Trio

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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."

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

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.

Decent songs...great harmonies.

Twee. Quite adorable.

Enjoyed the vibes. Very small town American cafe energy

Kann man sich mal anhören.

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

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

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".

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.

Lovely listen, nothing groundbreaking, though.

Country music stars Sing sickly sweet harmonies And mostly sad songs

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 really my thing.

Can’t argue with those voices.

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

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.

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.

I don’t know

Nice country record. Boomer boygenius

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

Fun times

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

Great album, just not for me.

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.

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

Perfectly nice.

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.

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

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.

Dolly parton record as everyone can expect. Nothing special

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.

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

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

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.

++: 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

Nothing special, didnt hate it

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

I almost like Wildflowers

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.

Quite liked this one. Very simple overall but a solid album. Riding that line between 3 and 4 for me.

pleasant country

#363. Reminds me of The Traveling Wilburys or The Highwaymen. There's a good song in there every now and then, but you can tell they're having a lot more fun than we are. 3/5: decent.

Some country legends doing what they do best.

It won't change the world but it brought pleasant relief after an hour of shite from Sonic Youth.

It’s pretty good.

This was another one of those albums where the component parts are great, but the sum of the whole just wasn’t for me. I thought their voices were nice together, the instrumentation is good, but I didn’t love it.

Great voices, excellent harmonies, easy on the ear. However, by track 6 I start to lose interest, and it doesn't really rewake until the final track, the majestic Farther Along. A solid 3, not strong enough throughout to warrant any better.

There's about half of a very good album here. But some of it just doesn't click with me at all. It's fine, I doubt I'll listen to the whole thing again, but could see listening to a few songs, especially Dolly's leads, again.

Look, mad props to all 3 of these ladies. I'm old enough to know how much respect they all carry in the music world. Hell, Dolly is like America's Grandma and I have never heard a bad thing about her (not like I've looked very hard though), but damn, this is just too twangy, depressing old country that doesn't do a thing for this listener. I tried a couple just to find something to get excited about and I couldn't. Confident I never would. I mean there's a damn song about a casket. Out of respect to all 3 of the ladies, 3 it is. 3

Was very much a 'supergroup' idea. Each is very talented. A decent listen, but no knockout punch

My last review for Dolly Parton was: A very nice quick old country album that I really enjoyed So this one I am going with: A very nice quick old country album that I really enjoyed

You don't hear too many songs about hobo's nowadays gotta respect that. Enjoyable but nothing that really popped off for me. High 3.

Not really my cup of tea, but giving it less than a three would be very harsh. It’s not without its charms

A listenable country album?!?

The gang's all here! I wish there were fewer slow songs on this album. I enjoyed it but there was no real energy, which is a bummer when you have three really talented and energetic singers working together! It was good, but it could have been so much better!

Lovely voices, some sad songs. I enjoyed!

Okay but I didn't like it as much as I hoped I would

Pre-listening thoughts: “I love Parton and Harris, so please don’t let this fall victim to 80’s over the top production and sound.” Ok thankfully it didn’t fall victim to that, but after listening I kinda wish that it had. There is no doubting the talent of these three women. Having heard a Dolly Parton album and an Emmylou Harris album as part of this project already, I had high hopes for this. My main complaint about those two albums, however, unfortunately applies to this one as well: the songs all sound the same. Slow, plodding country ballads. Beautiful, yes. But slow. And long. The harmonies these three women create are undoubtedly devine. The songwriting prowess is on full display as well. But also on full display is that classic Dolly air of sentimentality that is almost smothering at times. She hits this niche where the whole thing feels genuine but she goes just a little too far and makes it feel a little schmaltzy. But that’s Dolly, and that’s her thing. Who am I to criticize one of the most successful and popular artists not just in her genre, but of all genres. The woman has her own theme park for fuck’s sake. Only Walt Disney can say that besides her. In all, file this one under beautiful but boring. It’s sad, really, that the massive amount of talent that had been waiting for years to collaborate couldn’t produce something more entertaining. Give me some country romps next time, ladies. A little more “9 to 5” and “Bluebird Wine,” a little less “Coat of Many Colors,” got it? Standout Track: Those Memories of You

Yee-haw. I'm a fat middle-aged white boy in South-East England so this album is probably way outside the norms of my musical tastes - but it was pretty good. I mean, I won't be rushing out to buy it, but it was easy listening.

It’s very country in a way I find a bit saccharine and off putting. But I didn’t not enjoy it and Wildflowers is a great song

Much better than I figured it would be. Solid listen. 3/5

Al

5/10

After a couple listens this would probably be rated higher. 3.09

These ladies sound great. These women could have done the witches scene from O, Brother Where Art Thou. Hells Bells, Mr. Lund! They recorded this while Linda Ronstadt was engaged to George Lucas. Why is there so much Americana music focused on hobos? World class harmonizing. Those Memories of You is definitely an inspiration for Man of Constant Sorrow. Dolly is a natural show woman and comes across as the "leader" for most of the songs.

p565. 1987. 3 stars. Well done collection of country standards, and gorgeous harmonies. Having said that, it is mostly a covers album.

I expected more from this given the talent involved, but nothing really stuck with me. Not bad at all, just nothing special.

Okay

Wow three amazing vocalist on one album

I really enjoyed listening to this a few times over this morning. It was a nice break from some of the shite that this challenge has been serving up. Also, I thought I was the only person who wondered: “Will there be any freight trains in heaven?” Country music can be so hilariously serious sometimes lol

While this isn't really my 'go to' genre I really admire friends (and fans of each other) getting together to make music! Fave track: Those memories of You Those memories of you still haunt me Every night when I lay down I'll always love you, little darling Until the day they lay me down

Meh. Great voices, couple odd lyrics, won't seek out again.

Not a huge country music fan but you can't help but respect these three and this terrific piece of work. I imagine for fans this would have been epic.

It’s fine

Country supergroup isn’t the sum of their individual powers.

Nice, but I’ll probably pass on this.

Okay, this is just country music overload. Had about as much fun with it as what I imagine being wrestled, overwhelmed, and tied down by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris feels like. I am uneasy and annoyed, but can't deny some enjoyment. Inclined people might discover a new kink.

I think Dolly’s voice is the strongest of the three or at least the one I recognize the most. Im glad they were finally able to make this album together. Would have loved to have seen them work in the studio together.

It’s a very sweet album. I’ve grown to respect Dolly P a lot in recent years. I’m terms of talent this album scores highly, but there were no individual songs that hit me with the feels, so I’ll have to give it a 3. It’s a strong 3 though. I would listen to it again for sure; I could see myself becoming more connected to it after 3-4 spins.

after the album was over a patsy cline song played and i was sad because she was better than all 3 of these gals, still a solid album

Buenas voces y acompañamientos, lindo trio

Smooth, chill, sweet songs.

Relaxed album for this nothing special day.

Solid heartbreak country with excellent harmonies, strong writing, and some bluegrass elements. The voices are lovely, and I very much enjoyed the atmosphere this music created.

There was some really nice stuff in here but I don't think it made up for the rubbish. Wildflowers is of course a classic and the opening track The Pain Of Loving You is really stellar - probably this track or some similar idea was the reason they wanted to make this record. This group is definitely at their best here when doing this country-shuffle stacked-harmony Nashville-goes-west-coast take on 'mountain music'. But the soppy attempt at capturing that 'hobo' thing from 80's country felt like posing to me. Ultimately this 10 track record really boils down to: 1. The Pain Of Loving You 5. Wildflowers 8. Those Memories of You 10. Rosewood Casket All good tracks!! but also sonically too similar - different lyrics over the same backing track almost haha It creeps up to a 3 star rating based on those 4 tracks noted above and the quality of the performances and recording which are all actually quite excellent.

Far too country for me. But definitely three amazing talents. Just not my sound.

Ça s'écoute bien, les trois ensembles ont vraiment une chimie qui marche très bien. LLa,bum a un bon flux et on voit pourquoi Parton et Harris ont leur statut respectif (je ne peux pas dire pour la dernière car je ne la connaissait pas avant ça). Ça reste un style que je me tanne vite mais c'est très respectable dans l'ensemble. 7/10

Standout Songs: Hobos Meditation Wildflowers I've had enough

Country. Ni fu ni fa.

I don't love country but this was pretty good.

Great collaboration between 3 legendary women singing some classic bluegrass and country. Overall, a solid country album showcasing the talents of Dolly, Linda, and Emmylou.

Who the fuck is making these beautiful cowgirls so sad!?

Pap en mam would be proud Maar dit is gewoon country, nothing special

Three very accomplished singers, unfortunately in a genre I don't care for.

Quite the trio indeed. Dolly's songwriting comes thru, even if I'm not one for country music.

Not what id typically listen to but i still enjoyed it. Have this on vinyl somehow lol

This is a good country album, but just too trad country for me.

Three really powerful voices of country legend. Unfortunately, the music is a bit dated.

Definitely not my style, but i'm not going to hate on it. The harmonies are nice and Telling Me Lies and Those Memories of You were a bit more interesting to me than the rest. Definitely a lot of it blends together.

The vocals were the best part. All the songs seemed to be about relationship problems which was fine, but it got kind of boring after a while. Didn’t enjoy the slower songs.

Met expectations. I’m sure there’s a group of people that totally loved this. I thought it was fine 6.5/10

5/10 - It was alright. One of the songs background pieces sounded exactly like pass me by if you are only passing through. It was cool to have like every combination of the three people. My favorite song was wildflowers but other than that and farther along the songs were not great.

it's OK. Emmylou sings on a lot of better albums.

I liked it. Not the strongest effort of anyone, but good on its own.

This is just all a bit calm and twee. There's o denying that it's pleasant enough, but no more than that really. Wildflowers stood out as something worth a bit more time, but other than that I'd not come back here.

The Pain of Loving You 2.8 Making Plans 2.9 To Know Him is to Love Him 3 Hobo's Meditation 3 Wildflowers 3 Telling Me Lies 2.9 My Dear Companion 2.7 Those Memories of You 3 I've Had Enough 2.7 Rosewood Casket 2.7 Farther Along 2.8 Score: 2.863636364

Queens of country, but this didn't land for me.

Long after Crosby, Stills and Nash, and long before Boygenius, country music also once had its own mega supergroup of legendary vocalists. Bonus points to the record such mega C&W superstars released in 1987 for its unobtrusive, "traditionalist" production values. In a decade generally plagued with awful choices when it comes to synthetic-sounding flourishes, it's reassuring to hear some people involved in the mainstream business still had taste at least. *Trio* is obviously blind to the eighties "aesthetics" that were prevalent when it came out (which, by the way, ruined the Dwight Yoakam and Steve Earle LPs also mentioned in the 1001 Books--if you want to stick to that overall genre). And this is exactly what made this album age like fine wine. With such a cast of singers, the vocal performances are obviously stellar and heartfelt through and through. This can't fully redeem how "generic" the music of this LP is, as tastefully produced as the record was. Likewise, and given the writing credits, it seems that most of the tracklist is made out of covers, which is always a little disappointing on a creative viewpoint. But some of the songs and compositions are still impressive enough to make you forget about all that at times. Especially "To Know Him Is To Love Him" and "Telling Me Lies"... I'm listening to this as the sun rises through a deep fog over my countryside garden this morning. This is a nice view with such background music in my ears (definitely better than the kitsch artwork for this LP). So, even if country music will never be my thing, this view inspires me to be more open-mind than usual, maybe. Hence why I just *might* select this album in my own list of keepers. If only because I surely need more than a "trio" of good C&W records in said list. 3/5 for the purposes of this list, which translates to an 8/10 grade for more general purposes (5+3) Number of albums left to review: 230 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 332 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 196 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 249

Nice, an assembley of pop stars

It's ok, not particularly good, not particularly bad. If you're a country music fan I guess it's a kind of highlight. But if you're not, not so special.

It’s fine. Beautiful harmonies. Beautiful voices. Stereotypical production. Good background music, but nothing really stood out as a great song. Moving on.

3 top tier country voices and excellent session backing crew. Not my genre but solid performances all around. This was a much anticipated grouping that had been in the making for probably over a decade. I don't think anyone was disappointed.

Perfectly fine. I just couldn’t engage it as anything more than background music.

I never knew this album existed, so when it popped up on my feed I was incredibly excited. And then it was just OK. I still enjoyed this a good deal, but it's perhaps my biggest disappointment thus far in this project (~100 albums in). I was prepared for a 5-star banger, and it ended up being a soft 3-star. The songs are a bit too down tempo for me. I wanted something more fun or rollicking.

Dang who hurt these women? Almost all of these songs are heartbreak, but maybe that's just how some of this old Country is. Overall, the album was enjoyable, and I particularly liked Hobo's Meditation. I thought it was kind of funny at first, but the question it asks stuck with me past the album's conclusion. I also liked To Know Him is To Love Him and Wildflowers.

Pretty cool album. It’s nice and chill. I’m not much of a country person so I can’t say I’ll be coming back to this for more listens in the future, but I also have a lot of respect for Dolly Parton and her influence within the music industry.

It's a tad winsome, but it's Dolly Parton and she gets a pass because she's Dolly Parton.

I know the critics fell all over themselves praising this when it first came out, put listening now I don’t hear it. It’s a pleasant enough country pop album. But I feel like it could have been so much more.

This is a pretty good classic country album by 3 very talented women. Not quite the poppy hits that made dolly famous but all three of these ladies bring the emotional strong sounds that make this album one that lasts overtime and shows that female groups can kill it then and now. Pretty good stuff but their solo stuff is still a bit better. 6.5/10

Some quality country. Nothing hugely standout on here, but it is all enjoyable.

It's good to hear the women's but it's kinda depressing this album

The harmonies are killer, and Tom’s right about the production/instrumentation being understated for the 80s. I like Linda Ronstadt’s early to mid-70s stuff, think Dolly is a legend, but Emmylou Harris is one of my favourite singers of all time, and she seems a bit buried in this. The other two were bigger mainstream stars at the time and Emmylou didn’t have a great 80s, so I suppose that makes sense. Making Plans, Wildflowers, I’ve Had Enough and Farther Along are all high points, but nothing lives up to Harris’s early 70s albums with Gram Parsons or Elite Hotel, which have a similar vibe but with a rougher, more rock-influenced band. She hits her peak later on when her voice starts to break in and she works with Daniel Lanois. Wrecking Ball better be on this list, and if Tragedy and the Title track off Red Dirt Girl don’t make you tear up, you’re made of stone. It’s not fair to judge this against those albums, but it’s hard to go above 3 stars when they show how much better she can be alone.

Dolly Parton's America was all I needed to become a fan of her, and as a result I liked this album. The songs were alright, but at least they sounded like genuine country rather than the pop-country overproduced drawl that really bothers me about the genre. Wildflowers is a great song. The rest of the album told interesting stories but was better as background music for me.

Dolly really shines on this one! Linda and Emmylou are here too!

This triumvirate of distinct voices interweaves marvelously to co-create honeyed harmonies that gently glide above classic country tunes.

I enjoyed it more now then before. I don’t know what changed but it touched me more. Still not an ideal record for me.

3.5

Okay, let me preface this with something: I'm not particularly a country type of person, modern or classic. So this album probably wasn't going to appeal to me anyway. Still, I gave it a listen. Really neat to hear three powerhouses of country legend singing together, though I felt the songs as a whole kinda blended together sound-wise, there wasn't a lot of energy here and the songs were just often very slow, which is a shame when you have Dolly Parton on here, arguably one of the more exciting people on the country scene at that point. Overall a nice idea for a big collaboration album, but all in all it's just not very ambitious, and certainly not one I could super get into. Shoutouts to Dolly though. True goat. In the interest of being charitable towards a genre and album I didn't really get, I'll give it a 3 instead of a 2. I think there's *something* there for someone.

3 stars for 3 stars

Some standard, but good country. Love the harmony of the trio, though.

It's not my kind of country, but it is good country - Dolly is always amazing, and this does make you reminisce of the olden days back when the genre wasn't the cesspool it is today

i had no idea this album existed. i didn’t love it but i didn’t expect to - just not the type of music i listen to. the fact that it’s even a thing gets it 3 stars though and you can’t deny the harmonies

Country

Three legends to be sure, but the songs weren't my favorite.

Lots of respect for all three of these ladies, but I can't really get into this album.

"Hobo's Meditation" reminded me of "sad songs and waltzes" (Willie Nelson / Cake).

Sweet album from 3 great Ladies of Country.

not rly my thing but this is a legendary trio. I liked those memories of you and the pain of loving you

Felt the braid untwist a bit, but aside from that some great traditional country. Excellent, distinct voices, pedal steel and not a whole lot of other sonic craziness, some wistful song choices.

It's alright - some good harmonising - but instrumentally it's very straightforward and doesn't give the listener much to latch onto. Extremely simple percussion appears in a couple of tracks, which end up being the highlights of the album for that reason. Most other tracks are guitars and vocals, and the songs sound quite similar to one another as a result. I guess this was meant to be a lyrics-focused album, but the lyrics aren't particularly strong either. Still, the general vibe/mood is positive and carefree (to an extent). I can appreciate that. Key tracks: Wildflowers, Those Memories of You

jag bli mer och mer konfunderad kring valet av skivor från vissa artister. Skulle beskriva mig som ett ganska stort dolly-parton-fan. Så pass stort att jag betalat för att se henne live och skulle kunna betala dyra pengar för att göra det igen. Hon är en bra sångerska men fra en av världens bästa låtskrivare. Denna skiva är inte representativ för det. Hon har bara skrivit två av låtarna. Jag förstår inte riktigt varför denna skiva platsar öht. Det är aldrig dåligt, det är ju inte möjligt med tanke på de inblandades enorma talang. Men det är heller inte riktigt bra.

Det är ju helt okej det här, de sjunger bra och sånt. Men det gör inte så mycket med mig tyvärr, det är för likriktat och ospännande (kanske beror på min egen ignorans). Svag trea för själva hantverket håller ändå hög kvalitet.

They can properly sing. But it became quite similar the longer it went on

It was pleasant but that was about it

They have great voices and there are some lovely songs on this. It's just not really my thing.

Not really my thing...

I loved the vocals, a good listen, was listening while driving in traffic and it kept my head calm

When I was a kid my parents took me and my brother to a lot of Gilbert and Sullivan productions. Around the same time, Linda Ronstadt starred in a movie version of The Pirates of Penzance alongside Rex Smith, Kevin Kline, and Angela Lansbury. I must have watched it a million times. So to my mind, Linda Ronstadt is exclusively a Gilbert and Sullivan singer. I am constantly surprised that she has a whole other life in music, even though my husband has a minor obsession with her and brings her up occasionally when he talks to me about his love for - gag - 60s and 70s pop music. Yesterday when we had the Eagles, for instance, he had to talk to me about how the Eagles used to sing backup for her and how she sings back up for them on their albums. He’s played me her Rock and Roll Hall of Fame performances and talked about how she had to retire early. But none of this changes my perception of her as a Gilbert and Sullivan singer. So I got a little jolt again with this album - what’s Linda Ronstadt doing here? The Pirates of Penzance is deeply channeled into my brain, apparently. As for the album, beautiful voices, gorgeous harmonies, great instruments, love Dolly Parton. But I doubt I’ll listen again.

Not really my thing but can’t deny there’s some lovely stuff here. Telling Me Lies was a particular highlight

# 116 : SNORE! Nice album, but it kinda put me to sleep. Country harmonies at their best, Nice peaceful sound. Easy singalong... if you're awake. Favourite track : Wildflowers Listened : 23/11/2023

Beautiful and poetic, voices like angels but ultimately it wasn't me

Enjoyed the harmonies

Me gustó, es un buen country, meloso, triste, melódico. Por momentos te manda a dormir.

I don't love it, but I do like it. I mean, this is pretty top tier harmonizing. The songs don't get my heart pumping but the craftsmanship is worth the listen.

You know a word I rarely ever use? Winsome. Feels like it's apt here. This is a winsome album. Perhaps also a dab saccharine and a mite twee, but pleasant enough. They know how to harmonise, for sure. Unconvinced that this is an essential listen though.

How can something that sounds this pretty have an album cover that is that ugly? Jeeeeezus. That is horrid. That aside, I found this to be a very pleasing album to listen. I played in my car, which is probably not ideal, but it did sound very good overall and it’s hard to argue that these three voices just work very well together. Even their vibrato at times seemed to be in perfect unison, which I’m guessing is quite tricky to do. “To Know Him is to Love Him” is a stand out, as is “I’ve Had Enough” and that clarinet swell that came out of nowhere. But come on - you’ll never hear a prettier song with the word “Hobo” in the title than “Hobo’s Meditation.” And that’s just the facts, Jack.

C'était pas aussi cool que l'album par Dolly Parton seule, là ça faisait un peu supergroupe artificiel.

I really enjoyed this listen. It made my morning commute much more enjoyable. It also has prepared me for the American music I'll be hearing all over Silver Dollar City this weekend. The two ballads by Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris were out of place on this record.

fiabesco. Messaggi interessanti, in particolare wildflowers, ma non eccezionale.

I thought it was alright- some of the melodies are kind of basic, the lyrics are predictable but there are some good songs like “Wildflowers”. Not what I usually listen to but I enjoyed it alright.

pretty solid country sound!

Beautiful singing. Listened twice. Very old school country ballads, which were great to listen to, but I can't see myself coming back to this album. Can see why the album is heralded, but it's just too slow for me. 3/5.

Good vocals, good twang and definitely not new country.

Who hurt them?

it's not as catchy as kesha, but i'm sure it was brilliant in its day. 3 for me.

Solid

The songs didnt really grab me but goddam what a lot of talent on this record. Glad I listened to it

Great voices of course, and the material is pleasant to listen to, but the songs do not really stick. Have a copy of this album, and in my memory this was a 3-star album. Memory confirmed.

Three excellent singers, of course, harmonising beautifully. However, I wasn't too impressed by the selection of songs. The first 3 or 4 tracks made for a slow start of the album, after which things start picking up. Telling me Lies and Those Memories of You save the album for me.

Nothing wrong with this, it's just very unspecial.

A rather heartbreaking record with simple instrumentation and great singing performances. 6/10

Three legends come together and basically do covers and country standards. Great voices, but kind of disappointing due to the lack of new material.

Very nice!

Despite my hatred for country, Dolly is the one person I can tolerate. Her voice is genuinely enjoyable. I would almost consider giving a 4, but I think in comparison to everything it can’t be that high.

Country is almost as "un-preferential" a genre that I can find, mostly because the musical construction of the songs are always so predictable to me. Also - hey, sue me - I don't like the too-often overly twangy vocal dialects. So there has to be something different - vastly different - for me to even make it through an album. As we go deeper into this list I have found some subtle country dividing lines - most notably that I *vastly* prefer women singers here. And on this album Dolly Parton especially shines - she's someone whose music I'd never sought out but she really is a fantastic singer to listen to (especially that I generally don't care for most singers). Something about her voice that even though she's clearly got a beautiful voice she never seems to overdo it like so many do. Some of these songs are still lousy / soaked-in-80s-schmalz ("Telling Me Lies" is painful) but at its best it's ... pleasant. And that's not a bad thing. Definitely worth a 3 for respect and frankly none of the 3 overdo it vocally which is what makes it work. 6/10 3 stars.

Those memories - Très sympa et entraînante. L'instru est chouette

I recognize the talent of the three of them, but this is not the music for me. The harmonies sounded great, but the style just didn’t do it for me.

🤠

It’s solid, like I don’t love any of these three’s music honestly but it’s still good 3/5

I don't think I am knowledgeable enough in this area of music to really rate this properly. To me it sounded good and the singers are extremely capable, but the music is also feels like pretty generic country music. Nothing I want to throw myself over again, but it was a pretty calm listen and if I'm in the mood for country I could put this on for sure. I just hope for their sake that the album cover picture was done as satire or a joke, and not in seriousness. Though I'm not sure how much humour Dolly Patron & co. has, so it's hard to know.

great singing

This one was a little tough to rate for me. I went in with great anticipation. However, I don’t particularly like this style of neo Americana. The chemistry in this album is so strong, though, that I was on over, anyway. Each singer gets a chance to take center stage, but at all times, the harmonies are incredible.

This is the kind of country music that is meant to break your heart. I suppose if I allowed myself to get caught up in it, it may be effective even on me. Parton, Ronstadt, and Harris have great voices and are amazing performances but I'm not sure about the song choices. My general unfamiliarity with country music may be limiting my appreciation of the songs but I have a suspicion that this album's late 80s release date has something to do with it. I compare these tunes with the original songs on Loretta Lynn's Van Lear Rose from 2004. I do like The Pain of Loving You, Wildflowers, and Those Memories of You. I don't like the dead hobo one.

Very relaxing without ever being annoying. Solid country music. 3 stars for the 3 voices. 📣📣📣

3.75

Three very distinct voices within the country world, brought together to make standout songs. Throw in David Lindley and Albert Lee and you got yourself a pretty solid band! The harmonies are beautiful and the songs, albeit a bit sappy at time, are very traditional and well crafted. 7.5 out of 10

Love these ladies but this album was a snoozer

What a trio. The Linda Ronstadt bits were my favourite. Still a bit country for mine but I appreciate this for what it is.

Some lovely sweet country vibes. Hang on, wasn't that yesterday?

overall decent country but nothing i thought was really special, enjoyed the pain of loving you and wildflowers

I quite liked this one, more than I would have expected for country. Really liked the way their voices harmonize. 3.5 stars

This was jolly. A pretty good collaboration that throws up some fine songs.

Its all fine but a bit bland. The 3 voices are great and it holds well as an album. The songs all seem to be about relationship troubles. Twang twang yeaaaah. Country.

Love Dolly and Linda….Emmylou is really hard to detect her voice. Not much of a fan of the harmonies…. Old style country songs sung by three iconic ladies. Average at best. 3/5

Their voices together sound so bright and pure. Not what I’d normally listen to but pleasant.

I generally like Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris, but I haven't sought out much of their work on my own. I was happy to see this suggestion come up because of the possibilities. The album was good and I enjoyed it enough, but I finished the album wondering if the music had truly showcased the talents of all three of the artists on this album. Perhaps I wasn't in the mood for as many sad love songs. Nothing was bad on the album, but I might not come back for a re-listen. "Rosewood Casket" adn "Hobo's Meditation" were the tracks I rated the highest, with "The Pain of Loving You" a close third.

Country Bears music. But Country Beats music done well.

Three stars.

Never knew about this collab. Pretty cool.

One star each.

I respect all 3 artists, but all together this doesn't do much. In fact I may prefer them each solo.

All respect to Dolly and Emmylou (Ronstadt, with her penchant for soft, adult-contemporary vibes, was by far the weak link here) but I really struggle with the sad-sack country crooner schtick. I just hate it so much. But, as I listened, it grew on me. Well, some of the songs did. When it was country, it was alright. When it was adult contemporary, it was awful. And when it was bluegrass, it was fire. Seriously, I felt like I got musical whiplash going from "Those Memories of You" (a gut-busting bluegrass jam) to "I've Had Enough" (a flaccid adult contemporary turd) and it killed the experience for me, honestly. I'll never listen to this again but, at the end of the day, I can respect it even if I don't like it.

Good but not my style.

Relaxing

Massive talents.

Nice ladies.

j'ai eu un sneak peek imprévu de l'album d'aujourd'hui dans la radio qui a suivi l'album et contre toute attente cetait lourdingue

Not bad but boring. I have huge respect for Parton tho

This was a fun listen. I love dolly, I like Linda.

Some songs were ok. Others were too "churchy" sounding for me lol.

I *hate* modern country music. But this, I can handle listening to. Beautiful voices singing meaningful songs. You can’t really complain about that, can you?

This is really lovely. Out of this world harmonies. Three gorgeous vocals singing as one, and it's pretty great. This album mixes a traditional vibe with an 80s sheen, which isn't the most exciting use of the talent involved. But the simplicity of the songs helps keep them from sounding too dated. Fave Songs: To Know Him Is to Love Him, Those Memories of You, The Pain of Loving You, Rosewood Casket, Making Plans, I've Had Enough

A sweet, relaxed album. Dolly Parton is one of those artists that make country music listenable. - i was surprised Phil Spector wrote one of the songs on this album. That guy really was everywhere back then.

Good

Country. Aburrido.

No denying that these women are incredible song writers, singers, performers. Not really my style of music, but you've gotta appreciate it.

3.5

Country. Ni fu ni fa.

The sweetest country album I've ever heard. Iike drowning in the see of riffled dresses and white aprons.

Three Country music legends team up to sing country. Pretty good. Nothing memorable for me, though.

It's three greats being great together, but as often is the case with these things it never exceeds the sum of its parts. Hobo's Meditation is the exception to this - it's ace!

It’s fine. 6/10

Love Dolly!

It’s a good album. A little slow and very country but dolly has a very good voice.

It's country. It's ok, I can't say anything bad about the singers and the songs, but overall it's an album that I will not listen to again.

well written and sung album, almost like keening poetry at times. I've not heard projects from this trio in their capacity - but it looks like they were a force to behold in the days of yore, and I feel this was a solid introduction for all three!

Just a trio of country gals hymning and singing away on the prairie. I loved their voices even when the songs themselves felt old and antiquated. Like the same way I love old Christmas songs. No keepers, but overall really enjoyed.

Not bad at all! Great country harmonies from three titans of the industry. I think we've had an album from Dolly and Emmylou so far, nothing from Linda yet. Nothing too crazy but a solid project to be sure. Gets me in the country dancing sort of mood. Favorite tracks: The Pain of Loving You, Hobo's Meditation, My Dear Companion. Album art: A picture of the trio, fitting, but the framing and font around this thing really sells it. As far as band photos go, this one is way up there! Love the western backdrop as well. 3.5/5

Hade jag gillat det så hade jag tyckt om det jättemycket.

Alla som kritiserar Dolly Parton får med mig att göra. Dock är denna skivan inte det mest fantastiska som gjorts.

not bad

I enter this hesitantly. Country + 80's... FEAR. Nice voices so far. Not overly punishingly 80's thus far. Somewhat boring but not really offensive. Heading for a 3 here.

You can feel the heart in these songs. This is good country.

Solid old country, loved the way the three of them sound when singing together. Will have to dive more into Dolly Parton.

Helaas, fan van alle drie de dames maar samen was het wat te zoetsappig. Jammer

Some fun hear, but wish they'd made it in the 70s rather than 80s

onpas nyt sydän rikki! kaksi ekaa biisiä ovat oikein hyviä, ja loppujenkin stemmat liikuttavat. keskittyminen tosin herpaantuu välillä, ovat niin perusbiisejä lajissaan.

Great collaborative album from three iconic artists, the harmonies on these somewhat simple and stripped down country songs are phenomenal.

3.75

6,5/10

I need to listen to more Dolly

Very nice

This is an old one my parents played often.

I got a sick feeling when refreshing my screen and seeing this as the album for the day. It makes me feel like I'm in some shitty buffet outside of Nashville with grandma. Im scooping potatos next to a fat lady wearing a dress with a vest and all I can think about is the sweet release of death. I did my duty in listening and while my initial assessment was a bit over blown I still picture my self at a buffet.

The pain of loving you - sounds like she needs to drop this man Making plans - nice emotions in voice👍 To know him is to love him - this song doesn't do much for me Hobo's meditation- asking the important logistical questions about living arrangements in heaven Wildflowers - couldn't be me but a bop. This is a great song👍 Telling me lies- bars, men are trash👍 My dear companion and the memories of you - both reiterations of making plans but in the future I've had enough - finally She's leaving him. This is a well written song but too slow for me Rosewood casket - meh Farther along - this doesn't work it you don't believe in God Very nice harmonies, pleasant album 3/5

3 titans of their respective genres. What a mix. Maybe too slow for my taste at times but great nonetheless

m-a luat puțin somnul și erau cam multe backing vocals la un moment dat dar destul de ok în rest 3/5

Too much twang for my taste, but it has some really nice songs.

The Pain of Loving You - kicsit country ABBA vibeja van, nem minden esetben hallgatnám de tényleg egész jó 10/8 Making Plans - ez is country Összességében nem olyan rossz most biztos végig nem hallgatom az egészet Egy fokkal jobb mint az előző de nem az én vibeom még mindig

Solid country classics. Not my jam, but very listenable.

Only really liked the songs where Dolly was the lead singer. What can I say, I love Dolly, I don’t like county.

Listened Before? N Well, this is some 80's country if I've ever heard any! But, this album is exploding with talent. These three were all big names of their day, and their collaboration comes off extremely well! Dolly, of course, is the standout here, but the other two lend their voices to the album beautifully. I loved this, especially the more upbeat songs. That said: that's what the album is missing. More upbeat numbers. The Pistol Annies did the three-female collaboration better, years later. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Those Memories of You

At last, a country music supergroup album. Y'know, there are times when the beautiful harmonies and simple guitar chord progressions of old-school country songs really hit the spot. These times usually only last 15-20 minutes though and then I get a bit bored.

Pleasant voices. I'm not familiar enough with Linda and Emmylou to determine who was who. Only Hobo's Meditation caught my attention.

This was all a bit samey, didn't really do much for me. I saw another reviewer label this as "country gospel" and that rings kinda true - most of the songs have the rhythm and feel of church hymns, and as I'm a product of Church of England, that means plodding slowness and not enough variation to be interesting... Fave track - "Making Plans", maybe, or "Those Memories of You". It's all much of a muchness though...

Ok, just to know

It's all trash, but this list somehow pulls the most tolerable country albums out there. Damn. Hard to hate such calming folk music, with some pieces appealing to 80s adult contemporary audiences. 3 singers in under 40 minutes so you don't get too tired of it by the time its over. Enjoyed the harmonious vocals. Doesn't try to be loud or obnoxious. I wouldn't consider any of these tracks to be essential or even interesting, but it's coherent pleasurable. I had actually heard "Wildflowers" before. Favorites: To Know Him is to Love Him, Hobo's Meditation

A fan of Dolly and a few of her songs, but this album was just okay. Great harmonies, but overstays its welcome.

A bit unfair to list this as a Dolly Parton record - by name alone it's a Trio of Dolly, Linda Ronstadt and Emmy Lou Harris. The sound is a perfect blend of all three voices and only the occasional track is Dolly-heavy.

Very cowgirl jams/western lady vibes. It’s not normally my thing, but I didn’t hate it.

Good country, good stories Hobo's meditation was good

Okay first off it’s Dolly so i’m excited

The trio has strong voices and a good sense of harmony, but a lot of the tracks blend together. I'm also not huge on country, even if I respect the craft and absolutely adore Dolly Parton as a person. I probably won't be coming back to this one.

Trying hard to like Dolly Parton, I dk if this is the intro album though

Sweet and catchy 80s country. I enjoyed it but I wouldn't listen again.

I like the idea of this style of country existing into in the late 80s - from my limited knowledge I feel like it may have been a throwback, and that's cool - but the three harmonies started to get a bit sickly sweet towards the end. It relied too heavily on them and at 40min without any real variety that was a bit much. Still an easy 3/5 though - nice concept and pleasant enough tunes.

La country est un genre de musique totalement inefficace et sans effet dans les oreilles de n'importe quel ressortissant européen, et ce n'est pas ces trois greluches pleines de bonne volonté qui y changera quelque chose.

Nous avons déjà à de multiples reprises exprimé notre mécontentement à l'égard de la musique country, ce n'est certainement pas en triplant la dose de pétasses américaines que nous allons changer notre fusil d'épaule.