Review: 'Vinyl Me, Parton' Record of the Month, 'Blue Smoke'

by Ben Childers

Image credit: Vinyl Me, Please

The third record in Dolly's 'Vinyl Me, Parton' subscription is her 2014 studio album, Blue Smoke. The album is pressed on Blue Smoke Galaxy vinyl and comes in an upgraded gatefold jacket (the original 2014 pressing was in a standard LP jacket with a printed inner sleeve). The album sounds phenomenal, pressed from lacquers cut by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound, and accompanied by new online exclusive liner notes by Natalie Weiner. This month's shipment contains the first bonus merch, a Dolly bandana! Overall, it is a beautiful presentation of one of Dolly's more recent essential albums. Check out the unboxing video at the end of this review!

Blue Smoke holds a special place in my heart for a few reasons. After I fell in love with Dolly, this was the first new album she released. I was so excited for it that I imported the Australian release since it was released there five months ahead of the US release. When I received the album I remember being blown away that Dolly was still crafting such authentic and timely country music at 68 years old. The Blue Smoke era also marked the first time I saw Dolly live. Attending the Knoxville show was the highlight of a weeklong stay in the Smokies and a visit to Dollywood. This album will always rank among my favorite Dolly albums because it soundtracked my first adult trip to the Smokies.

Blue Smoke opens with the title track and first single. This rollicking, bluegrass infused tune is a heartbreak anthem about a train called Blue Smoke. Dolly first performed the song during the 2004 Hello, I'm Dolly Tour and it was originally slated to be the title track of her 2005 studio album (which ultimately became Those Were the Days), prior to a change in artistic direction. This is followed by another fan favorite from the Dolly vaults, the long-awaited release of the title track from Dolly's 1996 TV movie, Unlikely Angel. This song chronicles finding love in an unlikely place when you're weren't looking for it. Track 3 is a cover of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice", with a few minor lyric alterations. It is an album highlight! Track 4 is Kenny Rogers and Dolly's final duet, "You Can't Make Old Friends". This touching and emotional track was previously released as the title track of Kenny's final album of original material in October 2013, but it fits in beautifully on Blue Smoke as well. I still get a little teary-eyed when I hear this song. Track 5 is the album's second single, "Home". Its contemporary sound shows that even though Dolly was 68 years old at the time if its release, she could still keep up with the times. It's a crime that it wasn't a massive hit on Country radio. Side one of the record closes with a cover of the traditional ballad "Banks of the Ohio" with additional lyrics by Dolly. Dolly's additional lyrics transform the song from a first person narrative into a recounting by a news reporter of what she has learned from interviewing the guilty party in jail. The bluegrass instrumental work on this track is outstanding and among the best on the album. It's reminiscent of tracks from Dolly's 2001 album, Little Sparrow.

Side two begins with a cover of Bon Jovi's "Lay Your Hands on Me". Dolly has reworked some of the lyrics to turn it into a high energy gospel song. It's another album highlight and showcases Dolly's ever-surprising versatility. She was joined by Bon Jovi's lead guitarist and one of the song's writers, Richie Sambora, for her Glastonbury performance of the song. Track 8 is the soft and tender "Miss You–Miss Me". The premise of this song is a plea from the child of bitterly divorced parents to put aside their differences and come together for her sake. This is followed by the haunting "If I Had Wings", which served as the basis for a TV movie for Netflix's Heartstrings series. Track 10 is the comical kiss-off song, "Love du Jour", featuring Dolly attempting to speak French. Track 11 is a duet with Willie Nelson on "From Here to the Moon and Back", which was previously included on his To All the Girls... album in October 2013. Dolly had originally recorded the song with Kris Kristofferson and Jeremy Jordan for the 2012 film, Joyful Noise. The album closes with "Try", an inspirational song Dolly wrote as the theme song for her Imagination Library children's literacy program.

Overall, Blue Smoke stands among Dolly's best bodies of work. Produced by Kent Wells and executive produced by Dolly, the album is cohesive while also showing her versatility and allowing her personality to shine through. It makes a great addition to any record collection and certainly deserves to be highlighted in the 'Vinyl Me, Parton' series.

Next month will see the 'Vinyl Me, Parton' reissue of Dolly's 1968 studio album, Just Because I'm a Woman.

If you haven't already, sign-up for 'Vinyl Me, Parton' today!

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Ben Childers is the administrator of The Dolly Parton Discography. A native of Tupelo, Mississippi, he grew up taking family vacations to the Smokies and Dollywood. His love for Dolly and her music reached a fanatical level in April 2013. After spending countless hours researching and cataloging Dolly's musical output, he decided to open a website dedicated to her discography.

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