Trio

Traditionally not really a fan of country music. All three of these women have singly beautiful voices which meld together in stunning harmony. I especially like Linda Ronstadt’s, who until now I only knew of as a prolific coverer of Zevon Highlight - Wildflowers

I liked hearing all three sing together, but room for improvement with some of the song choices and production.

If I ever need this specific vibe, this is the perfect album for that. Good to have up my sleeve

Easy listening not sure how much I will revisit but pleasant!

It's all very nice and harmonious and all that. It's just so bloody clean. I want that dirty Parton, that flogging Molly Parton. Its fine for what it is tho.

Está mono. Buenas country ballads flow amor en el wild wild west. Tendré que escucharlo más pero parece que hay temas lindísimos.

Er almennt ekki mikið fyrir kántrý en ég hafði ekkert á móti þessari! Samradda flott þær stöllur

Kántrí þykir mér yfirleitt ekki skemmtilegt, og lítil breyting þar á núna. Skynja samt að þær séu góðar og að þetta sé vel gert hjá þeim.

This isn't really my kind of thing, although I will concede that their voices sound really good in harmony together. Actually, I liked this more than I thought I would.

Not my normal vibe, but was fine to listen to while working.

If you’re looking for country music that’s right over home plate, this is it

schóne stimmen lieblich säuselnd. country in reinkultur. schwanke zwischen ok und „too much‘

These 3 ladies were just made to sing together. A nice pleasant album to listen while doing Sunday errands with the Mrs.

I think I could listen to Dolly all day.

Lovely harmonies. A hoe down show down

Not my vibes, but beautifully sang and composed.

I love Dolly, but this is just okay. Linda and Emmylou are icons, but it's a solid pretty good album.

What a powerhouse trio! Their voices work so well together. Highlights: “Wildflowers” and “Telling Me Lies”

I can appreciate that these are genuinely well-written and heartfelt songs, but I personally struggle with overtly country-sounding music - that’s just my own bias. The production and vocal performances are lovely, though it’s not something I’d typically choose to listen to. Favourite tracks: The Pain of Loving You, My Dear Companion, I've Had Enough.

Nice enough album but each of the three stars talents deserve the spotlight way more than allowed in this format

Three of the best country singers to ever do it with songs written by some of the best lyricists of the 20th century including Linda Thompson (who wrote the best song on this album) and ‘Pistol’ Phil Spector. An easy listen from start to finish, reminds me of something my dad would listen to. Highlights: To Know Him Is To Love Him

Three powerhouses with classic country sound

Enjoyed a lot of this, and they are all fantastic singers. It's a bit too dreary and lacking energy in places for me though. Don't think I'd listen again but glad I did!

What more does anyone need?

This is fine. It's sweet and I like their voices. 6/10

I am shocked I like this. Melodic, beautifully constructed, exceptional singing, sensitive, sad. It is a bit dated in terms of lyrical content but hey this is country. It does not make me cringe as badly as I thought it would, but it does somewhat. It is a bit repetitive toward the middle third

Three beautiful voices, singing in harmony.

Three legendary talents on one album? Sign me up. Fun to hear them each bring their own unique styles and techniques into the trio. Just good music.

as expected, beautiful performance, but kinda boring for me.

Good harmonization, but it doesn’t live up to the supposed mega-collab hype. Solid, not spectacular. For a country album, it’s got a more colorful vibe than most, but the genre’s still a snooze. (Not talking about you, Cash, Jennings & Nelson.) 7/10.

We had a Dolly Parton and an Emmylou Harris album earlier, and while they are both more than competent singers (Linda Ronstadt is too obviously), there isn't much here to make me return to it. This just isn't my style and it wasn't quite as unique as Dolly Parton's solo stuff I heard before so it's just kinda there for me. If you're in to classic country music this is great, but given it's all covers (I think) it's not really a standout.

What happened to country music?

This took me back to watching the grand Ol Opry and Hee Haw when I was a kid. Or the first time I saw O Brother where Art thou. So much talent

It makes me laugh thinking how disgusted 1987 me would be at how much 2025 me enjoyed this album. Three legends. What an unfortunate cover photo for Emmylou.

entertaining but again, not really for me.

Sounds good, but pretty much every song is indistinguishable from the last one.

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.

I will start by saying I own this album, listen to it on a semi-regular basis and have always thought of it as a gem. I will finish by saying I was surprised to see it on this list, and when listening to it with the same critical ear and mind I’ve used with all other albums I find it to be a “middle of the road” record. Wildflowers is a 10/10 track with all others being between a 7 and an 8. An easy 4 or 5 star country album, but 3 stars in this concept.

I was starting to think Dolly would never arrive, but she's finally turned up and brought friends! They all have beautiful voices and they meld together really well, though I think I'd always plump for Dolly's voice as the lead if given the choice. Some of these songs have such a history (To Know Him Is To Love him, written by Phil Spector has been covered/interpolated by The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Amy Winehouse and - urgh! - Gary Glitter, amongst others), and then there are the originals - Wildflowers has such lovely lyrics. I sometimes felt the 80s-ness of this (Telling Me Lies for example, feels very 'of it's time' due to the keyboards) which stands out a bit on the otherwise fairly timeless album. It's not much for rip-roaring, yee-haw country music though - more melancholy/bittersweet songs about death is the order of the day here. I think this might be a 3.5 if there were half stars, but in the absence of them, this will get: 3/5

At heavens gate. Saint Peter: Just one more item to check on, Mr. Ken. Did you hear all 1001 Albums before you died? Ken: I’ll be honest. No. Peter: Really? Well, how about Marilyn Manson? That was on the list. Did you listen? Ken: Heavens no. Peter: That’s the correct answer! Ken: Oh… great. Peter: Let’s just spot check a few others. How about Trio? Ken’s brow furrows, thinking. Ken: I… I don’t recall. Peter: It’s a country album. Was Country one of your chosen genres? Ken: Not at first, but then I got into a group and it reset all the preferences. Look, I honestly just don’t remember. Could you tell me the artist? Peter: I’m afraid not. Policy. Try to remember. Ken: Country… Country… Like Johnny Cash? Peter’s head goes back as he gives a big belly laugh. Peter: Ha ha ha!! No, no, it’s nothing like Johnny Cash. Ken: I’m sure I heard it but… I mean, SHOULD I remember it? Peter: Honestly…no. But it’s policy that we spot check your completion of the list. How about this — why don’t you sit over there and try to recall the album? Ken: Where? Over with all these… sad looking people? Peter: We call it Limbo. NEXT!

This album sounds great! If it wasn't country, or if it was an attempt by these country greats to advance the genre, I would rate it higher. These artists should have worked their craft a little more, if they wanted it to be great!

This was generally all the same song, about relationships either going wrong or right. Perfectly nice for what it was but what it was was slow and not my kind of thing. All excellent vocalists, mind you. Father Along the best track.

I thought I'd hate this, but it's alright. There are some great harmonies. Some of it is a bit predictable in a country sort of way. I still hate that twangy vocal they love to use. But it was better than I thought. However I've had it on at least twice now and I keep just walking out of the room to do other things so it's not exactly captivated me.

It’s alright, all sounds very similar to me!

Lovely album of gentle and lovelorn country songs. The harmonies are beautiful. I enjoyed spending time with this today.

Really solid album. The vocals are warm, inviting, endearing, the production is crisp and it still breathes, the compositions are lovely. "Wildflowers" is a standout. Super pretty harmonies. I never heard this album prior to today (yesterday), but I've certainly heard of the singers. I was wondering if this style of release was more popular back in the day and couldn't think of many modern versions of this sort. There's Boygenius, a trio of three modern female indie singer-songwriters, but that's essentially an entirely different band.

Alright, not my genre

Every one of these songs is a dream and rendered authentically by Dolly, Linda and Emmylou. The standout is the amazing set of musicians they’ve assembled though. Favourite track: To Know Him is to Love Him

Pretty good, never really heard her music before. Many steps above modern country music…

Lovely melodies but not my thing

Three superstar voices joined in harmony. One of the most iconic country supergroups. However, it’s hard not to want them to pick up the pace a little bit, as the largely melancholic songs all kind of blend together by the end.

Very nice harmonies. Just good ole country melancholy. Not as sweet as their second installment, but worth a listen.

Deec. 2.5. Kinda boring.

yeehaw. Too slow for driving to work music.

Pleasant. But I expected more from the 3 of them. Emmylou is one of my favorite vocalists, but this album seemed too safe and too old-fashioned, even in its time. Right down the middle, it's a 3.

Dolly is an all-timer for a reason!

This album title was deceptive to me, as I envisioned all three singers to have equal contributions. But it really is a Dolly Parton album, with the others doing backing vocals and occasionally lead vocals. This is a mainstream country record, with nice songs and tight harmonies. A good collaboration but nothing spectacular.

This must have been the inspiration for the Powerpuff girls. Of course, Dolly-Bubbles is the fan favorite, but Emmylou-Blossom is the actual core of the team. It's cool that this exists since I had no idea they ever teamed up. Unfortunately, this album is country (boo), but I do like female country artists more than male ones (probably the only genre where I have that preference actually). The songs are slow, which isn't my vibe, but as these things go I thought it was good. The line "what will become of the hobo whenever his time comes to die?" made me say (a) yeesh but also (b) omg it's the quintessential Southern punctual "whenever"!! That's the very first dialectal variation I noticed all on my own as a wee one. And! Rufus's maman wrote 'I've Had Enough'! :') Highlights: the line "I'm making plans to be lonesome" (so true besties), 'Wildflowers'

Not bad but not my style.

I like Dolly, but not country.

Really cool old country album, did not know it existed!

No mejoran sus albumes en solitario. Agradable

Dolly, Emmy lou, and Linda Wildflowers

aburridisimo

Close to 4. Really enjoyed it but not sure I come back to it that often.

Das ist Kitsch, aber manchmal braucht man sowas einfach.

Dolly! A woman so unashamedly herself and happy in herself that you can't help but admire it. Nothing bad to say about this, it's wholesome, catchy and well produced and all 3 ladies can bloody sing. Just not my genre of music.

Never knew this album existed. But I never liked country music. Listening to this opening track now, I’m really enjoying it. It’s 50s and 60s sound wise rather than the 80s. I realized I hated the sounds 80s country used. I find it jarring. The fiddles on making plans. That’s the sound I don’t like. These women are all amazing, but the songs are not resonating with me yet. Ok “Hobo’s meditation” is a really good song. I like this a lot. And now I’m on “Wildflowers” this is the good stuff.

61/100. Gentle and easygoing country, elevated by the presence of three iconic voices.

"SWEAR ON DOLLIE!!!!" - the mom from Derry Girls

A collaboration of three brilliant female vocalists. The harmonies and vocal arrangements are stellar with each putting their own unique style in. Plus Dolly is here and she’s a saint. All that being said it is a very classic country album that reminds me of my dad. A major part of my criteria to rating is my likelihood to return to the album and despite the talent here, I can’t see myself picking this over another album.

I feel like I should have known that this existed. Maybe it was a blind spot, maybe this fell through the cultural cracks, but it certainly *feels* important, and I don't think I've really heard anyone talk about it. For anyone out there unfamiliar with these three women: Linda Ronstadt is Country-Rock royalty, Emmylou Harris is a Country/Americana/Folk Singer-Songwriter, and Dolly Parton is popular enough that she is basically symbolic of women in country music, even today. These women had all been separately active for decades by the time this came out: with Ronstadt and Harris both getting started in the 60's, and with Dolly Parton having songwritten since 1956(!!!) when she was like 10 years old. Part of me is honestly confused that they went through with this when they did, in the late '80s, which wasn't exactly a hayday for traditional country. Maybe they wanted to prove they still had it, or prove that country itself still had it, or maybe they just enjoyed playing together, but regardless of the reason, it came out, and it is a pretty good album. These are basically well written, arranged and performed Country songs. Everyone brings their own distinct vocals and performance styles, and personalities but I will say the result here is an album that does feel like it kind of plays things by the book. Although, despite that, this is still consistent, solid country music. This feels very much like the 60's and 70's Country music that these three women originally got big from, just with a slightly glossier paint job, and they prove here that it is a style they have a deep and thorough understanding of. Songs like The Pain Of Loving You, Hobo's Meditation, and Rosewood Casket feel like instant classics. I've Had Enough, Wildflowers, and Farther Along have a dusty form of real beauty about them. Although frankly, if you can appreciate this style of music, I can't think of a reason you'd have any real problems with any of these songs. And I do think that may be in part due to how safe this play it. That being said, even if this didn't exactly change my life, it is still very solid.

Pleasant listening but a bit too much of a good thing when all the tracks come at you back-to-back.

nice chill album, but the songs were very similar. 3.5/5

not bad but bland

Meh. Didn't hate it. But really not to my taste.

It's nice to listen to, although it's hard to judge an albumful of covers that isn't doing anything new, just sort of sounding like a pretty good country album Definitely an album, and it's also full of songs, for certain

Very good

01) The Pain of Loving You - 6,5 02) Making Plans - 6,0 03) To Know Him Is to Love Him - 7,0 04) Hobo's Meditation - 6,0 05) Wildflowers - 6,5 06) Telling Me Lies - 6,5 07) My Dear Companion - 6,5 08) Those Memories of You - 6,0 09) I've Had Enough - 5,5 10) Rosewood Casket - 5,5 11) Farther Along - 5,5 TOTAL: 6,14 (61/100)

Beautiful voices, and 3 of them. Nice easy litening album

Ok 3/5

Pleasant enough country music

Oh No.. i know which one is linda ronstadt bc i recognise her voice from the Plow King song. This is steady and sad and sweet so far. ...Wildflowers 😩 Idk man its just nice sad country tunes

I'll listen to it this weekend. These 2-3 hour long albums are too long for this 1001 albums thing unless it is a weekend thing.

В принципе неплохо, но местами нудновато. 6 из 10.

I thank the generator for giving me something outside of my comfort zone, but this was not for me. The vocal harmonies of these three singers are very good though, I am just not a country fan. 3 stars on account of the vocals. 3/5

#116 - I'm sure it's great for what it is, nice easy listen.

Yeah it's lovely but I'd never put it on my iPod

I mean there’s a reason Dolly is an icon. Is this music I normally listen or gravitate towards? No but nevertheless I had a good time vibing to it. I’m not sure if it’s an album I would listen to again unless I was in the mood but it was a solid country album if I do say so myself.

Competent country, touching at times 3.25

I know the sad white women in the late 80’s were blasting this through the speakers with a pint of Ice Cream in the bath tub. This is littered with Honky Tonk Karaoke bangers, I’m not mad at it. Not my cup of tea but I did tap my foot which is at least a 3.

Sehr klassisch Country, nice harmonies, ganz nett aber auch nicht mehr

1. The Pain of Loving You - 7 Good sound. The intro I'm not overly in love with but the guitar moves along so well, especially in the middle solo. Not a big big country music person, but this is overall a decent track. 2. Making Plans - 3 It's not a bad song but I'm not a fan of it being a trio. This would be a lot better as a solo track. 3. To Know Him Is To Love Him - 6 Decent slow song. Would be great to put on at a dance. Lyrically it's very simple but effective. Instrumentally there's barely anything there to judge. Just an okay slow song. 4. Hobo's Meditation - 7 Lovely sounding instruments and the increase and fade in octaves in the choruses are fantastic. Classic country music sound. 5. Wildflowers - 8 Great track. Solo focus here works great and lyrically the metaphors about the wild flower are excellent. Chorus is the best part of the track. Overall it just sounds solid. 6. Telling Me Lies (with Dolly Parton & Emmy Lou Harris) - 3 Another slow song but this time it's enough to lull you to sleep. It's overall not a bad song, it's just very very simply. Overly simple. 7. My Dear Companion - 5 Guitar solo half way through is the highlight of the track. Another slow song but no where near as slow as the last one. Vocals build well to a crescendo in the last part of the track before fading into good background vocals. 8. Those Memories Of You - 9 Awesome track. Guitar sounds so incredibly good and lyrically it's an easy song to sing to. The strings in the bridge are an excellent touch. Best track on the album. 9. I've Had Enough - 1 It's a lullaby. 10. Rosewood Casket - 5 Decent country music track (if not a bit morbid in it's lyrics). Instrumentally it's extremely simple but the guitars are given a little bit of space to explore into during the bridge. Overall, it's okay. 11. Farther Along - 5 Really good work on the vocals going from one singer to the other. Decent track to end on given the selection on the album. In conclusion the album is decent for country music but it's just way way way too slow. There's not enough variety in the style of composition of the tracks that makes getting to this point a real slog. As for the track itself, it's one of the better slow songs with a solid build up into the final chorus. Almost a gospel like inspiration on the track. Average Rating: 5.36 Adjusted to a 5-Point Scale: 2.68 Rounded Up: 3 Stars

I'd give this a 3.5 if I could. Not bad at all, but not really my taste.

Could be subtitled "Men Are Bastards" (except JC, he's cool). This is a beautiful joining of three amazing voices, a trio of country/pop perfection. 3.5⭐️

Delightful on a summers day but nothing I'm going to come back to.

I enjoyed Dolly's wholesome, sweet songs, especially Wildflowers. The other singers I did not care for.

very pleasant

This was lovely. Really admire those great voices. Poor songs and three part harmonies less so.

fine, yeah, okay

Surpringsingly mid given the artists involved, but good. Wildflowers the obvious highlight

full mjúkt og fágað á köflum. þó ekki án síns sjarma. 3,5.

Solid but not as spectacular as I expected. Favorite track- To Know Him Is To Love Him

i fw it

A nice collaboration of three quality singers.

Love dolly! This was a cute album didn’t listen all the way through though.

Incredible musicality, Dolly’s voice is that of an angel. Overall the songs are slower than I like though, a little boring

Dolly Parton is an American Treasure! Helluva all star lineup with these 3 women so 3 it is.

Ehh its ok but important

Kelpocountrya! 3/5

I thought the combination of voices worked rather well. In a world of so. much. autotune., it is good to hear real voices harmonizing. Not a big fan of country, but this was fun to listen to. Would I listen to this on a regular basis? Probably not. But it was refreshing to listen to. Top tracks: "To Know Is To Love Him," "I've Had Enough," "...Farther Along"

I found this album surprisingly boring. I had fond memories of listening to some of the songs as a kid but listening now, it felt more like strong single vocal performances during the verses and average harmonies during the choruses. For three big female country voices, it could've been more than what it turned out to be.

The shit porches are made for 6/10

even tough Dolly is a icon, I just can't stand country music 😅 nice harmonies tough. 5/10 fav song : The Pain of Loving you & Hobo's Meditation

I listened to the whole thing, but really only with one ear - I just couldn't concentrate. It's fine, but not the rhythm and harmonies that I'm looking to listen to.

Not sure how to rate this album. They all have beautiful outstanding voices but I just don't like country music. Those Memories of You stood out - maybe cause of the fiddle.

Pleasant enough. Not something I'd buy, but I don't hate it. I would have liked it more if Linda's vocals had been more prominent.

Great classic country album

Good harmonies and good music. This is what you would expect from these iconic ladies. An enjoyable listen.

It's okay. I'm not really into country music, especially this era. The entire album sounded the same, top to bottom. 3/5.

ok

Not my thing, but can't say they aren't talented.

Three queens of Country music combining to create a really solid album here. It had this kind of hypnotic effect on me whereby it was impossible to feel anything but comfort - even on the songs with relatively sad lyrics. Warm hug of an album. 3/5

c: those memories of you

5/10 Full-on country. It couldn't be more country. It can be twee and overwrought but the harmonies are great and they three superstars sound nothing like they look on the cover. Which is a good thing, as I was fearing an 80s C&W album with synths and the like. Maybe that isn't a thing. Whenever C&W comes up, it reminds me of my grandad, so that is a good thing.

Sort of beautiful but also sort of the world's most talented karaoke troupe.

I liked this one, these are some of my favorite female vocalists and I especially enjoy Emmylou Harris' voice

This was fine. Not really my style but didn't want to turn it off.

These women are all icons and I love them, but all the songs sounded the same

Pretty good. Dolly steals the show on most songs, and the slower ballads are pretty uninteresting. Generally a net positive experience though. 3/5

Boygenius? Crosby Nash Still, Young? DIT is pas een supergroep joh! 3 country knallers! Als ik dit niet fantastisch vind, dan is het officieel: Ik hou niet van country! Ik hou niet van country... Begrijp me niet verkeerd, ik WIL dit album heel graag vet vinden. Dolly is een heldin en Emmylou had een prima album dat ik eerder al hoorde. Linda Ronstadt ken ik niet zo goed. 2e helft van het album is wel sterker en ik irriteer me niet. Het is een prettig country album wat goed wegluistert! De zang is ook echt ijzersterk, maar ik durf nu wel te zeggen dat Country gewoon niet echt mijn genre is. Veel klinkt hetzelfde, er is instrumentaal te weinig wat zich echt onderscheidt, en de teksten vind ik dan ook niet sterk genoeg. Rest eigenlijk alleen de zang. Die is fantastisch, dus dan kom ik toch op 3 sterren uit. FAVO: Wildflowers, Those memories of you

Quite good and soothing

3.2

Looking for some beautiful harmonies? You'll get them right here. All in all, this is extremely tame stuff. It's lovely -- but not all that exciting. Enjoyable enough, but the music that came on afterwards was more interesting to me.

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.

not bad, but not good

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

Heck yeah vibey

Seems appropriate.

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

We’re all here for Dolly right??

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

Classic country ladies

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

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

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.

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.

3/11, 27%

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

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.

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

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.

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