Trio

Three beautiful voices operating as one here. The lyrics are middling 80s country fare about love lost and men leaving women, or women leaving men. There are some 80s textures I dislike, but ultimately this is a pleasant album and well produced. No show stopping tunes, but not bad.

Three queens and beautiful harmonies, what's not to love? Dolly seems to take the lead on the majority of songs and I'd love to hear linda and Emmy Lou Harris a little more but they still have their respective moments and it makes for a great record vocally.

This was very soothing

I feel like I probably heard this as a kid since my mom listened to this stuff, but it's hard to tell these songs apart from just Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt solo. I tried to give this a chance in her honour, but this is all a little too croony and whiny for me for the most part. I don't feel a burning urge to feel lonesome. Little Darling is a solid solid though.

Nice enough, some legends. High 2s.

not bad, but not good

1.5 stars Not bad, I think. But not for me. Listening did nothing for me and I can’t imagine intentionally listening again. But it was offensive or anything.

Legends in their own right but not my kind of jams. They are not my style as a group or solo artists. Saying that they are amazing women and deserve all the accolades they get. Like I said very talented and trendsetters. I think Dolly is one of the most kind, caring and funny ladies out there.

Each of them is great in their own right, but they harmonize together really well. Not my favorite genre of music, but it was good. 3/5 Probably won’t listen again

Really lovely harmonies on some classic country styles. Dolly Parton is a saint and Emmylou was recently introduced to me, I should look up more of her!

Question why I left five stars on other albums. First time hearing this and it has me reevaluating what I thought registered as a five star album. Perfection.

Heck yeah vibey

beautiful

Seems appropriate.

Gorgeous, heartfelt country music. I can find country quite cheesy sometimes but this hits the spot.

It's rare to see full album collaborations on this list. I enjoyed this album. "Trio" has some nice songs, none of which are bad. It belongs to the good kind of country, not that modern crap. Dolly Parton's still going strong to this day. 4 stars for "Trio".

Amazing voices, good songs!

It’s objectively, great, with beautiful voices and great songs. But I don’t need more than a few songs of it myself.

Favorite Track: Telling Me Lies

defo 5

Pre-listening thoughts: oh HELL yes I am so excited for this. But this does mark the end of dolly for this challenge :( Post/during listening thoughts: this is literally the infinity war of country music. Not the hokey scene where all the women gather up, no, these are the bonafide avengers themselves. Male country doesn’t hold a candle to this. I cannot name three men in country who could devour this hard sorry. 9/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: yeah maybe. This is the blueprint for like boygenius lowkey Fav tracks: The Pain of Loving You, Making Plans, Hobo’s Meditation, Wildflowers (I am dolly biased sorry!), Farther Along Least fav tracks: none

Short and sweet! I said the same thing about the last one but they were both enjoyable and easy.

Apparently they were trying to make this album for around a decade. They could have saved that time and not bothered. Bland, pedestrian, inoffensive pap.

I'm not into Country, but those three voices together are special. Liked Songs Added: Hobo's Meditation

Okay, I get the appeal here. It's pretty well-done, passionate stuff, with lots of personality

Fabulous three way vocal harmonies ove classic country/bluegrass-ey instrumentation

Immediately better than the contemporary stuff from Yoakem and Earle. I get that its a different type of country, and I just enjoy this more. Lovely harmonies - obviously. Do I love it? Well scrolling down my reviews for all these artist's previous entries in the book, every one got a 3. So that tells a story. However I must say how grateful I am that 80s period production is more or less absent here. Telling Me Lies the most schlocky (and even that in an understated way), everything else is refreshingly stripped back.

Gorgeous 3-part vocal harmonies, acoustic bluegrass backing from fiddles and banjo/mandolin/flat picking guitars plus a bit of extra juice from drums and soaring lapsteels, classic folksy country songs about wayward lovers, broken hearts, wandering minds and better days ahead/behind: immaculate vibes. The sappy piano ballad drowning in schmaltzy strings (I've Had Enough) kills the energy out of what's an otherwise well paced and uptempo bittersweet album.

Really don’t like this at all. Don’t enjoy any of the singers’ voices and the songs are basic country - one of my least favourite genres. One of the worst on the list so far.

Boas canções com harmonias muito bem conseguidas. Um álbum de estilo country à "moda antiga". De audição muito fácil!

I was in this big warehouse with my extended family. Everyone of us were kids again. My oldest uncle's daughters were being mean to me at first but they thought I was...something...I don't quite know. We were all waiting in line at this dormitory or camp like showers and however they felt about me they quickly. The second oldest cousin disrobbed and laid herself in my arm. Once there she no longer looked lie my cousin. No one looked how they really do. She laid in my arms for awhile saying something I didn't understand. Then ran off to the showers. I found myself at a row of bunk beds and an old friend of mine who keeps reappearing asked me if he wanted me to start a game. I missed him so much.

Slow but good. Not a fan of country but this were more ballardish vibe. The harmonies of all the songs are pitch perfect. Good listen but not insane good

4.5

“The Blues Brothers” parody of this record’s audience is one of those lies that works because it contains enough truth: cheerful bottles showering the stage followed by tears in beers while the band alternates between the theme from “Rawhide” and “Stand By Your Man”, which might as well be on this covers album, which sounds heavenly while mostly sticking to tropes. The voices are divine, the instrumentation is respectful, perhaps apart from a strange dip into “80’s schmaltz on “Telling Me Lies”. But that song also contains one of those hard bright lyrical flashes that the genre does so well: “You don’t know what a man is/Until you have to please one”. “Hobo’s Meditation” lured out my inner commie: it’s a mighty song. As a whole, this is high-class confectionary.

Unfortunately passed right through me. Nice voices, unmemorable songs

Three of the best to do it. It's not really my jam, but respect where it's due.

I never knew this collab album existed. Some serious songwriting and great voices on this. Gotta grip on wax.

Country is not me

Приятная музыка, хороший вокал, но не интересно

Big fan of Dolly as a person, but somewhat unfussed by country music in general. When it's great it's great, but a lot of it does nothing for me, and this fits in that category. Beautiful harmonies and voices, and a lovely mix of guitars, banjo, mandolin, autoharp etc, - but the songs all just feel a bit simple. There isn't really anything with any grit or roughness, it's all just quite pleasant. It feels like songs you'd play for children rather than something you'd wail alone after drinking too much. A low three, because the voices truly are beautiful, there's just not much backing it up.

# Album Name: Trio # Artist: Dolly Parton # Rating: 2/5 # Comments: Nice vocals. OK country music but very forgettable and quite boring if im honest. Did not enjoy. # Top Tunes: None # Would I listen to it again? No

Grand, wasn't really in the mindset for breakup stuff but might come back to it if the need arises

Nope

I wanted to like this, but I found it pretty bland. Turns out I just like Dolly, I thought the best moments of the album were her songs (Wildflowers, those memories of you)

2.4 F- Dolly, M- Emmylou, K- Linda

Utter rubbish… disgraceful harmonization and pitiful acoustic performance.

5*, duh.

It was ok, but not a vibe for me. 2.5

I like dolly

dope album. wildflowers is a classic. but if this was playing on a turntable, I'd play half the songs on 45 rpm. And when they harmonize, I want to pick out and appreciate each of their voices singularly. It's like taking the three best bottles of wine you can find and mixing them together.

better than i thought FOR SURE. love dolly but i’ve never heard of the other two, and i usually don’t care for country. it was an easy listen for sure, but nothing stood out musically. if anything, i thought everyone fell flat, and usually dolly DELIVERS. however, flat does not mean bad! i still liked it overall, i just think more could have been done to make this album stand out. 3/5.

Some songs remind me of Olivia Newton John in grease which I enjoy. Lots of slow country. Good vibes

Not the biggest fan, felt a bit muted all around vs solo Dolly, favorite song is Wildflowers, 3/5.

Lovely harmonies. All three of them have great voices.

Loooooove Dolly but country not so much

These three are absolute heavyweights of country but unfortunately there's only so much enthusiasm I can muster for their collective efforts. When it's guitarry it's ok, when it goes slow and sappy, it's just unbearable.

Couple of jams on here, but won’t be revisiting

These ladies are great, all have great voices, and they harmonize well. The songs are lovely. But mostly just standard. Good album (and I personally like the follow more -- it's less standard country), but I'm rounding down to 3. But it's better than a lot of 3s.

Some standout tracks, lyrics and good harmonies, but not as strong as earlier Parton albums solo

3 talented ladies but I was expecting a little bit more to be honest

Great voices, no doubt. Especially Dolly's, which is instantly recognizable. I appreciate the talent and harmonies, but this style of country music is not my thing.

How have I never heard this album? Among the greatest supergroups to ever exist. Listening to this album makes me feel guilty to be a man. Country banger after banger. Loved this!

Pretty amazing. They harmonize so well together. These three are icons!

Harmonies good. Good that it was short

This was interesting. I love Linda Ronstadt and Dolly Parton, and what I've heard of Emmylou Harris I've also really liked, so I thought this would be a great listen. But I was a little disappointed in the... fullness(?) of the recordings. Most of them were quite sparse, with just the vocals (which were all absolutely perfect, by the way) and maybe a guitar or a piano, but not much else. I really think that this album could have shined a lot more with some more instrumentation, but even as it was, it was clearly a show of amazing talent. Just not as good as I was hoping, and I probably won't listen again. This probably would've been four stars for anyone else, but because I know what I'm missing with these three amazing musicians, I'm giving it three stars.

I really want to like Dolly Parton because I know she's a legend but country is not for me. I'll give 3/5 nevertheless.

Got two Emmylou Harris albums in a row. These ladies sound so good together. I wish it was a genre I enjoyed more. They look so happy and smiley on the album cover, I was hoping for a few fun, upbeat numbers, but it's almost all heartbreak country here. Didn't love or hate, right in the middle.

ну хороший кантри в женском исполнении, хорошие песни

custom_rating: 7

Fun album with great voices and great songwriting.

This album was delightful. Just three female icons hanging out, singing, and harmonizing. Even though it's not really my music style (country), this album brought me joy.

Pretty but not ground breaking. More ground affirming. Amazing that three such massive stars and talents could bring together such a genuine heartfelt collaboration. Good on them.

Drifts into dirge too often but,at it's best, this music continues to charm me

Mellow and beautiful but nothing that really stood out and captured my attention here .

Getting these three together on an album is something special. The album itself feels like a throwback to an earlier era of country with the beautiful harmonies and the way the steel guitar is used. Very enjoyable album overall

We’re all here for Dolly right??

I love both of the Trio albums. The second is my favorite.

Enjoyed!!! I love country when it’s girlies! Star song for me was Making Plans

Such a smooth, relaxing, enjoyable album. This is the pleasant country, as opposed to the annoying country lol

Classic country ladies

听不明白，感觉是我妈会听的歌

Очень американская музыка, где-то приторная, но красивая.

Perfectly passable country, but I end up tuning it out by the halfway point.

No Jolene eh? Meh.

I have a feeling that I will be returning to this album multiple times in the future and that the score is probably gonna go up overtime. But for my first impression, it was a three out of five.

I know… three strong females with great voices and careers. I just don’t like this kind of country

beautiful. 3 voices to knock your socks off, all at the same time. trouble is this genre - after 2 tracks I am like STFU please and stop yer cryin love all 3 of these mighty mamas though!!!

I’m not a fan of country but that’s some might fine singing the blues. Beautiful harmonies.

I'm a huge fan of Dolly Parton! Who isn’t?! Her voice is fantastic and her spirit shines through. I don't, however, feel like this album transcends time very well. It feels incredibly dated and old-school, from the overall sound to...well, all of it.

An outstanding album in any era - this deserves even more credit for sounding like it did in the time it came out. Perhaps inspired by the arrival of Steve Earle Dwight Yoakam and Lyle Lovett in the previous couple years this album has none of the trappings of 80s country. Just three great voices, excellent playing and some damn fine song selection.

3/11, 27%

mostly slow songs, some country swing.

I liked Dolly Parton's voice, of course. Didn't always care for the harmonies or the parts that sounded like Christian Contemporary pop. Not a bad album but it came at a bad time and I’m not here for it.

Beautiful harmonies from three very talented musicians. The album as a whole is nice, though none of the songs especially stood out.

I like country sometimes and I respect the artistry of all these women, but I found this album kinda boring

Beautiful voices and harmonies but ultimately disappointing. The song-writing and music is kinda the worst of treacly 80s country production, and feels pretty lightweight. This music is not up to the talent of these three women.

Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris - Trio Not bad, just a normal chill country album that more or less sounds the same through every track on it (except the last song). The lyrics there are sweet, however the melodies sound really overwhelming, considering the type of things they were singing about. Overall, this is decent. 1.- The Pain of Loving You = 5/10 2.- Making Plans = 6/10 3.- To Know Him Is to Love Him = 6/10 4.- Hobo's Meditation = 5/10 5.- Wildflowers = 7/10 6.- Telling Me Lies = 7/10 7.- My Dear Companion = 7/10 8.- Those Memories of You = 6/10 9.- I've Had Enough = 6/10 10.- Rosewood Casket = 5/10 11.- Farther Along = 8/10 FINAL SCORE: 6.2/10

Really enjoyed. Dolly Parton definitely the best bit of it. The first 2 songs particularly, and Wild Flower was a really nice song. All abit sameish as most country is, thats my only criticism

Thought it'd be a slog. Actually quite good. Sweet, peaceful vibes, impressive vocals throughout. The songs were a bit samey and the sound quality was a bit crummy at times, but more to like than not like.

Harmonies and haunting words are sublime

Beautiful American country music sung by 3 iconic voices. What's not to like?

7/10. Three legendary women in country made a legendary country album. It's not my thing, but it's a nice album.

I was so psyched to see this come up, I'm always down for DP and friends, and it delivered for the most part, but truthfully with the star power behind this I feel it couldve been better. its still good! Made me wish I had a broken heart to relate a little more but damn if those ladies cant harmonize.

Was really excited when this album popped up. Three of the best female voices in music doing an album together?!?!? What a cream dream! Unfortunately I found it mostly underwhelming. Obviously they all sound great but the songs were just kind of uninteresting with the exception of the two standards that close it out, which were lovely! I really wanted to like this more but I just found it forgettable. Maybe a relisten would help. Oh well!

Three stellar voices from the country world are brought together at a time when record production was kind of lame, to be honest... in 1987 the wonders of synths and digital processing units were still infecting studios everywhere in all genres, bathing everything in a slick gloss of audio goop. CDs were still new and folks were angling for that "DDD" label on the packaging (look it up), and sometimes the music itself seemed like an afterthought, or, more accurately, a Product. a Widget. Mercifully, I was happy to hear that this recording didn't suffer too badly from that problem. Although everything sounds too perfect and on-the-nose for how I want my country music to sound, the presence of the likes of Ry Cooder, David Lindley and Albert Lee and a crack backing band keep the music honest and supportive of the vocals. "Telling Me Lies" might be the worst '80s offender with its chorused piano ballad vibe. All three singers sound fantastic and are in their prime here. What a treat to hear them sing solo and in different harmony combinations. "Pain of Loving You" seamlessly alternates between 2- and 3-part harmony, but almost sounds too sweet and lovely to sound like actual pain... Tracks like "Those Memories of You", though, could have sounded a lot grittier, with that bent "...they lay" they sing at the end being present throughout... giving those upbeat tracks some oomph let the sweet tracks like "To know him..." have more impact. Although I could do without a couple of the sweeter-sounding tracks ("I've Had Enough" and its Van Dyke Parks-like orchestration just doesn't seem to belong, for instance), at least half of this album will live in my country playlist from now on.

Now I know I ain't no country boy. I don't live anywhere near a ranch, and I don't own a truck - hell, if I owned a car, I'd probably drive a prius. But this was lovely compared to some of the other country albums on this list, and it's because Dolly, Linda, and Emmylou have some fine vocal performances on here.

The trio has nice singing quality and the lyrics occasionally manage to indicate some interesting twists. But the same old country melodies and progressions hamper its impact.

Really beautiful harmonies here

Dolly's still hot you can't change my mind.

Nice country, not sure if they all sound the same or Dolly did most the singing

Initially I was hesitant but I came back around, nothing crazy but a fun one to break it up and better than chvrches. The trio gets a trio of stars from me

A really nice, pleasant album. I couldn’t help feeling like I was mostly hearing Dolly’s voice, but maybe that was just me.

I couldn’t get through this one. It sounds like what I thought and hated country music was as a kid. It was unpleasant to my ears, yet I enjoy them individually. Maybe it’s me.

Despite generally not being a fan of country music, Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris are two of the rare exceptions to the rule for me. I haven’t heard of Linda Ronstadt, but you know what they said: two out of three is pretty good, innit. This album gave that warm cosy feeling that a lot of softer music from the era seems to give me, regardless of genre. They may be associated with country music, but it seems more related to appearance and accent more than anything. This is pleasant, cosy folk music. And I like that.

Well this is going to be a stretch for me but honestly I kind of dig these harmonies. Favorite track so far is Those Memories of You.

Three country female legends all together on one beautiful album

I enjoyed imagining the fat, redneck layabout she might have been singing about. Otherwise, apart from those memories of you, found it dull.

Kind of enjoyable folkish country pop album from Dolly and friends.

Three giants of Country music, but ultimately a Country music album abd I'm not a fan of Country music. However, a beautiful cover of "To Know Him Is to Love Him", and I quite liked some of the songs that weren't Country, such as the Gospel song "Farther Along".

I'm a sucker for anything Emmylou, and the bluegrass inflections help plus roots country. This is supremely engineered and produced. Talent assuredly embodied. These women can't be stopped.

One I appreciate and admire rather than delight in. Well-crafted and lovely voices but not really my tipple.

The harmonies are great. This is a little too Dolly forward to get anything higher than a three though.

The performances — and let's face it, it's all about the vocal performances — are great. Telling how Dolly's vocals are sometimes buried in the mix, as she can dominate the proceedings. Her voice just occupies its own space. But it's a testament that these three performers, all A-listers in their own right, treated this as a true collaboration. Their voices blend beautifully, and the variety makes the listening experience all the more fun. The songs... I guess it almost doesn't matter. There wasn't a song that leaped out as the "best," they all sorta blended into the project. So, on one hand, that means this isn't really deserving the 4-star, because for me, that's a key element to any great album. But that might get overridden here. I'd classify this as a solid 3.5, but my affection for each of these artists makes this a sentimental 4.

What glorious harmonies! I had no idea this record existed. As with any Nashville album the production, performances, and arrangements are immaculate. There was only one song that sounded at all like it was recorded in the 80s, so this one is pretty timeless. My only complaint is that it's very pretty; it just didn't seem to be more than that. Maybe that's on me. I'm not sure what else it needs to be. But I guess I just wanted some more depth. You have three of the most talented performers of the 20th Century working together to create an album that didn't feel as momentous as it should have. But like I said, maybe that's a me problem.

I loved this in theory but liked it in practical application.

Sorry Dolly not into it

3 amazing voices, great outfits but this is just not for me.

These ladies are icons. Amazing harmonies...their voices are all quite different but mesh together so well. Instrumentation is masterful. Some of the song choices are a little to hokey. I'd love to hear what they could have done with a few more modern pieces.

Not quite my thing, though I love Dolly Parton as a person.. there are some good tracks on here and some skippable ones; doubt I’d come back to it, but maybe I will? 2.5 stars.

Not bad.

Beautiful vocals. But I don't like country music.

well wasn't this nice! not one but THREE women on this list... a true rarity. this was really enjoyable and didn't overstay its welcome. dolly's always welcome on my album of the day!

ladies are doing it for themselves! you love to see an iconic trio of queens winning. this album was pretty enjoyable. a bit of a downer in parts and a lot of the songs sound pretty similar, but their voices and lyrics are beautiful enough to make up for it. love the harmonies here too! favorites: the pain of loving you, to know him is to love him, wildflowers, those memories of you, farther along

I really thought I was warming up to country music, but this album just uses too many clichés of the genre, and it really represents a lot of what puts me off it.

5/10

I like the honesty and purity of Dolly Parton. Adding additional voices does not taint that. That she collaborated and did stuff with others is nice actually, and it does not distract from her "purity" if that is a word to use. Yet for all it's purity and goodness her collaborative album is simply not quite as personal. Now this is not a bad thing in any way, it simply makes this album an entertaining album with really good professional musicians. But Dolly Parton's charm for me IS her personal presence. So this album, while fine and good, just misses that edge.

I would not have sought this out, so I'm glad it's on the list. Three splendid singers serve up the most mellow country music.

Some classic tracks, sung by the best around

Great voices. Traditional old country is probably my preferred style of the genre

True story: my mother had Alzheimer's and was confused and agitated and this album calmed her (I never knew her to listen to music deliberately). The voices are gorgeous both individually and in combination, and I feel like I can hear Linda trying hard not to overpower everyone else, as she definitely could.

Love these girls

They are good at something I don't like.

Great voices, but nothing memorable

It's very hard for me to get past my personal distaste for slow country ballads. Although this album is chock full of them, it's is the closest I'll get as all three voices combine in perfect harmony. Quite telling that my favourite track is the least country, Linda Ronstadt's voice crooning over fretless bass on Telling Me Lies.

Not quite my thing, but I mean it's Dolly Parton so even if you don't like it you have to at least respect it.

It's good, but it's not for me. Lot of respect for Dolly, mind, but the music isn't me.

Un álbum agradable. Muy tranquilo para lo que pensé que sería un álbum de 3 leyendas del country. Quizá este género no es para mí. Dolly nunca deja de destacar. Nota: 2.9

Fun album from 3 legends backed by an all-star band. I'm sorry I was too busy to listen to it all the way through before the day ended.

My initial (flippant) response to seeing this album was that it must be a "9 to 5" country album. And while that's not entirely wrong, it's also not at all fair to any of the trio. And while I'm not a huge fan of this style of country/traditional music, there's no denying how great they sound, both together and apart. A shame that it took them so long to finally be able to make this album (and then another ten years or so later), but I can certainly see why this album got many (many) awards. A shame in a way that this is the only appearance by Linda Ronstadt in this collection, but at least she made it in, I suppose. And kind of wild that one of the singles on this album is a cover of a Phil Spector song ("To know him is to love him").

Their voices sound amazing together; wish the song selection resonated with me more. The first song was the best, I thought, though I really liked the mandolin (I think that's what it was) on "To Know Him Is To Love Him."

Felt it would've been better if only any one of the three artists was involved. The vocal harmonies, though perfect, didn't sound appealing to me. Also felt very generic and old school.

ICONIC

Beautiful harmonies - a bit too sad for me.

Suena genial pero lo veo un poco monótono de estilo y se echa en falta alguna canción a todo pastilla

This is so not for me. I hate this kind of sappy country music. It does nothing for me. I have nothing against any of these ladies, Dolly Parton is an absolute national treasure, but I just don't like this music at all. 2/5

Lots of this stuff feels formulaic and a little too polished. Their harmonies are solid, but still a bit of a snoozer. The songs that Dolly takes the lead are solid, Wildflowers is great, Rosewood Casket is killer. I didn't really care for much otherwise.

I didn’t even finish it. After Wildflowers, I had hope then it was too much of singing in harmony. Not for me.

It’s that old traditional country which isn’t my favorite but it’s also Dolly Parton and I love her. It’s easy to listen to but sometimes felt a little too religious for me. Also don’t love that Phil Spector wrote one of these songs.

Disclaimer: I REALY don’t like country music, and this one felt like a country album intended for ladies in bad relationships with their man but who still have a good relationship with Jesus. This album is a hard pass for me. Linda Ronstadt got some pipes on her, and I like a good collaboration project as much as the next guy, but this was no duet with The Plow King. “🎶Mr. Plow is a loser, and I think he is a boozer…🎵So you better make that call to the Plow King🎵”

Decent songs...great harmonies.

I had high hopes for this, but it felt a bit generic, unfortunately. None of the songs really grabbed me, and it didn't feel even equal to the sum of its parts, never mind greater than.

Twee. Quite adorable.

Neat colab

Loved the harmonies the three ladies bring on with their amazing voices and rich tones. While I'm not a country listener, I definetly enjoyed this album a lot!

Et godt country-lyt, har sin charme, men også lidt trivielt

I love some good harmonies, and they were in spades in this one.

I was truly surprised by this album. That's why I am doing the 1001 Album generator to find music I really like which I otherwise would have never discovered.

Enjoyed the vibes. Very small town American cafe energy

These three voices together are pure magic. However, I was a bit tempted to give this 3 stars because the songs don't really pop, can feel a little bland at times, and there's nothing genre pushing in here. However, I have to give it props for being the best example of expert country pop vocals. Their harmonies are too good for me to put it down. I'd probably give it 3.5 if I could.

Very traditional country music. Lovely harmonies, dog shit baselines and a lot of twang. Can't knock the vocals, but the songs are dead boring.

This was a joy. Three legends. Often with music made in 1987 it can feel of it's time but this didnt. It felt completely authentic. 5 stars

Country is not my cup of tea but these ladies are perfection.

Noooooooo! One is bad enough, but three!

Kann man sich mal anhören.

nice enough to listen to, they can really belt out a song, overall too slow for me though

Favourite songs: Those Memories of You, Wildflowers, Hobo's Meditation, My Dear Companion, Rosewood Casket, The Pain of Loving You, Making Plans, Farther Along Least favourite songs: To Know Him Is To Love Him 4/5

uh yeah bud that's a five

Respect, but just too pretty for my soul

Country music isn’t normally my jam, but these harmonies are lovely. It’s easy to imagine a similar effort by stars of equivalent stature today resulting more in a series of tracks with each singer trying to out “down home” and “aww shucks” each other, with redneck charm. This latter bit prompts me to round up from a 3.5* since these performers have actual charm.

Great harmony. The songs that bent toward bluegrass are the best; the country did not annoy me.

The harmonies were really pretty and I especially liked the bluegrass and Americana numbers. But mostly it made me want to listen to Brandi Carlile.

Lovely voices all, but I think Dolly dominates more than I'd like. Very well produced, but almost a bit too polished. 3.5* rounded up.

Trio of shite

4.5

If you want consist country music from three country legends who finally worked together on one album for the first time, then this the album for you. The performances and writing are fine, but this album was so relaxing that I may have nodded off. I don't know if that is a bug or a feature. I added the track "Rosewood Casket", after learning that Dolly's mom wrote the song, and after learning what the song and particularly the ring mentioned in the song meant to her.

***An ok album

Nice album about love and heartbreak, maybe cause I didn't actively listen but Dolly's vocals stand out by far the most. 3.5

Very old, bland. Someone called it a "museum piece". Fitting, really

kinda mid, dont rwemember antyhing

Fell just the wrong side of annoying Country for me.

Love it. So calming and sweet and a little sad

It’s ok, what I expected. Old country

fun lovely voices, but nothing really sticks. For fans of CW and the voices

Not sure what I expected here. And I'm not sure what I got.

Beautiful singing by talented artists. Musically a little boring but that's not the point because it's country. Standouts are "Those Memories of You", and their rendition of the gospel tune "Farther Along".

Yoicks! I don't care for country music, and I'm not a fan of any of these three ladies' music.

A very easy listen - lovely voices and great melodies- top

This album was going to sell no matter what the cover design was going to be, but it looks like the instruction given the graphic designer that day was to discourage anyone from looking at it. Not my particular cup of country music but the vocal performances are excellent and a few of the tracks are captivating (although each performer has something better to offer somewhere else). A Trio of Stars.

Not really a country fan - but enjoyed this and believe that Dolly's a good person. Some lovely harmonys although a little twee in places.

All three of these ladies are immensely talented, and I've liked work by all of them, mostly when they've collaborated with artists who mitigated that pure country sound. On here, it's indulged and I have a life-long dislike of that sound.

Lovely listen, nothing groundbreaking, though.

Country music stars Sing sickly sweet harmonies And mostly sad songs

To some country music aficionado this may be a great album but to me not so much.

Ved ikke helt hvad jeg forventede... lyder fint ig

Jeg er med på at de synger godt, men gud hvor er det en kedelig plade. Lyder præcis som man forestiller sig når man kigger på coveret.

I don't like this type of music from this period of time.

Extremely boring, songs felt like they were the same.

Feels like a museum piece or country music on its very best behavior and dressed up in its Sunday-go-to-meetin' clothes (see the woodwinds on "I've Had Enough"). It's perfectly pristine and no one puts a foot wrong but one thinks it woudl have been better had they done so and lightened up generally. Three better voices it's hard to imagine, though it likely should just be billed to Dolly since she seems the most front and center. And it's lovely in the way that going to church can be (the opening banjo-mandolin bit of "The Rosewood Casket" even sounds a bit like a church organ). Similar to how eating your vegetables can be pleasing (though a bit more grease and sauce mightn't have been a bad idea). Still, pretty charming and pristine overall -- a good museum piece in other words.

4.5

*Trio* is such a beautiful album. At times too beautiful for it's own good. I coukd hear some of this being performed before a quiet respectful audience, clapping respectfully between songs for a DVD that will be sold on PBS on pledge week. But they are all solid performances and there is a trio of songs right in the middle where it feels more natural "Wallflowers", "Telling Me Lies", and "My Dear Companion". (8.95) ★★★★

I love the voice of Emmylou Harris! This is a nice, pretty, quite traditional-sounding country album. A nice listen. 4 stars

I think it's good -- they're all great singers -- I did find it a bit samey though. "Telling Me Lies" was probably my favorite. 3.5 stars

Not exactly my ideal power trio. After The Jimi Hendrix Experience the previous day, moving on to this is like going from a bottle of fine Johnnie Walker Blue to a manky bowl of rice pudding that’s about a year or five out of date. Bland by design but also extremely gross. For a group that features Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt is the one with the worst hairpiece with those Eddie Munster/Lazytown stylings.

Not really my thing.

boygenius for people who aren’t on lexapro

Fun album. I'll throw this on from time to time.

Can’t argue with those voices.

Not my thing

"Trio" is collaboration album by American singers Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris. The trio attempted an album in 1970's but scheduling conflicts prevented it. This country-style album was produced by George Massenburg and included session musicians Albert Lee (guitars, mandolin) and Billy Payne (pianos, organs, harmonium). Commercially, the album hit #6 in the US and #60 in the UK and, critically, had positive reviews. Dolly Parton's "The Pain of Loving You" opens the album. Mandolin, piano and drum beat. The women harmonizing beautifully. A slide guitar and violin. This is very easy listening and enjoyable. They slow it down a bit on Phil Spector's "To Know Him is to Love Him." Softer harmonization. An interesting time signature of 12/8. I had to look that up since I couldn't quite get it. And yes, a love song and, of course, a Kona Hawaiian guitar solo. Dolly Parton takes the lead in her "Wild Flowers." The other woman on backing vocals. Violin and acoustic guitar. Dolly compares herself to wild flowers that cannot be contained. No, Dolly, you cannot be contained. It's Linda Ronstadt's turn on lead in the beautiful "Telling Me Lies." Linda Thompson wrote this and Ronstadt give a great emotional performance. A slow beat, slide guitar and piano. She just can't go on. What's not to like about this album? Tremendous individual, backing and harmony vocals by Dolly, Linda and Emmylou. The hidden all-stars might the ace-guitar and piano/organ playing by Payne and Lee. It's a pleasant and enjoyable listen that mostly everyone will like.

I appreciate the greatness if these three women but I just can’t bear the sound of their voices together.

Nothing revolutionary in terms of country but it's just so easy listening and enjoyable.

3.8

The way I feel about Dolly Parton's voice is the exact opposite of Billy Bragg - I could listen to her all day. Nice album with some sweet songs, especially To know him is to love him and wildflower

233/1001 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑

Not bad. The mix of the 3 vocal talents made for some pretty great harmonies. I like how much of an old-timey and folk-music feel this has. Probably won't listen again often.

This sorta just passed me by, unfortunately. I don't really remember anything about it. 2/5

Wow, I haven’t updated this in a while lol. But it’s pretty nice, the ladies have nice voices together. I tend to think that Dolly as an icon overshadows her as an artist, but she does have a solid discography, and the other two are good too. B

nothing im personally to interested in

Country music just not for me.

A good old-fashioned country album with three voices that blended beautifully, I loved it.

Legends!! What a way to wrap up my 1001st album

Ex-ce-llent! What voices!!

A style of music I don't connect to. Sounded good enough.

Very many pleasant memories of this album from my childhood except for I've Had Enough. I've Had Enough inspires Bridge Over Troubled Waters levels of fury inside me. I cannot stand that song.

Not my style

That cover! Why do they all look like waxworks. But also, this is great. Amazing talent all working together, totally ego-free, and just so charming and touching.

It's always a good day with Dolly

I don’t know

Hmm we'll see if I can last through this whole album. Johnny Cash is one thing, but a trio of cunt-ry women? My aunt used to like Linda Ronstadt. Kind of just listening passively but it's not too bad. Still not giving it more than 2 stars but somehow today it just fits. 2 stars

Nice country record. Boomer boygenius

Voices mesh well together. I didn’t love the album but didn’t hate it either.

Fun times

Titans of country and they surely delivered. One of the big surprises of this project

As much as I love country this was not the best it could have been.

Great album, just not for me.

There’s no denying that these harmonies are great, and, yes, Dolly is a national treasure. But a lot of this music just bores me to tears. Probably would be better live, but as an album it doesn’t work for me. A classic example of being impressed by the artistry behind something but still not liking it.

Not bad

3.5/5

I love all three of these amazing singers, but I must say that individually each of them have better albums with better material. I do appreciate the lovely blending of their iconic voices on Trio.

Two Dolly Parton albums in three days, damn. Why not, I'm not complaining, she's alright. This album was much like the last, I enjoyed the rhythmic elements of it and the bass was fun to listen to, lyrics and vocals all blended together, basically unchanging the whole time. It was at least nice hearing multiple voices, those of Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, together with Parton making up the trio. Telling Me Lies had some crunchy chords sung by the trio in the choruses, which I really vibed with. Often the bass playing was pretty cool, if somewhat basic for many of the tracks. I liked the drums for a handful as well, but again, basic. So much complaining... Also, she's had *so* much cosmetic work done over the years... holy shit. Much like the previous album of hers we listened to, I didn't hate any of the songs, and many of them had interesting elements mixed in, even if they didn't make up the whole track.

3/10. Not my thing, has a song that I really like, prob up there in most listened to last year. Outside of that, just not my area of music. Isn't terrible but like

Hade inte hört deras trio förut men jag gillade den på tåget.

I like all of these artists individually. Separately, they are great. Together, they are...just okay? I am sure I will be in the minority on my opinion but this album feels uninspired and pretty standard country music. Take away the fact three Hall of Fame country/alt-country artists are performing the songs, then I am not sure this one would make it in the book. There are good songs on here, even if some of them are pretty slow, but I'm not sure there are enough good songs for me to listen to the album again. To Know Him is to Love Him, Farther Along and Wildflowers are all enjoyable but the rest fades into the background for me. The sum of the parts don't equal a great whole.

Great voices mediocre songs

I’m not a big country music fan, but the singing is fantastic

Perfectly nice.

Can't really appreciate it.

Not really my jam. No disrespect to these fabulous ladies of country music, but it felt to me like there wasn’t too much variety with the songs. It was an almost like every song just lulled into the next and well… then the album ended. Sorry Dolly, but this just wasn’t my cup of tea.

I fully recognize that by the end of the album it’s kind of the same thing over and over again but man their harmonies are just so tight and pure that I really can’t give it less than a 4. Amazing singers.

Solid. Not my cup of tea, but I felt like the album worked as an album, with some nice melodies and talented artists. Pleasant to listen to and succinct.

Feels like home.

We play both kinds of music here, Country and Western!

Incredibly good, what else can you say?

Not for me, but some pretty harmonies.

Trio is a neat little record – 3 country stars who diverged from the genre in various ways throughout the ‘80s coming back to the genre and its then-contemporary sound all as a unit, all bringing their own unique flair to it. It is very ✨of the times✨ with its sullen, staring-down-an-empty-whiskey-glass, adult contemporary-adjacent sound, and that is a fair mark against it on face value. At the same time, though, Parton is magic, Ronstadt is an incredible vocalist, and Harris can really play a guitar. None of the material here is a catalogue-best standout, but it’s the same consistent quality. Solid! I do fear that Trio was included as an excuse to triple-dip, though. Like, we only have one Parton record, and while Coat of Many Colors the right one, I would say both Jolene and even Here You Come Again are more essential than Trio. Meanwhile, Harris has one album too many with Red Dirt Girl, and Ronstadt should have at least had Heart Like a Wheel, *at least*. Knowing this, Trio feels like a way to avoid an argument and get representation from everyone, and add in some pure country, especially during an era and sound that doesn’t seem to be heavily represented by anything else on the list. But that compromise is audible in Trio as a record, which itself is a compromise between 3 styles. I’m not saying I wanted a big-band Ronstadt album from ’82, I just wanted something more representative and more essential. That doesn’t mean that Trio is bad. It’s cool, just maybe more for interested parties, not essential listening.

Harmonies were solid. Enjoyed this album’s classic country sounds.

Never actually listened to a whole Dolly Parton album and it was surprisingly good and unexpected like the harmonies

Nice. Classic voices that mesh really well together and sound really fantastic together. Love the different feels to each song. Overall a very enjoyable country album that sounded really nice.

not usually a fan of this genre, but their harmonies were fantastic. refreshing to hear strong female voices. I can understand why this album is on the list

Ufff

When you take a Supergroup of country singers that each emit the sounds of birds greeting the rising sun you'd think each would be a diva and want to lead the pack. Each of these masterful singers compliments the others perfectly that you don't suffer a bad track on here. 'Leave 'em wanting more' is sage advice to anyone wanting to succeed - and what Dolly, Linda, and Emmylou do here. 4/5

Dolly parton record as everyone can expect. Nothing special

Gave up

Like 1 or 2 songs, just not my cup of tea

Never been a big Dolly or Ronstadt fan and this album confirms that. Beautiful voices but it just didn't do the trick.

Nice to have some more women make an appearance (though a shame Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris aren’t included in the listing here, when it’s a notably collaborative album). Incredible voices, but country music just isn’t my thing.

Great voices, nice harmonies but not my type of music.

Dolly steals the show in this trio. Wildflowers is a highlight, Hobo’s Meditation (jeeeesus christ) is a low point that hasn’t aged well. Musically a lot of the songs are interchangeable; just vessels for the harmonies and to sit upon, which is a shame. A lot of country sub-genres are visited though and it was great to hear the twang of the slide guitar in The Pain of Loving You. Not something I’d revisit in a hurry but it was nice to be reminded what a great singer Dolly is.

After starting to think Kate Bush was the only woman in music I so so wanted to like this album. The sound of their voices is undeniably beautiful but this type of music just aint for me. I think part of this is that I realise (after reading other reviews) I just don't listen to lyrics at all. So this type of storytelling is really lost on me. However Spotify did guide me to Linda Ronstadt’s other work and that was really great.

I feel like Moira Rose has all of these wigs

A rather enjoyable listen. Some songs worked for me more than others.

Yeah, this was a tough listen, I struggle to picture the fanbase of this particular album. Was it that the three (very talented trio admittedly) had the same manager and thought it’ll be a good idea to combine them together in a kind of “dream team” kind of collaboration ? What do I know? This made it into the 1001 albums so a lot of people liked it but it’s not for me.

Linda Ronstadt's backing band in 1971 went on to form the Eagles! I really wanted this to be good and interesting and engaging, but it wasn't for me. Too much heartache for a man, the songs were very slow and kind of indiscernible. Sorry, this one was not for me.

Hard not to like this album with some of country music's greatest vocalists! This is a legendary trio!

I get that Dolly Parton is famous for having the biggest beasts Hugh Hefner was unable to print and that she is also (deservingly) famous for her philanthropy, including more than $1,000,000 donation to help Moderna fight COVID but she's also famous for her music...? I love DP for what I know about her, but I was unable to put this album in the same column as the others. I found this upbeat and positive, yet really tiring and uneventful. She sure is an amazing person, but I'd like more proof that she's an amazing recording artist.

The harmonies between Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and Linda Ronstadt are amazing. It's a really cool combining of talents for a special project. And the musicians backing them are no slouch either. There is some great guitar, banjo, fiddle, and viola throughout the album. Too much of it is painfully slow for my taste though.

It's not typically something I would search up to listen to, but after a string of bad albums it was a relief to listen to something so very pretty.

LEGENDS

Harmony, harmony, harmony! Some of the slower songs slow down my interest, but overall I love it.

No.

Con todo mi respeto a DP, pero no me interesa el folclore gringo

++: Hobo's Meditation, Wildflowers, Those Memories of You +: The Pain of Loving You, Making Plans, To Know Him Is to Love Him, My Dear Companion, Rosewood Casket, Farther Along +-: I've Had Enough -: Telling Me Lies 6,7/10

This was sweet and easy to listen to.

This album is fucking beautiful and delivers everything that you'd think it could, given the fact that it's three great artists coming together 4/5

Nothing special, didnt hate it

their main message is “to be a women is to be in romantic pain”

I almost like Wildflowers

Three very talented singers, but this is not for me. I am not a fan of country ballads. I can really only tolerate rebel country. This album is slow and depressing. 2

Old time country with fiddles, steel guitar and banjos. It's a collection of low tempo songs sung by three great voices with lush harmonies. Even if you don't like country, you have to appreciate how talented these ladies are.

Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, and Dolly Parton - how can you go wrong? A lot of heartbreak on here, great traditional country flawlessly executed.