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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Trio

Dolly Parton

Linda Ronstadt

Emmylou Harris

1987

Trio
Album Summary

Trio is a collaborative album by American singers Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris. It was released on March 2, 1987, by Warner Bros. Records. The album has platinum certification in the US for sales of one million copies, and has total worldwide sales of approximately four million. Longtime friends and admirers of one another, Parton, Harris, and Ronstadt first attempted to record an album together in the mid-1970s, but scheduling conflicts and other difficulties (including the fact that the three women all recorded for different record labels) prevented its release. Some of the fruits of those aborted 1970s recording sessions did make it onto the women's respective solo albums. Finally, a collaboration effort came to fruition, being produced by George Massenburg. When Trio was released in March 1987, it spawned four hit singles–including a remake of Phil Spector's 1958 hit by the Teddy Bears, "To Know Him Is to Love Him".

Wikipedia

Rating

3.1

Votes

7375
Genres
Country

Reviews

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Mon Aug 15 2022
5

Before The Avengers, before the A-Team, before Charlie's Angels, there was The Trio. I'm a simple man, I see a Dolly I give her 5 stars.

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Wed Aug 16 2023
4

Album #700 for me! Holy shit! It's funny this one is coming up today as I was just chatting with my two sisters yesterday about how we need to be a unanimous united front to take down the wicked evil trying to oppress us right now. Feels like some sort of divine intervention or message from the music gods that my assertions are correct - "The Power of Three will set us free!" Also, Linda Ronstadt's hair and outfit is EVERYTHING on this cover. Major cowgirl serve right now, I am feelin' the fantasy!

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Tue Nov 01 2022
2

To start with, three amazing artists with incredible careers. Great, distinctive voices, amazing song writers. But DAMN That was depressing.as.hell. And disappointing - where’s the strong female voice from Working 9 to 5? These are some severely dated songs, even for the late 80s. To be fair - I’m pretty sure these are all or mostly cover tunes, but I mean, there’s a song about a coffin! Although it did make me realize two things - I don’t know if there are trains in heaven, and you just don’t hear people talk about ‘hobos’ much anymore. So much respect, but not for me.

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Thu Sep 15 2022
4

Could be subtitled "Men Are Bastards" (except JC, he's cool). This is a beautiful joining of three amazing voices, a trio of country/pop perfection

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Sat Nov 18 2023
4

This turned me into an atheist. Or alchemist. Or whatever the term is that means I'd really like to fuck Linda Ronstadt. Or Emmylou Harris, which I believe some comic referred to as Gram Parsons disease. Whatever. I share a birthday with Dolly Parton. That used to mean something. I find Dolly to be a better actress than singer. Oh, you want a hotter take? Her best performance was in On Golden Pond. Great, now I'm confusing Dolly for Jane Fucking Fonda. Or maybe Dabney Coleman. If I end up masturbating to Dabney Coleman instead of Dolly's jugs I'm just going to run with it. Good Lord these are some strong ass shrooms. My mother was right. Never kiss a rodeo clown. As Dolly would say in her Oscar winning role as Klute, Here You Come Again. And here I go.

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Mon Aug 15 2022
5

Good apart from telling me lies (extremely 80s)

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Mon Aug 15 2022
5

Country harmonies at their best

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Fri Oct 14 2022
5

An enjoyable set of legends! I think they shine a little stronger solo, but really good work regardless.

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Sat Oct 15 2022
5

The crossover we didn't knew we needed between three of the best female country singers. This album is pure magic, every song is a banger and both the voices and the instrumentation are beautiful.

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Fri Oct 21 2022
5

What a great album. Nothing revolutionary in terms of country but it's just so easy listening and enjoyable. Their three voices just combine perfectly

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Fri Aug 26 2022
4

Country in its sunday finest, with quite a few choice performances. it's really good but it didn't linger in my mind for too long

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Wed Aug 31 2022
2

Twangy country gals. Nah bro.

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Thu Sep 01 2022
1

too much country.. struggled to listen to all of this!

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Tue Aug 23 2022
5

To know him is to love him é bem gostosinha

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Sat Aug 27 2022
5

Una belleza de álbum en todos los niveles. Sin duda es El Trío. La unión de sus voces es un regalo.

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Mon Sep 26 2022
5

Entrancing voice of a good-souled woman.

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Fri Oct 21 2022
5

What an incredible combination. These 3 were destined to sing and harmonize together. GOATs of country pop. Beautiful songs, perfect production, great run time, I enjoyed this thoroughly.

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Wed Jan 11 2023
5

Heck yeah. Trio is just magic. The combination of voices (personally, I'm especially partial to Emmylou Harris, but you can't fault Dolly or Linda) is better than any of them alone. To Know Him is to Love Him is an absolute stand out. Yes, some of the songs are a bit corny, and many of them have been overplayed. It's an 80s country album with 80s overdone production (and seriously, Emmylou, what were you thinking with that HAIR?), but this is ICONIC. Smashing good album.

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Wed Jan 25 2023
5

Un autre album country cette semaine mais celui-ci merite vraiment son 5. Un excellent album par 3 super chanteuse

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Thu Feb 16 2023
5

Dolly, Linda and Emmylou. What did the world do to deserve the three of you? At this juncture of all three stunning careers, they've done everything possible: collaborations with wayward souls, career-defining songs that still echo and resonate, changing genres with an ease most people couldn't perfect and many, many more. What's left to do than come together and bang out an album that not only is a classic but demonstrates all three at their peak. Weaving together well-worn classics with the then-modern touch that exemplified grace, the result that became Trio is the type of record that can best be an introduction and also a reminder of the talents that all three have. Thank the heavens that such a creation was allowed to be made. We're not worthy.

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Thu Mar 16 2023
5

Where has this been all my life?!?! I am a sucker for good harmonies so right off the bat I loved this. But the songs themselves are beautiful lyrically and musically. Nothing crazy just pleasant listening and I would be lying if I said a couple songs didn’t make me tear up thinking about family members of mine who have passed or aren’t in the best health. Bravo to these 3 ladies who put together a masterpiece of harmonies.

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Fri Apr 28 2023
5

a beautiful classic country album.

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Tue Jun 13 2023
5

This fucking slaps. Three totally perfect singers join voices in a sort of voltron esque creation of unstoppable country music. Telling Me Lies is the perfect example.

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Wed Jun 14 2023
5

Three great (and distinctive) vocalists collaborate (and harmonize) in the best possible ways. Really a masterclass on how all of these "superstar" collaborations should be done. Simply beautiful.

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Fri Jun 23 2023
5

3 amazing voices that blend together well

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Sun Jun 25 2023
5

This is gorgeous country, the voices blend so well together and the sweet gentle tone is mesmerising. Some nice fiddling, too.

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Mon Jun 26 2023
5

Three premier performers making great music. They're all so flawless, what a great album.

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Mon Jul 10 2023
5

Wonderful! Marvelous! Good songs and stellar harmonies.

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Sun Aug 20 2023
5

Not my standard listening but these voices together are awesome.

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Thu Aug 24 2023
5

Not usually one for country music, but I absolutely love this. Three of my favorite artists and women.

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Mon Aug 28 2023
5

One of the best country/Americana albums of the 1980s, and perhaps ever, Trio combines the power of Linda Ronstadt, EmmyLou Harris, and Dolly Parton in their prime. Parton especially had had a string of crossover pop hits at this time, making this something of a back-to-basics album for her. Their combined talents always complement and never compete. The song selection is spectacular. It's easier to point out the very few lesser songs (To Know Him is to Love Him? Really?) than suggest the gems. It's so full of gems that it sparkles like a tiara. Parton's contributions are especially wonderful though, especially Wildflowers and Rosewood Casket which feature Dolly's exquisite dulcimer playing. There was a follow up (Trio II) that, while good, doesn't rise to the lofty heights of this album. This is a rare oppurtunity to see three amazing songwriters and performers at their best, made better by their collaboration.

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Sun Sep 10 2023
5

3 beautiful legendary voices make a beautiful album.

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Sun Oct 15 2023
5

Beautiful voices singing beautiful compositions in exquisite harmonies.

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Wed Oct 25 2023
5

Very interesting. A very new space for me.

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Mon Aug 15 2022
4

This is the country that I like

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Sat Aug 27 2022
4

Turns out I like dolly and country. Prefer the jingle jangles to the ballads but I got played a lot extra so not sure what's on album

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Wed Sep 07 2022
4

4.2 - Really, what’s not to like? Three songstresses still at their vocal primes come together to sing plaintive country gospel songs of love and loss. Yes, it’s earnest, sometimes excessively so as on “I’ve Had Enough”, but the power of the arrangements and performances backs up all that emotion to make this record authentic and compelling.

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Sat Sep 17 2022
4

Nothing to complain about here, 3 peak performers in their genre and they sing very well together. I don’t want these kinds of songs all day everyday but this was a well composed selection.

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Mon Sep 26 2022
4

okay so, I honestly REALLY love Dolly Parton she’s a gem and a half, just an incredible person in general, I really do love her but her music just isn’t really for me I love the more western side of music like Patsy Cline and Willie Nelson but I’m having a harder time with country stuff I can still appreciate the effort that went into it, and hey, some of it actually sounded pretty great in my ears, this album sounds like an 8/10 but Dolly Parton herself is far greater than such ratings :)

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Tue Oct 04 2022
4

Probably the greatest country collaboration that will ever happen.

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Tue Oct 11 2022
4

It's a shame we only got one of these. Best track: The Pain of Loving You

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Fri Oct 14 2022
4

Their voices blend beautifully and the tunes aren’t half bad. A lovely little jaunt this was.

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Mon Oct 24 2022
4

I was completely unprepared to see this album here and suprised that there were such crazy country unions. The atmospere that album creates is for the calme morning with cup of coffee and someone you love. Despite all the ablazing and heartbreaking voices(especially Dolly Parton's one) i liked only a few songs that really stucked in my mind and made me reflect for a while. The overall sound is not for the permanent listening(pretty boring). But I couldn't give it 3 or even less just because music is very mild and cosy. So 4

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Tue Nov 01 2022
4

You know, from the chipper happy picture of the three of them on the cover, you'd never know how sad and lonesome they all are. And of course they are definitely lonesome, not lonely. Country folks don't get lonely, they only get lonesome. This is one thing about classic country I've learned. The other thing I've learned is that country folks are all about projecting a glamorous and happy getup, but there is pain in them there hills, big heavy pain. These three ladies are at the ends of their careers, but the music sounds classic as ever. Beautiful, sad, lonesome music! I swear these ladies could kick the Dixie Chicks' asses. I'm sorry ya'll had to get old, but I understand. More than ever.

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Wed Nov 09 2022
4

What lovely country music, the rhythm of this album brings me happiness.

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Fri Dec 02 2022
4

Great album. The harmonies from the three women are beautiful.

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Tue Dec 20 2022
4

DolLiLou och Ry Cooder och David Lindley och Albert Lee och det horribla countryåret 1987. Tusan.

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Wed Dec 21 2022
4

not completely a 4 but enjoyed more than 3

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Wed Jan 04 2023
4

Very pleasant, 3 great singers and some good songs

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Wed Jan 18 2023
4

Loved this. Timeless country blues.

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Sun Jan 22 2023
4

This album made a 50 minute drive in the snow go from unbearable to just excruciating which is honestly a pretty big feat. I couldn’t imagine a comparable album today where the three biggest artists of a genre got together to make a banger filled album. Closest thing after this was probably traveling wilburys

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Thu Feb 02 2023
4

I like me a bit of bluegrass and love these harmonies.

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Thu Feb 02 2023
4

7/10. Lotta big names, didn't really come together as an album all that well for me though.

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Thu Feb 02 2023
4

7/10 fantastic vocal harmonies and performances all around. idk why but I’m not usually a big fan of super groups , and some of these tracks I just didn’t care for

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Thu Feb 02 2023
4

You put three legends in a room together and they just happen to make an excellent album.

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Sun Feb 12 2023
4

Three incredible artists gather to share their talents, and their voices blend here perfectly.

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Fri Feb 24 2023
4

An inspired collaboration featuring three icons, ‘Trio’ is expertly sung, played, and arranged but it’s essentially full of slower songs and ballads. And while these are all great, I would’ve liked some up-tempo numbers thrown into the mix for some variation, and to wake me up a little.

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Mon Feb 27 2023
4

El artista no es Dolly Parton. Es el trío formado por Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris.

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Wed Mar 08 2023
4

Extremely biased 4 for my queen dolly

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Fri Mar 10 2023
4

Stunning album. These are three of the strongest & most memorable vocalists in country, folk, and rock. All three are legendary in their own right. Separately, these ladies sing some of my favorite songs: Dolly - Jolene, Emmylou Harris - Wayfaring Stranger, Linda Rondstandt - Blue Bayou & her mariachi songs (an ode to her Mexican-American roots). Together, they sing in perfect harmony & cover some classics. I'm also sucker for sappy country, banjo, fiddle & guitar...partly thanks to hearing country growing up & living in Nashville for 8 years (Emmylou lived in my neighborhood). I'm so happy this is one the list & I hope we get to hear their solo albums. What a lovely listen.

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Fri Mar 10 2023
4

I liked this one more than I thought I would. I’m big country fan but I generally haven’t gotten in to any of these ladies. Great vocals, classic country/Appalachia sound. Solid record.

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Wed Mar 15 2023
4

A soothing, calm album. Their voices are beautiful together. Country isn't my genre but this was a good listen.

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Thu Mar 16 2023
4

Holy Harmonies Batman! This is far from a genre I typically enjoy but the musicality of this album cannot be denied. Masters of their craft and there's nothing else to do but sit back and enjoy.

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Thu Mar 16 2023
4

While not a country fan, these ladies' voices and wonderful harmonies transcend the genre. I'd listen to them sing the phonebook!

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Thu Apr 06 2023
4

I didn’t realize these three ever recorded together. Though this album doesn’t really break any new ground, this is a very accessible country album grounded by tradition but infused with some pop sensibility. The vocals are outstanding of course. It’s interesting that this was recorded right at the advent of the the pop country mainstream explosion that peaked in the 90s.

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Fri Apr 07 2023
4

La somme des talents n'est peut être pas à la hauteur des talents individuels. Album très agréable a l'écoute avec de belles harmonies. C'est de la country chimiquement pure. Manque peut être de hits incontournables

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Thu Apr 13 2023
4

Not sure when I’d listen to this again as the music isn’t really my vibe, but overall, I did actually enjoy this album

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Sun Apr 16 2023
4

Il fait beau et les oiseaux chantent

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Tue Apr 25 2023
4

I love all three of these singers individually and the harmonies are beautiful, but still this album feels like it's missing something. Still a great listen. 3.5/5

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Thu Apr 27 2023
4

Love dolly she should be the president

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Thu Apr 27 2023
4

It's not greater than the sum of its parts, but it's some pretty good parts. Not quite as dreary as I remember, but Those Memories of You is still by far the highlight.

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Fri Apr 28 2023
4

One of the best country records to come out in the 80s. 8/10

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Thu May 04 2023
4

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Wildflowers, Telling me lies, I’ve had enough

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Mon May 08 2023
4

Three top class singers, a great record full of country with amazing harmony singing

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Tue May 23 2023
4

Before there was Boygenius, there was Trio. Three great singer-songwriter women (though more country than folk) came together for a back-to-basics album. Trio consists of a few old songs and a few new ones. The end product are simple-yet-beautiful country songs that hearken back to the traditional styling of the genre. The exception to this is Telling Me Lies, which is more of a Nashville Sound 80's ballad that was originally recorded by Linda Thompson. This is perhaps the weakest point on the album, as the women showcase their voices best on the more traditional songs, especially when they harmonize together. A strong showing from all women here. Not nearly as bad as I anticipated from an 80's country album.

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Sat May 27 2023
4

beautiful tracks the whole way through, love this collab.

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Mon May 29 2023
4

Thoroughly enjoyed this burst of proper music after the other nightmarish stuff I’ve had to listen to lately.

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Wed May 31 2023
4

3 legendary singers - beautiful harmonies, a soulful collaboration. I am not overwhelmed by this album but I am certainly charmed by it.

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Tue Jun 06 2023
4

A warm mug of your favorite hot beverage. Very very cozy.

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Wed Jun 14 2023
4

A wonderfully executed collaboration between three icons. Their voices work well together and the arrangements are great (especially for a country album from the late 80s). The lead guitar on “To Know Him Is To Love Him” is gorgeously tasteful.

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Wed Jun 14 2023
4

Great Americana. Voices blend beautifully and song selection is very good. Three individual icons who know how to work well together!

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Wed Jun 14 2023
4

This was fun. I imagine this collab turned heads when it came out. Wildflowers was my favorite.

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Wed Jun 14 2023
4

Before there was boygenius there was trio! What a supergroup. I can't quite put my finger on why I feel its more a 4 than a 5 for me, maybe some songs blended together too much in my head? It might come down to this kind of country needs a bit more zip for me to be really engaged as a listener. So solid though.

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