Dolly

Well here it is, a spectacular boxset on Dolly Parton. A few medicore boxsets on Dolly have been released over the years, but they all pale in comparison to this beautiful gem. Featuring an informative sixty page booklet on Miss Parton with rare pictures never seen before, the crowning jewel are seven tracks never released from Dolly's various record labels. The newly released songs are "Gonna Hurry (As Slow As I Can) which is one of the first songs Dolly ever recorded back in the 1950's; "Nobody But You" recorded when Dolly was 16 years old on Mercury Records; "I've Known You All My Life" from Dolly's Monument period; "Everything's Beautiful (In It's Own Way) that was originally recorded for "The Fairest of Them All" album in 1969; "God's Coloring Book" recorded during the "Coat of Many Colors" 1971 sessions; and finally "Eugene Oregon" and "What Will Baby Be" from 1972's "My Tennessee Mountain Home" album recordings. Out of these seven wonderful tracks four are really standouts; "Gonna Hurry" is true Dolly and she proves even at 10 years of age not only would she be a huge country music star, but a pop superstar. Her voice is pure, strong, original and unmistakingly Dolly. "Everything's Beautiful" is a song Dolly wrote before she came to Nashville and it is truely one of the most beautiful songs she has ever written. It was the song Dolly sang to Porter Wagoner the very day he called her to his office in 1967 to hire her as his "girl singer" on his TV and road show. "God's Coloring Book", that was later recorded for Dolly's 1977 "Here You Come Again" album, is far superior than the remake. You can hear a lot of the "Coat of Many Colors" sound and Dolly's vocal is impeccable and crystle pure. Lastly, "Eugene Oregon" has a neat tempo and is similar in vocal style to the rest of her "My Tennessee Mountain Home" recordings. Another great part about this box set are the hardly heard singles and B-Sides that have rarely been released on CD over the years, most notably "Puppy Love", "It's Sure Gonna Hurt" and its B-Side "The Love You Gave", and the beautiful "Put It Off Until Tomorrow", which is actually a Bill Phillip's recording, but features Dolly doing background vocals uncredited. This particular recording is one of the most important Dolly recordings ever as it would persuade Dolly's then record label Monument, at Dolly's insistence, to record her country. Porter Wagoner would eventually discover her from her country oriented recordings on Monument and the rest is history. All of Dolly's huge hits are available here including "9 to 5", "I Will Always love You", "Jolene", "Joshua", "Heartbreaker", "Islands In The Stream", and many more. 11 Porter/Dolly duet hits are also included. This set is for the ardent Dolly fan who needs to have this boxset to complete their Dolly collection even if you have all her CD's and albums. This set is also a great place to start your Dolly collection as you will not find a more comprehensive packaging of her material anywhere. Four CD's with 99 songs and a beautiful career book included. We Dolly fans are finally in Heaven! This "Dolly" box set sold enough copies to debut on the country album chart at #59. UPDATE: January 2nd, 2014: In 2014 RCA will be releasing a Complete Box Set of every Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton album the two ever made together...13 duet records in all along with a bonus CD of rare tracks and a collectible booklet written by Dolly biographer Alanna Nash!

Chalked full of Dolly's Smoky Mountain memories, urban country hits and her unrefined knack for songwriting these rare to popular gems chronicle and expand over four decades. Plus, you'll find a booklet full of triple D's (hence the title of this review), and other rare photos and lots of words to describe Dolly and her songs. The first disc relives her beginnings by including early works like "Puppy Love" and "Busy Signal". It also includes her hits from her debut album and a few Porter Wagoner duets like "Jeannie's Afraid of the Dark". Disc two chronicles her first No.1 Joshua and other country hits including her signature tune "Coat of Many Colors" and showcases more Wagoner duets. Despite many referring to her late 70's as the start of her urban country years it began quite early in my opinion with tunes such as "Move It On Home" or "Down From Dover". Although successful in the pop field, Dolly's music always remain country at the core even in chart crossovers. Next two discs are overhauled with number ones and top tens from "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You" to her neo-traditional honky-tonk. Because of this very few album cuts and b-sides made the track list like "Early Morning Breeze", "You Are", "Kentucky Gambler", "Me and Little Andy" and "What A Heartache" that shows off beautiful lyrics and her angelic vocals. If I had my own list of overlooked songs to be added I would had given the fans "Appalachian Memories", The trio no.1 "To Know Him Is To Love Him" featuring Emmylou Harris and Linda Rhonstadt. From my overall view and listening to the entire four-disc set, I conclude this is the best expansive Dolly collection released to date. As an additional note, from mid 90's to present was not gathered for this collection which, in return leaves the assumption that we will see in the future a possible "Dolly volume two" with another four disc that should bring to life the rest of her catalog of singles and rarities plus album cuts and b-sides that Dolly would deem worthy to be included. As a fan of Dolly, I hope this will in time be true and find it's release until then any Dolly fan like myself will find themselves contented with this set.

If you love dollies music and creativity this is the set to have. Lots and lots of songs you can sing along to. Makes me feel happy when I listen to her sing. I’d recommend this if you like country western music and Dolly Parton.

This is a good summation of many productive years of quality music. Nicely put together in a box set.

I love this CD. It exspans her whole career. Not just sertan years. So all her hits are on it. Not just the number ones. And I like it. It completes my dolly collection. This collection had the hard to find hits too. And I paid a good price for it to. It didn't cost a whole lot like most collections do. It's a really good collection and I'd recommend it to all the dolly fans. It's a collection u need to get and it includes her biggest songs plus the hard to find hits too. I'm glad I bought it. If there's other collections u think I'd like please let me know. I'm a music fan of different styles

I bought this on a whim when I saw the track listing. I want prepared fir how beautifully packaged it was and to find a lil book that walks you thru the career of Miss Parton

A collection of Dolly, if you are a fan of her music you can't go wrong with this.

As a long time fan of Dolly Parton, I thought I had heard all of her music. This box set proved me wrong. It starts with her early days as a young girl in western TN to her heyday in the late 70's and early 80's and finishes up in the early 90's. Its interesting to listen to her voice mature and change into the Dolly we all know. The early rockabilly stuff is very Brenda Lee-like. I wish it had included some of her bluegrass/mountain music like "Dagger Through My Heart." I guess copyrights could not be obtained. This set is a perfect introduction for a new Dolly fan or a perfect addition for a fan who throught they had it all!

Has all of Dolly's well know hits to 1993 excluding her trio recordings with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, has early songs including some interesting crossover attempts and a lovely tribute booklet.

A must for all dolly fans there were several songs I had not heard before as well as the classics great buy

Brilliant CD set, bought this as a present for my niece but I already had one which I thoroughly enjoy. Delivered promptly and well packaged. Would strongly recommend for any DP fan .

Great performance of the song, 'He's alive' which is the main track I bought but I ended up buying the CD which has approx. 100 tracks. Very good value for money if you are a Dolly Parton fan.

Bought for a present for my sisters birthday and she absolutely loves it