Posts Tagged ‘Dolly Parton’

  
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

Bottom Feeders: The Ass End of the ’80s, Part 67

by Dave Steed

feeders52

Well, here’s another week of the letter P. And while I hate to say it up front, I think this might be the weakest post of the series.

I know that’s not the best way to promote something, but since it’s alphabetical here at Bottom Feeders, it’s all just luck of the draw, and we all know bad weeks are going to come along now and again. I’m curious to see what you’ll think of it. Let’s get started with more of the songs that charted at #41 or lower on the Billboard Hot 100 during the 1980s.

dolly-partonDolly Parton
“But You Know I Love You” — 1981, #41 (download)
“The House of the Rising Sun” — 1981, #77 (download)
“I Will Always Love You” — 1982, #53 (download)
“Save the Last Dance for Me” — 1983, #45 (download)
“Downtown” — 1984, #80 (download)

Dolly Parton & Kenny Rogers
“The Greatest Gift of All” — 1984, #81 (download)
“Real Love” — 1985, #91 (download)

How could you not love Double-D, as I like to call her? Okay, so there are plenty of other ways to look at breasts that might be more interesting than these, but as a kid growing up in the ‘80s, I knew nothing of Dolly Parton’s except for “9 to 5” and ginormous cans. But I have to give respect to Miss Dolly as she’s had a great career and despite making traditional country (something I have no interest in) she made it quite tolerable.

If I’m not mistaken, “The Greatest Gift of All” might be the first Christmas song in this series.

The Pasadenas
“Tribute (Right On)” — 1989, #52 (download)

It’s not a shocker that the Pasadenas never blew up. Their music is more ‘60s and ‘70s soul than ‘80s. And while this song (thankfully not a mash-up of hits) is actually damn good, it was about 9 years too late to be a major hit for them. If this had been released in ’80 or ’81, I have no doubt this would have gone top 10.

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Friday, February 13th, 2009

CHART ATTACK!: 2/14/81

by Jason Hare

Howdy, everybody!  Happy Friday and welcome back to another edition of CHART ATTACK! This week’s mix is relatively eclectic, yet — as was often the case in the early ’80s — completely inoffensive.  And you’ll find references to John Lennon in four of this week’s singles.  On with the chart — let’s look at February 14, 1981!

10. Hey Nineteen — Steely Dan Amazon iTunes
9. Givin’ it Up for Your Love — Delbert McClinton Amazon iTunes
8. Keep On Loving You — REO Speedwagon Amazon iTunes
7. (Just Like) Starting Over — John Lennon Amazon iTunes
6. Woman — John Lennon Amazon iTunes
5. Passion — Rod Stewart Amazon iTunes
4. The Tide is High — Blondie Amazon iTunes
3. I Love a Rainy Night — Eddie Rabbitt Amazon iTunes
2. 9 to 5 — Dolly Parton Amazon iTunes
1. Celebration — Kool & the Gang Amazon iTunes

10. Hey Nineteen — Steely Dan (download)

I love Steely Dan.  And I love “Hey Nineteen.”  And although I’ve never had any misconception about this song’s subject, it was only when listening to this song the other day that I realized: Donald Fagen both looks and sounds like a skeevy, dirty old man, and “Hey Nineteen” is, in fact, not helping his image.  And despite the fact that Fagen was only 32 when this song was recorded, it’s not a stretch to hear it and imagine him being, say, 50.  SKETCHY.  Here’s a picture of Donald Fagen with Japanese musician Juri Panda Jones.  Look at this while listening to “Hey Nineteen,” willya?

Right?

Something else weird happened to me while I was listening to “Hey Nineteen” recently.  Whenever I sing along with it, I always avoid the lead line (except for “that’s ‘retha Franklin”).  I just sing the backing vocals.  And, when I sing them, I sing them like…you guessed it.

Oh, picture of 3 Time Grammy Award Winner Michael McDonald, how I’ve missed you.

Anyway, so yeah, I always sing those backing vocals like McD.  But when listening to the song the other day, I realized: I don’t hear McD as a prominent voice.  I mean, I think I hear him in there, and I know he sang backing vocals on Gaucho, but you know that I have a tendency to hear a little bit of McD in everything, so I could just be crazy.

Steely Dan only had a few Top 10 hits ( “Do It Again” and “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number,” and what the hell, we’ll give “Peg” credit for reaching #11, only because of McD), but this was their last one, peaking here at #10 for only two weeks.

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Wednesday, February 11th, 2009

CD Review: Steve Martin, “The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo”

by Taylor Long

Steve Martin - The CrowIf, upon hearing the news that Steve Martin has a banjo album, you have an image of Martin in overalls and a straw hat displaying a novice’s banjo-picking skills while singing about shit and Shinola, you’re not alone. (Conversely, if you have an image of Martin in a suit with an arrow through his head, playing the banjo and singing about grandma, you’re not alone either.)

The joke’s on us, however, because Martin’s appreciation for and mastery of the banjo is deeper than anyone but the most devoted fan might anticipate. Martin originally picked up the banjo to add another talent to his one-man show, and over time added satirical banjo songs. His comedic career took off, but he never set the banjo down. In 2001, he played with Earl Scruggs on the tune “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” for the album Earl Scruggs and Friends, which won him a Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance the following year. In 2007 he played his own tune, “The Crow,” with Tony Trischka on Trischka’s album Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular.

Steve Martin, “The Crow” (download)

Writing “The Crow” served as the jump-off point for Martin’s new bluegrass album, The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo. 14 of the 15 songs are originals, written by Martin and arranged John McEuen, Martin’s childhood friend and member of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

Most of the tunes are instrumental and traditional sounding. Martin’s compositions show an aptitude for tempo, able to switch time signatures on a dime, and melody, with more than a few refrains lingering past the album’s end. He’s also an impressively emotional player, able to convey sentiment and subject, as projected in his titles, like “Words Unspoken” and “Freddie’s Lilt.”

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Friday, February 6th, 2009

How Bad Can It Be?: “The Hee Haw Collection”

by Jack Feerick

I’m always amazed by the crap that people hold onto. I have a lot of enthusiasms — music, comics, film — but I’ve never had the urge to be a completist about any of it. Every year or so, I sort through the stuff I’ve accumulated and put together a big box of books I know I’ll never re-read and DVDs I’m unlikely to re-watch, and off they go to the Salvation Army. And I don’t buy that many books and videos to begin with; I already invested most of my 1990s Fridays in watching The X-Files — why would I want to watch it again on DVD?

Which is a roundabout way of saying that I started this project baffled as to how anybody might think that Hee Haw was worth preserving for the ages. But sure enough, the good folks at Time-Life Video have an extensive collection of episodes for sale.

Now, admittedly, I’m not the target audience here. I grew up in New England, which was for a long time the one place where country & western couldn’t find a commercial toehold. A middle-class suburban kid like me could watch Hee Haw in syndication, just as with Lawrence Welk and Soul Train, and like them it seemed like a glimpse into a parallel musical universe. Indeed, I thought of Hee Haw as being sort of like Soul Train for rural whites.

But surely Soul Train never condescended to its intended audience as Hee Haw did to its. What I remember of the show is mostly gawping hillbilly stereotypes, popping up amongst plywood cornstalks to deliver jokes that were stale when God was a boy. Who, exactly was meant to be laughing at this, and why?

I’ve since come around on country music, as I have on soul and funk (sorry, Lawrence Welk). It’s still not my favorite genre of pop, but I’ve got a lot of time for the craftsmanship, the professionalism, the care and energy that goes into presentation and branding — so much art to make it all look artless. Roy Clark had some fine instrumental chops to go with those lush sideburns; and Buck Owens — well, not only did Buck help create the Bakersfield Sound, he palled around with Ringo, for cryin’ out loud! Looking at it now, Hee Haw’s musical pedigree looks downright promising.

And the show ran for 24 years in syndication, so obviously somebody thought it was worth watching — and worth preserving on DVD. And there are legion of fans who remember the show with fondness. Had I been wrong, all this time? I have no interest in taking cheap shots, so I decided to revisit the show with an open mind. Was Hee Haw better than I remembered? Were all those frightening teeth for real? Was Junior Samples really some kind of unappreciated deadpan-comic genius? I grabbed a disc at random from The Hee Haw Collection — episode #152, from 1974 — and settled in to see what I’d been missing.

Oh my. Oh, my, my, my. (more…)

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Thursday, February 5th, 2009

CD Review: Frank Sinatra, “From the Heart”

by Dw. Dunphy

Frank Sinatra – From the Heart (2009, Legacy)
purchase this album (Amazon)

Valentine’s Day – depending on your walk of life, it’s either a splendid day of warm, romantic thoughts and a gimme so far as “gettin’ some tonight,” or it’s a Hallmark sham of an institution to remind us that all our friends are happily married and having kids, but we’re about to dip our Doritos into another vat of guacamole all alone. Since I’m flying solo this year, guess who’s fattening up on avocado?

You don’t have to be a heartless cynic to see the strings attached to this high holiday of chocolate-covered, heart-shaped, red crepe emotion. Take, for instance, Sony Legacy’s From The Heart collection. Eight CDs cut and pasted together to capitalize celebrate the spirit of l’amour, all representing a different demographic: Billie Holliday and Miles Davis if you love it jazzy, Babyface if you love it smooth and sensitive, The Isley Brothers if you don’t mind a little rugburn with your affection, Dolly Parton if you like doin’ the nasty while the livestock watches, and Air Supply if the woman in your life is actually a dude (sorry, cheap shot.)

But what to make of Frank Sinatra’s From the Heart? It doesn’t seem right to co-opt the Chairman of the Board for such a crass cash-in, and besides, we remember him more for his zingers and sad songs than for mushy love. “The Lady Is a Tramp”? How about “One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)”? Worse, it’s the same album the label released last year under the umbrella of Beautiful Ballads & Love Songs, so not only are they messing around with Ol’ Blue Eyes, they’re regifting him too. Yet there is one saving grace to this: if you are not an aficionado and have been looking to get your feet wet, this is an affordable starter set that’s full of appeal. (more…)

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Monday, December 15th, 2008

The Fifteenth Day of Mellowmas: Dollytoe!

by Jeff Giles and Jason Hare

Last year, on the Fifteenth Day of Mellowmas, we tortured ourselves by listening to Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton sing “I Believe in Santa Claus.” So what better way to celebrate the anniversary of that horrible day by listening to another track from the same album?

Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton — A Christmas to Remember (download)

From Once Upon a Christmas Amazon iTunes

Jason: Oh man

Jeff: Now THIS is Mellowmas.

Jason: I can’t believe we’re dipping in the Kenny and Dolly well again. After last year’s torturous “I Believe in Santa Claus.”

Jeff: It’s a deep well, Jason.

Jason: Oooh! Opening with the chorus! Nice choice!

Jeff: Here come those harmonies! What a Christmas to remember! I wonder what made it so memorable? Let’s find out.

Jason: Oh, so synthesized. So very, very synthesized.

Jeff: Dolly was fantasizing about a fast-talking lover, but…Kenny made it a Christmas to…oh, God.

Jason: I have no idea what happened in the first verse. I wasn’t listening. But apparently whatever happened made it a Christmas to remember.

Jeff: They’re humping.

Jason: Really?

Jeff: Strangers as we met, lovers as we leave.

Jason: Don’t get lost, Kenny!

You make this a Christmas to remember! Springtime feelings in the middle of December! They kissed each other warm and tender!

Jeff: My stomach feels like it has a bucket full of Kenny’s chicken in it.

Jason: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! They loved and laughed and played and choked!
I mean, joked!

Jeff: Maybe Dolly just choked? Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Jason: “Can we do this next winter?”

Jeff: “Though the fire is hot, we’ll just have to let it simmer!” Oh, this is so skeevy.

Jason: What, the thought of Kenny and Dolly making love? Hm. Yeah, they’re definitely talking about making love throughout Christmas.

Jeff: Not only that, but it’s a random hookup.

Oh, sweet, sweet fadeout… I thought you’d never come…

Jason: Oh, you think this is over, Jeff? You think you’re ready to forget this song?

Jeff: I was ready three minutes ago!

Jason: You’re mistaken. After all, this is a Christmas to remember.

Jeff: Don’t tell me you found a video. PLEASE.

Jason: HO HO HO HO HO HO!

Jeff: Do NOT tell me…

Jason: “‘A Christmas to Remember’ is from a classic CBS TV special titled Kenny & Dolly: A Christmas to Remember that originally aired on December 2, 1984.”

Jeff: I have a bad, bad feeling about this.

Jason: Mannequins!

Jeff: Mannequins?

Jason: What the fuck is going on?

Jeff: Why?

Jason: Ha ha ha ha ha!

Jeff: Dollytoe!

Jason: Dolly is jerking Kenny’s boots off! Holy shit, he’s getting naked in the lodge!

Jeff: So much hair…

Jason: This is AWESOME!!!!

Jeff: I’m stunned, Jason.

Jason: He’s playing peek-a-boo with the mannequins!

Jeff: This encapsulates everything Mellowmas is about so perfectly that I want to die.

Jason: I’m so happy I found this. I have made this a Christmas to remember.

Jeff: The sequined vest, the snow pants, Kenny’s beard…

Jason: The snow pants! Oh, the snow pants! Mannequins everywhere! For some unknown fucking reason! Oh god, I hope they start having sex with a mannequin.

Jeff: Maybe it’s a metaphor for something. Like for the fact that everyone associated with this must have been stoned out of their entire bodies.

Jason: Man, Kenny and Dolly really got a lot of mileage out of this fake relationship, didn’t they? Wait, did he just knock a fucking mannequin off the piano bench?

Jeff: I guess that was a real person.

Jason: They ended with rubbing noses!??! Where’s the mannequin sex?

Jeff: “Yeah the Mannequins are a little odd in the video but I liked how they put the real one in there to try and fool yah at the piano.”

Jason: That was a real person?

Jeff: That’s from YouTube commenter “HolidayFavs4Me.”

Jason: I actually went back and watched again. It WAS a real person.

Jeff: Jason, this is the grossest Mellowmas song ever.

Jason: Hmm. I wonder who picked this song for Mellowmas? Who could it have been?

Jeff: Andy Williams.

Jason: Was it…Terje? No. Was it…Will? No. Was it…wait, who else is on our staff?

Jeff: Yes! Yes it was! It was Will Harris!

Jason: No, it wasn’t. We both know who it was.

It was KEN.

Jeff: Oh, that’s right. Ken Shane picked it. He loves this stuff.

Jason: Let’s give out his e-mail address. And his home phone number.

Jeff: I think he’s out of town for a few weeks. Sitting in a chalet filled with mannequins.

Jason: Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Okay, let’s come clean. Be honest. YOU picked this track. YOU made this a Christmas to remember.

Jeff: It’s true, I did. I was doing something else while it played the first time, and I nearly got whiplash when I realized what was going on in the lyrics. I think I may have broken a dish.

Jason: Kenny and Dolly, knockin’ winter boots.

Jeff: Rubbin’ snow pants. shudder

Jason: I don’t think it’s as good as last year’s track, because last year’s track had a video of Kenny dressed as Santa Claus. Although there’s something pretty awesome about his ski pants.

Jeff: He looks like a My Buddy doll. My Kenny! My Kenny! Wherever I go, he’s gonna go!

Jason: Kenny’s Roasters and Me!

Say what you want, this was kind of awesome, Jeff.

Jeff: It was 100% Mellowmas.

Jason: Exactly.

Jeff: John Denver dueting with Fogelberg couldn’t have nailed it any harder.

Jason: We can end here, but I’m going to go back and watch the part where Dolly takes off his boots again.

Jeff: You need help, my friend. I love Mellowmas, but I’m never watching that again.

Jason: By the way, “Dollytoe” is one of the funniest things I’ve heard all year.

Jeff: Thank you, thank you.

Jason: Now it’s time for us to go, Jeff, as our hearts melt like chimney snow. There’s just one thing I want to know: can we do this next winter?

Jeff: Though the fire is hot, we’ll just have to let it simmer!

Jason: Actually, fuck next winter. Can we do this again tomorrow?

Jeff: What the hell. I’ve got nothing going on.

Jason: We do have, like, ten days left or something!

Jeff: Really? Isn’t it Mellowmas Eve yet?

Jason: Wishful thinking on your part. Wishful thinking on everyone’s part.

Jeff: Don’t I hear sleigh bells jingling?

Jason: Oh, that’s your mom. She’s over here jumping on my bed.

Jeff: Why, that’s even grosser than Kenny and Dolly sharing sequins in the chalet!

Jason: I asked her to wear the sleigh bells, but it was her idea to wear the harness. She made this a Christmas to remember. And it’s going to last until I finish these antibiotics.

Jeff: Oh, it’ll last well past that. She’s the gift that keeps on giving.

Jason: Oh ooooh woah! What a Christmas!

Jeff: Hey, that reminds me — your mom left her teeth here last time she came over. Can I send them to you? I don’t want your dad to know.

Jason: Oh, you can just throw them in the fire. They’re made of wood.

Jeff: I figure you can just tell him she took them out at the Firefall concert.

Jason: I have no response. You’ve taken a Mellow Gold artist’s name in vain. NOW you’ve crossed the line.

Jeff: Now I have this damn song stuck in my head. Out! Out! Out! I need to listen to “Tom’s Diner” or something…

Jason: Hooray! Hopefully our readers have the same problem. If they do, I suggest they go back to Day One and listen to “Mellowmas, Mellowmas, have a merry Mellowmas…” And don’t worry, folks, only 24 hours before another shitty song is in your head. Don’t say we never gave you anything for Mellowmas!

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Thursday, July 31st, 2008

Into the Ear of Madness: Week 9 — Bill, Dolly & Alice

by Terje Fjelde

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Over the next year Terje Fjelde has agreed to listen to nothing but David Foster on his iPod. He’s loaded the thing with over 1,200 songs produced, arranged, composed, and/or played by David Foster. A deal with the devil? He keeps wondering.

Are you bored? What can I say? My David Foster experience is a breeze. It’s fun. It’s educational. My posts so far are almost snark-free, I’m turning into a blind-eyed David Foster apologist a la the loyal hordes of Trent Reznor. Is this real, or is it a subliminal reaction to my unsound David Foster exposure? It’s too early to tell for sure, but you can rest assured I’ll be keeping a close eye on my condition, and keep you updated on any sign of mental decay.

Dolly Parton – “Here You Come Again,” from Here You Come Again (1977)

David Foster collaborated with Dolly Parton on several occasions, but this was probably their most important encounter. You may even say that a little bit of pop music history was made during the recording of this Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil song. Then again, you may not. Anyway, here’s David Foster in 1986:

I love that sound of the Rhodes and the piano together. We stumbled across that when we were doing “Here You Come Again” for Dolly Parton. Gary Klein was the producer, and I was playing keyboards. I don’t remember whether I started on the Rhodes or the acoustic, but after we got the track, I said, “Hey, why don’t try the exact same part again on the other piano?” I did it, and it was this very cool sound. That sound stuck with a lot of people for a few years.

I loved that sound, too. I still do, actually, but I’m embarrassed to admit it, so therefore I speak in the past tense. (more…)

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Friday, March 28th, 2008

Chartburn: 3/28/08

by The Chartburn Panel

Chartburn Logo


Mainstream Rock: Lenny Kravitz, “Are You Gonna Go My Way” (1993)

Zack: I remember when Lenny Kravitz was first thrust upon the music world by a few cynical record company executives. It seemed like he had been designed by a committee to take advantage of all the latest pop-culture trends. Dreadlocks were in, so they gave him dreads. Tattoos and nose rings were still edgy and cool, so those were included. It was like watching a rock-star version of Poochie. One of the talking points that was pushed was that he was a talented songwriter, and every time I heard that spewing from the mouth of some idiot VJ I felt like I’d been taking crazy pills. Some sample lyrics from Lenny’s quill:

We’ve got to hug and rub-a-dub
We got to dance and be in love

Based on his biography, Lenny doesn’t sound like such a bad guy, and this is actually a well-produced video, but I hate hate hate the song.

Robert: I shouldn’t hate Lenny because he’s beautiful, but I do, and it’s because he knows he’s beautiful. He has a few good songs, but I can’t think of any I’ve liked past the Are You Gonna Go My Way album. The title track is one of his best singles, but I’m sure classic-rock fans could tell me note for note who Lenny’s ripping off in this song.

Dunphy: Y’know, I don’t mind “Are You Gonna Go My Way” much. This and “Believe” made the insurgent grunge brigade a little easier to tolerate. Maybe not by much, but still. “We’ve got to hug and rub-a-dub,” while being a fireable offense, certainly had dynamism against “Kill the pain, oh the pain, heroin? Yes, please …”

Jeff: How do I hate thee, Lenny? Let me count the ways. If I had a dollar for every hour Lenny Kravitz has sucked, I’d be … I’d be even richer than Lenny Kravitz, actually, but not by much. How depressing.

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