Dolly Parton - "Rockstar" Discussion
Good Golly, Miss Dolly!
At 77 years old, with 48 studio albums to her name, Dolly Parton has decided to become a rock star.
Most people, by now, know the story: Dolly was nominated to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and declined because Rock isn’t her genre. But the Hall of Fame convinced her that, in their eyes, she was a legitimate addition because Rock is rooted in older genres, including Country. Dolly rescinded her refusal, but announced that she would have to release a rock album to celebrate (or justify) her inclusion.
Rockstar is the result: a sprawling, all-star celebration of Rock through its many decades and genres. The album, comprised mostly of covers, spans 30 tracks and runs for two hours and twenty minutes. And it’s an incredibly fun listen.
Allow me to provide context: I grew up with Country music; for the first fifteen years of my life, it was practically the only genre I listened to. And, honestly, there were only ever a few Dolly songs I enjoyed; her voice always seemed too wispy and damselly to me. As an adult, I’ve come to appreciate Dolly as the Queen she is thanks to her immeasurable kindness and humanitarian efforts, but I still rarely go out of my way to listen to her. I couldn’t pass Rockstar up, in large part, because of this newfound appreciation for who she is. And I’m glad I didn’t.
There are still many wispy moments on the album. But there are also several moments where, in her late 70s, Dolly shows that she can belt it with the best of ‘em. Her performance, throughout, is spot-on. It’s absolutely amazing just how much control she still has at this age. There is no agèd vulnerability here, as in Johnny Cash’s “Hurt” or Tanya Tucker’s “Bring My Flowers Now”. Parton is lively and vivid and, at times, downright fierce. “World on Fire” is my new favorite Dolly song. Period.
Now, all two of my long-time readers will notice that I’m calling this a “discussion”, not a “review”. That’s because the majority of the album is comprised of covers – 21 out of the 30 tracks are covers. In spirit, I think, this feels more like The Metallica Blacklist. It’s more celebratory than just a new album release, and trying to rate it would spoil the fun.
But let’s go ahead and look over the nine original Dolly songs on the album.1 And I’ll warn you now: the rest of this post gets very link-heavy — for your convenience, of course.
“Rockstar” (track 1) featuring Richie Sambora
This track plays on the trope of kids wanting to be rockstars in the 70s and 80s and their parents being overly critical
Richie Sambora is best known as Bon Jovi’s lead guitarist
“World on Fire” (track 2)
A pointed political commentary track
“Either Or” (track 7) featuring Kid Rock
The inclusion of Kid Rock is one of the album’s only blemishes. Parton has defended his presence on the album.
“I Want You Back” (track 8) featuring Steven Tyler and Warren Haynes
Steven Tyler should need no introduction, but for any Gen Z or Alpha stumbling upon this: Tyler is best known as the legendary vocalist of Aerosmith. As of the time of this writing, Tyler is, himself, 75 years old.
Warren Haynes is a guitarist who has played as a member of the Allman Brothers Band and Gov’t Mule; earlier in his career, he played in support of David Allan Coe.
“Tried to Rock and Roll Me” (track 19) featuring Melissa Etheridge
Etheridge is a Heartland/Roots Rock artist who broke through in the early 90s with her hit “I’m the Only One”.
“Bygones” (track 22) featuring Rob Halford, Nikki Sixx, and John 5
“Bygones” is the album’s only real acknowledgement of Metal, which is, of course, a huge supergenre nowadays, but is also a derivative of Rock.
Rob Halford is known for his role as the vocalist of Judas Priest
Nikki Sixx is best known as the bassist of Mötley Crüe
John 5, born John Lowery, received his stage name (which he has kept using) after joining Marilyn Manson in 1998 as their new guitarist. While a member of Manson’s band, he was also collaborating as a member of David Lee Roth’s solo band. In 2005, he joined Rob Zombie and stayed with them until 2022, when he joined Mötley Crüe.
“My Blue Tears” (track 23) featuring Simon Le Bon
“My Blue Tears” is one of the slowest tracks on the album, and probably the one that sounds most like classic Dolly.
Le Bon is the lead vocalist of legendary New Wave band Duran Duran, making the lack of synth somewhat upsetting.
“Bittersweet” (track 27) featuring Michael McDonald
Michael McDonald has released a number of solo albums, and was a touring musician for Steely Dan for a year, but is best known for his vocal and keyboard work with The Doobie Brothers. You might recognize his voice from “What a Fool Believes”.
“I Dreamed About Elvis” (track 28) featuring Ronnie McDowell and The Jordanaires
Ronnie McDowell is basically a well-known Elvis impersonator and, funny story, I’ve shared the stage with him. Kind of. I had a signed picture for a while, but I think I tossed it at some point.
The Jordanaires are a vocal quartet that formed in 1948 and, famously, went on to provide backing vocals for Elvis and Patsy Cline, with their lineup changing regularly through the decades. The group has been officially defunct since 2013.
Launching the album with Rockstar, featuring the guitarist from a legendary band, is exactly the right opening note. Rock, unlike Pop and Country, places more emphasis on the technical skills of every member of the band. The band isn’t just here to provide a structure in which to showcase the vocalist – every member of the band is critical to the band’s success. “Rockstar” captures the spirit of that attitude of true collaboration with Sambora’s inclusion. “World on Fire” follows immediately after and keeps the energy up, while pointedly condemning divisive politics and politicians who, in Dolly’s view, are simply allowing the world to burn.
“Bygones” and “Bittersweet” are both filled with technical instrumentation – the former heavy, the latter haunting. And both are among my favorite tracks on the album.
“I Dreamed of Elvis” is a fun little ditty, paying homage to the King of Rock and Roll. We can’t not, right? One odd detail, though, is that the Jordanaires haven’t been active since 2013. In looking into this, I found that Dolly has actually been performing this song live since 2007. At some point before they called it quits, they recorded this song with Parton and McDowell, and it is only now being released. The song does pivot briefly to one of Parton’s classic hits, “I Will Always Love You”, which is a fun touch.
Already, that’s a huge list of stars and acts. And that’s less than one-third of the album. Before I dive into the longer list of 21 cover songs, I would like to remind you that, famously, Dolly Parton communicates solely through fax.
For this list of covers, I’ll be linking to YouTube videos of original versions, as well.
“Every Breath You Take” (1983) featuring Sting
Sting had a solo career, but was best-known as the vocalist and bassist for The Police
“Open Arms” (1981) featuring Steve Perry
Steve Perry was Journey’s lead vocalist for twenty years, from 1977 through their return album in 1996, which includes most of the band’s biggest hits.
“Magic Man (Carl Version)” (1975) featuring Ann Wilson and Howard Leese
Ann WIlson is best known as the vocalist of Heart, having also provided instrumental support via flute and rhythm guitar, among others.
Howard Leese is a guitarist who has played with several groups, but is best known for his time with Heart
“(Carl Version)” likely refers to Dolly’s husband, Carl Dean
“Long as I Can See the Light” (1970) featuring John Fogerty
John Fogerty is best known as the vocalist and lead guitarist of Creedence Clearwater Revival.
“What Has Rock and Roll Ever Done for You?” featuring Stevie Nicks and Waddy Wachtel
Originally recorded by Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks has had several solo albums, but is best known for her contributions as a member of Fleetwood Mac.
Waddy Wachtel is a career session musician who has worked with dozens of artists since 1970, including Nicks, Parton, Fleetwood Mac, many guest musicians mentioned above and below, plus the likes of James Taylor, Warren Zevon, America, Kenny Rogers, Cher, Bon Jovi, Iggy Pop, and so many more.
This one bends the definition of “cover” slightly, as it’s covering a demo; the song was never properly produced. Until now.
“Purple Rain” (1984)
The decision not to bring on another artist here is, I think, wise.
“Baby, I Love Your Way” (1975) featuring Peter Frampton
Originally recorded by Peter Frampton
“I Hate Myself for Loving You” (1988) featuring Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Originally recorded by Joan Jet and the Blackhearts
“Night Moves” (1976) featuring Chris Stapleton
Chris Stapleton is a Country artist who has just released his fifth studio album.
This is the first cover on the album, aside from “Purple Rain”, which does not feature somebody involved in the original production.
“Wrecking Ball” (2013) featuring Miley Cyrus
Originally recorded by Miley Cyrus
This song is the biggest outlier on the album.
The line transitioning from the bridge to the final refrain is subtly adjusted from “I will always want you” to “I will always love you”, and then, at the end of the song, the altered line closes the song after a breath and transitions the melody to Parton’s “I Will Always Love You”
I should note that this is track 14; the other track this song is used in is track 28. I have to wonder if these numbers have any special significance to Dolly.
“(I Cant Get No) Satisfaction” (1965) featuring Pink and Brandi Carlisle
Pink is a well known Pop and Pop Rock vocalist who was at the height of her popularity in the 00s, and has just released her 9th studio album this year
Brandi Carlisle is an Americana and Alt Country artist who is also a member of the Highwomen. Carlisle has seven solo albums to her name.
“Keep On Loving You” (1980) featuring Kevin Cronin
Kevin Cronin is the vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and pianist of R.E.O. Speedwagon.
This one is great except for Dolly’s spoken bits, which sound like Google Maps voice directions or Siri or something is interrupting the song.
“Heart of Glass” (1979) featuring Debbie Harry
Debbie Harry is the vocalist, frontwoman, and eponymous blondie in Blondie.
“Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” (1974) featuring Elton John
Originally recorded by Elton John.
Elton John is best known as Sir Elton John.
“Stairway to Heaven” (1971) featuring Lizzo
Lizzo’s presence on the album is another blemish, but it is to be presumed that this was recorded before Lizzo’s big scandal broke. Even so, I would have loved to see Robert Plant come on board for this one. Reportedly, though, she was trying.
Spotify lists a second feature on this track: Sasha Flute. It’s Lizzo’s flute. That’s its name. Don’t forget that Lizzo is an accomplished flautist. Probably how she got good at blowing smoke.
“We Are the Champions/We Will Rock You” (1977)
Originally / recorded by Queen
“What’s Up?” (1993) featuring Linda Perry
Linda Perry is the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist in 4 Non Blondes.
“You’re No Good” (1963) featuring Emmylou Harris and Sheryl Crow
Emmylou Harris is an Americana, Country, and Rock musician with a lengthy solo career, dropping albums from 1969 - 2011.
Sheryl Crow is a Country-Rock/Folk-Pop artist who has been active since the early 90s
This song is also an outlier, being an R&B song; it’s also the song of a deceased artist that saw other featured artists invited in, breaking the trend set for the Prince and Queen songs.
“Heartbreaker” (1979) featuring Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo
Originally recorded by Pat Benatar
Pat Benatar is a huge figure in 80s rock (I’m trying not to say “legendary” after saying it too many times earlier), with 4 Grammys and 3 AMAs in the 80s.
Neil Giraldo is the lead guitarist on all of Benatar’s records, which means he was an invaluable asset in Benatar’s success.
“Let It Be” (1970) Featuring Paul McCartney, Ringo Star, Peter Frampton, and Mick Fleetwood
Paul McCartney and Ringo Star are, of course, the two still-surviving members of The Beatles. Presumably, McCartney is participating in vocals, but he’s only credited with Piano. Ringo is on drums.
Peter Frampton is credited with providing electric guitar work here.
Mick Fleetwood is the founder of Fleetwood Mac, and here he is credited with production work.
“Freebird” (1974) featuring Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Artimus Pyle Band
Originally recorded by Lynyrd Skynyrd
“Freebird” is the quintessential southern rock track, and Lynyrd Skynyrd is the quintessential southern rock band.
Artemis Pyle was Lynyrd Skynyrd’s drummer, and is now, seemingly, no longer affiliated with the band, but was included in this recording.
I’ll admit, I don’t love every one — and some of them seem like weird choices. The album’s weakest section is the streak of five tracks (5-9) from “Magic Man” to “What Has Rock and Roll Ever Done For You”. This includes the Kid Rock feature, which is an immediate turnoff. And then there’s “Long as I Can See the Light”, which isn’t bad, but feels like a weird choice for a Creedence Clearwater cover; don’t get me wrong, I understand why Dolly would pick this one, as it’s very spiritual and right up her alley, but…meh?
And the “What Has Rock and Roll…” cover — of a demo — feels like a waste of a Stevie Nicks feature. It’s got a lot of energy, but that’s about it. It’s not really a good song in any sense.
Then, there’s “I Want You Back”, featuring Steven Tyler, which bridges the gap with much of this project’s other big flaw: everybody is old. On the one hand, it’s incredible to see what so many of these huge names are still capable of at their advanced age — only a handful of these stars are under 60 years old. Still, Steven Tyler and Steve Perry have lost all of their power and range. Debbie Harry is a shadow of her former self.
Part of this comes from Dolly’s preferential selection of rock songs, with the most recent one being from 1993. The album still spans thirty years, but it’s been another thirty years since the last song, chronologically, that it covers was released. And Rock has changed so much in the last thirty years. Grunge exploded, then died within a few short years, leaving the Post-Grunge specter to haunt the entire scene for over a decade. Emo, Pop-Rock, Alt Metal…and this is just the mainstream stuff.
Naturally, the album couldn’t cover everything, but we got several New Wave songs with no synth.
The album serves as a Last Hurrah for a lot of big names. The star power present is phenomenal. But some of them leave you heartbroken knowing that they’ll never again perform anywhere near their peak.
Ultimately, though, these are largely gripes. Because I would, without a doubt, jump right into a Volume II iteration of this project even if it still focused on the same thirty-year span and continued to ignore contemporary rock. It’s just a fun listen.
“Every Breath You Take” is an old favorite — the classic stalker song.2 Joan Jett still has her attitude in “I Hate Myself for Loving You”, and Dolly and Elton John are a great pairing.
It’s a shame Bob Seger couldn’t join the project3 for “Night Moves”, but Chris Stapleton is more than competent enough to hold his own. And as much as I’m not a fan of Lizzo now, her flute seriously adds to Dolly’s cover of “Stairway to Heaven” — it’s seriously one of the best covers of that song I’ve heard, beaten only by Beth Hart’s recent cover, I think.
The ode to Queen with the “We Are The Champions/We Will Rock You” mashup is incredibly well-done. There’s so much energy baked into those songs, and the smart skeptic says 77-year-old Dolly shouldn’t be able to do them justice. But that would be underestimating Dolly. The same goes with “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”, but Dolly cheated a bit by bringing Pink on for this one; this is the kind of song that is right up Pink’s alley.
I can’t not mention, again, the album’s biggest outlier: Miley’s “Wrecking Ball”. I mean, clearly it’s a Pop song, not Rock. If there are any out there who are still unaware: Dolly is Miley’s godmother. And they’re very close, and Dolly says she’s been wanting to cover “Wrecking Ball” since it came out because she loves it so much. Including Miley on this album is just “Aunt Dolly” being supportive of her goddaughter. And, let’s be honest, the pair of them working the song together, and the subtle changes made to it, make it the best version of the song.
And then the album closes with an epic, ten-minute version of “Free Bird”, which is honestly just the most amazing thing. The joke has largely died out at this point, but it wasn’t long ago that “play Free Bird!” was the running punchline for any artist taking requests, similar to how “anyway, here’s Wonderwall” has been used in memes in more recent years.
And not only does she do it, but she got Lynyrd Skynyrd to come join her for it.
In the end, Rockstar is a celebration of the history of Rock and many of its biggest and most influential stars. It’s a wildly good time, even if there are a few lesser songs to get through in the process. But with thirty tracks, total, I guarantee there will be a good few that everybody should enjoy.
I’m noting the track numbers here to make them easier to find.
Every artist has a stalker song, sooner or later. This one is just the flagship.
Apparently due to scheduling issues.