Just Because I'm a Woman: The Songs of Dolly Parton

Performer: Various Artists
Engineer: David Cole; Donivan Cowart; Sasha Victory; Gary Paczosa; Graham Bolger; Jay Newland; Jeff McCormack; John Leventhal; Marshall Morgan; Nash Chambers; Neal Cappellino; Rick DePofi; Russ Long; Kevin Churko; Bradley Hartman; Brian Ahern; Bruce Robb
Producer: David Cole; Dolly Parton; Melinda Smith; John Leventhal; Alison Krauss; Me'Shell NdegeOcello; Melissa Etheridge; Nash Chambers; Norah Jones; R.S. Field; Rick DePofi; Shelby Lynne; Steve Buckingham; Brian Ahern
Distributor: Welk

Notes: Includes liner notes by Emmylou Harris. Personnel: Me'Shell Ndeg�ocello (vocals, guitar, synthesizer, programming); Jerry Douglas (guitar, resonator guitar); Ron Block (guitar, National guitar); Dan Tyminski (guitar, mandolin); John Leventhal (guitar, organ, percussion); Shelby Lynne (guitar, percussion, background vocals); James Harrah, Steve Buckingham, Bryan Sutton (guitar); Emmylou Harris, Kevin Breit, Rodney Crowell (acoustic guitar); Adam Levy , Kenny Vaughn, Mark Punch, Joe McMahan (electric guitar); Brian Ahern (12-string guitar, gut-string guitar); Sonny Landreth (slide guitar); R. McCormack (resonator guitar, banjo, mandolin); Mike Compton, Lex Price (mandolin); Stuart Duncan (fiddle); Alison Krauss (viola); Mickey Raphael (harmonica); Chris Mosher (piano, programming); Norah Jones, Roy Bittan, David Morgan , Gary "Bud" Smith (piano); Glen D. Hardin (electric piano); Barry Beckett (Wurlitzer organ); David Cole (keyboards, drum programming); Larry Antonino, Viktor Krauss, Barry Bales (upright bass); Kerry Buchanan, Chris 'Daddy' Dave, Matt Laug, Owen Hale, Andrew Borger, Shannon Forrest (drums); RIck DePofi, John Ware (percussion); Cheryl White, Carmella Ramsey, Melinda Smith, Julia Waters, Allison Moorer, Maxi Anderson, Maxine Willard Waters (background vocals). Audio Mixers: David Cole; Gary Paczosa; Jay Newland; Jeff McCormack; John Leventhal; Nash Chambers; Neal Cappellino; RIck DePofi; Russ Long; Steve Buckingham; Brian Ahern; Bruce Robb. Liner Note Authors: Emmylou Harris; Steve Buckingham. Recording information: 17 Grand, Nashville, TN; Bow Lane Studios, Dublin, Ireland; Cherokee Studios, Hollywood, CA; Enactron Truck, Beverly Hills, CA; Minutia Sound, Nashville, TN; New York Noise, New York, NY; OMNI Sound, Nashville, TN; Royaltone Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Shelter Island Sound, New York, NY; Sorcerer SOund, New York, NY; Sound Emporium, Nashville, TN; Sully Sound, La-Tour-De-Peilz, Switzerland; Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA; The Beach House, Copacabana, NSW, Australia; The Doghouse, Nashville, TN. While most of the world knows Dolly Parton as a glitzy bundle of multimedia entertainment who is a near-unavoidable presence on television, movies, and CD racks, displaying her big smile, big hair, and big -- well, you know -- what sadly few people acknowledge is that Parton, when she puts her mind to it, is one of the best singer/songwriters in country music. The fact that artists as diverse as Whitney Houston, Emmylou Harris, and the White Stripes have all discovered remarkable things in Parton's songs says a lot about the beauty, honesty, and grace of her best work, and Just Because I'm a Woman: The Songs of Dolly Parton features 12 noted female artists offering their own interpretations of Parton's compositions. If there's anyone in Nashville whose work merits such treatment, it's Parton, and thankfully practically everyone on Just Because I'm a Woman delivers the goods; "9 to 5" may not be remembered as one of Parton's more stellar tunes, but Alison Krauss discovers a bittersweet working-class anthem lurking beneath its cheery surface, while Melissa Etheridge keeps her sub-Joplin vocal histrionics in check for a fine version of "I Will Always Love You," Me'Shell Ndeg�Ocello transforms "Two Doors Down" into a potent and sensual slice of late-night funk, and Nash Vegas interloper Shania Twain surprisingly hits just the right emotional spot on "Coat of Many Colors." Elsewhere, Norah Jones, Kasey Chambers, Allison Moorer, Sin�ad O'Connor, and Mindy Smith all offer powerful and idiosyncratic performances that add their own personalities to Parton's songs without losing sight of the plain-spoken eloquence that makes them so effective. About the only true disappointment here is Emmylou Harris' take on "To Daddy," which is brilliant but was recycled from her 1978 album, Quarter Moon in a Ten Cent Town; one wonders why Harris didn't opt to cut a new track for this album, but the presence of Dolly herself, offering a new version of "Just Because I'm a Woman," certainly compensates. In the movie Norma Rae, there's a great scene where Norma's boyfriend treats her to a night out at the roadhouse, and she beams when a Dolly Parton single comes up on the jukebox, saying she loves her songs "because the words are so true." As glorious as Parton's crystal-clear soprano may be, it's the stories she's used her voice to tell that truly set her apart, and Just Because I'm a Woman offers a worthy tribute to the woman Joan Osborne describes as "a gifted artist cleverly disguised as a media superstar and sex bomb." A second volume is certainly in order. ~ Mark Deming Despite her numerous accomplishments as a performer, actor, and all-around media mogul, Dolly Parton has often said that she views herself primarily as a songwriter. JUST BECAUSE I'M A WOMAN goes a long way towards highlighting the craft of Parton's extraordinary songs. Unlike some cash-in tribute albums, this disc showcases artists who clearly love and respect the music in question, making for a record that bears no trace of crass commercialism. Most tracks on the album strip the songs down to their bare essence, framing the tunes in a newgrass-like acoustic setting typical of many Sugar Hill Records releases. Notable exceptions are the two final, and most interesting, tracks. While Allison Moorer's take on "Light of a Clear Blue Morning" boasts a spooky, ethereal production that perfectly suits her husky voice, Me'Shell NdegeOcello completely deconstructs "Two Doors Down," turning a fairly straightforward 1980s pop song into a mysterious, funky, and brooding lament. Perhaps the album's best moment, though, is Joan Osborne's stunningly pure, straightforward version of "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind," which at once showcases the unaffected beauty of the singer's voice, and makes crystal clear why Dolly Parton truly deserves a tribute album.

Entertainment Weekly (11/7/03, p.70) - "...Sterling results....[the tribute] runs the Shania-to-Sinead gamut..." - Rating: A- Uncut (1/04, p.116) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[T]he post-Porter Parton finally gets a golden handshake from her peers. And some line-up it is." Mojo (Publisher) (1/04, p.94) - 4 stars out of 5 - "In storytelling and melody, the elegance, economy and heartfelt clarity of Parton's writing deserves comparison with not only Hank Williams or Johnny Cash but George Gershwin or Irving Berlin."

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