of Many Colours
5. Only Dreamin
6. Better Get To Livin
7. Shinola
8. Little Sparrow
9. The Grass Is Blue
10. Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?
11. Here You Come Again
12. Islands In The Steam
13. 9 To 5
14. I Will Always Love You
15. Jesus And Gravity View the discussion thread.blog comments powered by Disqus= 0) {query += ‘url’ + i + ‘=’ + encodeURIComponent(links[i].href) + ‘&’;}}document.write(”);})();//]]]]>]]>
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.