Monday, September 26, 2011

My Music Monday


I kind of / sort of understand why people like Dolly Parton, especially gay men.  Let's face it, she's one sashay away from being a big drag queen anyways.

Blobby is not fond of drag queens, but is ok with self-deprecating humour. I've made a career out of it.  So has Dolly. She's fun to listen to when being interviewed.

And not unlike some other songs I put on here, I like the writer more than the singer, and Parton can write a decent tune.  However, I am a fan of her version of "Stairway to Heaven".  I am not kidding.   Ok, the first two-thirds of it, but still.......

I don't know if it was one of Parton's first hits, but a remake of her "Jolene" has caught my attention since its release in 2004.  Mindy Smith does an excellent job on the remake, which was done for a Dolly Parton tribute album, Just Because I'm a Woman.

There is a duet version of "Jolene" with Dolly on Smith's debut album, One Moment More.

The tribute version is just Smith - and it is great.

In the song, the singer "begs" Jolene not to take her man.  Parton sings it, but Smith feels it.  The sadness, the sorrow and the desperation that would seem to be the appropriate emotion for this song.  It escalates the way it should and tumbles down in uncertainty and vulnerability.

With Dolly you just got a lot of vibrato - and all that conjures up for me is Porter Waggoner, sparkles, spangles and getting a free towel in every box of Breeze.

Purists probably hate Smith's version, but for me, it made me sit up and take notice.


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