Album cover. Dolly / Warner Music Nashville (528216-2) (2011)
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Dolly Parton
Better Day Dolly / Warner Music Nashville (528216-2) June 28, 2011
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Background
Dolly first mentioned plans for a new album in October 2010 during an interview with The Huntsville Times. She said she was currently working on the album which will "have some uplifting gospel flavor and some country." She went on to say that she plans to tour "in the fall and winter" in Europe and Australia. It was announced in January 2011 that the album's title would be Better Day.
Recording
The majority of the album was recorded at the Sound Kitchen in Franklin, Tennessee. Additional recording took place at Kent Wells Productions and Blackbird Studios in Nashville.
Content
Better Day contains entirely original material, her first since Hungry Again. However, only five of the album's twelve tracks are exclusively new. Four of the songs on Better Day ("I Just Might", "Shine Like the Sun", "Get Out and Stay Out", and "Let Love Grow") are Dolly's versions of songs that she wrote for the Broadway adaptation of her 1980 movie 9 to 5. "Holding Everything" was previously written for and recorded by Randy Owen on his debut album, One on One. Dolly previously recorded "Together You and I" with Porter Wagoner for their 1974 collaborative album, Porter 'n' Dolly.
In an interview with Billboard, it was noted that the songs on the album are thematically linked, in that they are all inspirational. Dolly replied with, "We actually did demo a lot of songs for this and it seemed that with everything being so doomsday-terrorists and bad weather and unemployment-we need a little sunshine. I wanted to do something people would want to hear." Dolly told The National Post that the album was inspired in part by such disparate world problems as the Japanese tsunami, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, and America's economic crisis". She added, "I don't write just to relieve my own anxieties, I write for the people who can't express themselves." She concluded by saying, "I can't save the world, but I might be able to save someone today if I can put them in a better mood. The music's designed to be like a ray of sunshine for all those folks in the dark."
In an interview with Billboard, it was noted that the songs on the album are thematically linked, in that they are all inspirational. Dolly replied with, "We actually did demo a lot of songs for this and it seemed that with everything being so doomsday-terrorists and bad weather and unemployment-we need a little sunshine. I wanted to do something people would want to hear." Dolly told The National Post that the album was inspired in part by such disparate world problems as the Japanese tsunami, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, and America's economic crisis". She added, "I don't write just to relieve my own anxieties, I write for the people who can't express themselves." She concluded by saying, "I can't save the world, but I might be able to save someone today if I can put them in a better mood. The music's designed to be like a ray of sunshine for all those folks in the dark."
Release and promotion
The album was released June 28, 2011, on CD, LP, and digital download.
Singles
The album's first single, "Together You and I", was released on May 23, 2011, exclusively through iTunes. It peaked at number 67 on the UK Singles Chart. A music video for the single was filmed, and was originally scheduled to debut on May 28. However, for unknown reasons, the video was delayed and later debuted on July 4 on country music video station CMT. The video was directed by Trey Fanjoy.
"The Sacrifice" was released as the album's second single on October 11, 2011. A music video was created by Daryl Arnberger using live footage from Dolly's Better Day World Tour.
"The Sacrifice" was released as the album's second single on October 11, 2011. A music video was created by Daryl Arnberger using live footage from Dolly's Better Day World Tour.
Television appearances
Dolly began promoting the album and tour across Europe on the BBC and ITV in April 2011. She performed "Together You and I" on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on May 27, 2011.
Tour
Dolly embarked on the Better Day World Tour on July 17, 2011, performing 49 shows across North America, Europe, and Australia. With nearly 275,000 tickets sold, and an overall gross of $34 million, it is Dolly's most successful tour to date.
Critical reception
Better Day received positive reviews from most music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 72, based on 19 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times stated, "Stylistically, Better Day lands somewhere between Parton's recent bluegrass albums and 2008's Backwoods Barbie," and said that Dolly's, "irrepressible personality is the star attraction, and on Better Day it shines." Elysa Gardner of USA Today gave the album 3 out of 4 stars, and wrote, "This age-defying country girl, with her resilient soprano and infectious pluck, seems incapable of a truly false note." Entertainment Weekly's Ken Tucker wrote, "In the midst of hard economic times, the positive anthems that fill Better Day...come off as brilliant strategy, with some equally brilliant vocal performances." Tucker added to this, with his review for NPR's Fresh Air, stating, "There's a sincere and earnest quality to this music that enables it to stand apart from so much of the trumped-up emotionalism and cheesy irony of the pop-music world all around it." In a favorable review, Billboard's Phil Gallo exclaimed, "The album's dozen story songs...are filled with uplifting sentiment and words of encouragement set against a variety of backdrops, most of them deeply rooted in country traditions rather than acquiescing to radio demands," and claimed that the album's mid-tempo songs "leap out and beg to be played on the radio."
The New York Times writer Nate Chinen offered praise for Dolly's "almost ageless" vocals. While Holly Gleason of Paste Magazinestated that Dolly, "juxtaposes superstardom with her down-home comfort zone" and continued that the album is a "pop-country gem that empowers as it punches country radio’s clichés with a freshness". AllMusic's Steve Leggett commended that Better Day is, "an energetic, spirited, and hopeful outing that rocks and soars with enough musical sunshine to light up even the grayest day" and wrote that Dolly "has never sounded fresher or more spirited...she shows she still knows how to write a timeless song."
The Washington Post's Allison Stewart stated that Better Day is a "restless jumble of styles weighted toward mainstream country," adding that the album "is only as great as it needs to be." Carla Gillis of NOW panned the album's "eye-rolling Dollyisms," but complimented DOlly's vocals "as strong, clear and distinct as ever."
The New York Times writer Nate Chinen offered praise for Dolly's "almost ageless" vocals. While Holly Gleason of Paste Magazinestated that Dolly, "juxtaposes superstardom with her down-home comfort zone" and continued that the album is a "pop-country gem that empowers as it punches country radio’s clichés with a freshness". AllMusic's Steve Leggett commended that Better Day is, "an energetic, spirited, and hopeful outing that rocks and soars with enough musical sunshine to light up even the grayest day" and wrote that Dolly "has never sounded fresher or more spirited...she shows she still knows how to write a timeless song."
The Washington Post's Allison Stewart stated that Better Day is a "restless jumble of styles weighted toward mainstream country," adding that the album "is only as great as it needs to be." Carla Gillis of NOW panned the album's "eye-rolling Dollyisms," but complimented DOlly's vocals "as strong, clear and distinct as ever."
Critical reception
The album debuted and peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart dated July 16, 2011, with 17,500 copies sold. It also peaked at number 51 on the Billboard 200. The album peaked at number one on the UK Country Albums Chart. number nine on the UK Albums Chart, and number 18 on the UK Download Albums Chart. It reached number one on the Australian Country Albums Chart and number 29 on the Australian Albums Chart. The album peaked at number six on the Scottish Albums Chart and number 68 on the Irish Albums Chart.
Personnel
Credits adapted from the album liner notes.
Performance
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Production
- Matt Coles – assistant recording engineer
- Kyle Dickinson – assistant recording engineer
- Allen Ditto – assistant recording engineer
- Stephen Marcussen – mastering
- Patrick Murphy – recording engineer, mixing
- Dolly Parton – executive producer
- Ben Schmitt – assistant recording engineer
- Tony Smith – recording engineer
- Kent Wells – producer
- Stewart Whitmore – digital editing
Other personnel
- Kii Arens – art direction
- Peter Dokus – photography assistant
- Cheryl Riddle – hair
- Fran Strine – photography
- Steve Summers – costume design
Releases
FORMAT / TITLE / LABEL & CATALOG # / REGION / RELEASE DATE (MM-DD-YYYY)
- CD / Better Day / Dolly; Warner Music Nashville 528216-2 / US / 06-28-2011
- CD / Better Day / Dolly; Warner Music Nashville 2 528216 / Canada / 06-28-2011
- Digital download / Better Day / Dolly; Warner Music Nashville / US & Canada / 06-28-2011
- 2xLP / Better Day / Dolly; Warner Music Nashville 1-528216 / US & Canada / 08-16-2011 (butterscotch yellow)
- CD / Better Day / Dolly; Universal Music TV 2780967 / Australia / 08-26-2011
- Digital download / Better Day / Dolly; Universal Music TV / Australia / 08-26-2011
- CD / Better Day / Dolly; Sony Music 88697915312 / Europe / 08-29-2011
- Digital download / Better Day / Dolly; Sony Music / Europe / 08-29-2011
- Digital download / Better Day / Dolly / Various / 04-10-2020
- Streaming / Better Day / Dolly / Various / 04-10-2020