Dolly Parton - Rockstar

by Nick Dent-Robinson

published: 5 / 12 / 2023

Label: Big Machine
Format: CD X2

intro

Impressive collection of covers on first rock album from Dolly Parton

For many years, when Dolly Parton's name was proposed for membership of America's prestigious Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, she rejected the accolade, seeing herself as primarily a country performer. Eventually, in 2022, she changed her mind and was inducted in May that year alongside Duran Duran and Eminem. Subsequently, Dolly - now aged 77 - decided she would release her first-ever rock album in celebration - and she hasn't done things by halves! The record, simply entitled ‘Rockstar’, has thirty tracks running to 2 hours and 20 minutes with the vinyl edition stetching across four LPs and the CD appearing as a double. There are several self-penned tracks on the album reiterating Dolly's skill as a songwriter (‘Jolene’ and ‘9 to 5’ were just two of the massive hits Dolly has written in the past). But the new album mainly consists of covers of classic rock and pop hits, often performed by Dolly with help from the stars who first made the songs famous. /Baby, I Love Your Way’ is a duet with Peter Frampton, ‘Every Breath You Take’ finds Dolly performing with Sting whilst Elton John appears on ‘Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me’. There is an interesting version of Queen's ‘We Are The Champions’ and REO Speedwagon's Kevin Cronin duets with Dolly on the 1980s soft rock staple, ‘Keep On Loving You’. Dolly's goddaughter Miley Cyrus joins her in a performance of Myley's 2013 chart-topper ‘Wrecking Ball’ - and their lovely duet ends with a snippet of Dolly's own ‘I Will Always Love You’. Dolly shows her sense of humour when Stevie Nicks appears with her on ‘What Has Rock And Roll Ever Done For You’ and there is an interesting and very different version of ‘Stairway To Heaven’ featuring Lizzo on jazz flute. Despite the impressive line-up, probably the best moments of the album are when Dolly explores her own authentic strain of country-rock. She is in her element on Creedence Clearwater Revival's ‘Long As I Can See The Light’ and her version of Bob Seeger's ‘Night Moves’ sung with Chris Stapleton is superb. Simon Le Bon is surprisingly effective on country ballad ‘My Blue Tears’, too. The album's finale includes Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr joining Dolly for a powerful rendition of ‘Let It Be’ - a fitting end to a long but impressive first rock album from Dolly Parton.

Track Listing:-

1 Rockstar [Explicit]
2 World On Fire
3 Every Breath You Take
4 Open Arms
5 Magic Man (Carl Version)
6 Long As I Can See The Light
7 Either Or
8 I Want You Back
9 What Has Rock And Roll Ever Done For You
10 Purple Rain
11 Baby, I Love Your Way
12 I Hate Myself For Loving You
13 Night Moves
14 Wrecking Ball
15 (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction
16 Keep On Loving You
17 Heart Of Glass
18 Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me
19 Tried To Rock And Roll Me
20 Stairway To Heaven
21 We Are The Champions-We Will Rock You
22 Bygones
23 My Blue Tears
24 What’s Up?
25 You’re No Good
26 Heartbreaker
27 Bittersweet
28 I Dreamed About Elvis
29 Let It Be
30 Free Bird