The Grass Is Blue

can't let the homies catch me with this one

This sounds like famed country singer Dolly Parton

I’m glad someone suggested another Dolly Parton album. She’s a national treasure with such a long career it’s good to hear some of her “newer” stuff. Just wonderful!

i always get a little hesitant when i get a "later" period album of a music legend. often times those albums do not hold a candle to their foundational work. because of this, i was expecting something a little lackluster here. boy, was i wrong. what a surprise this was! just a really great bluegrass album. not only are the arrangements here solid bluegrass, but dolly's voice is as great as ever and she does a really nice job with these songs - most of which are bluegrass covers, but several of which are penned by herself. if you told me that dolly parton covering billy joel would work well, i wouldn't believe you. just a testament to the quality of musician she was all around. RIP <3

Bluegrass!? That explains the title... This is a very fun cover album from Mrs. Parton. I always see her as a musically slow and vulnerable artist, mainly due to her 70s output, but The Grass is Blue is anything but! This album is very energetic, upbeat, bouncy, and just all around fun. There's not a whole lot of Dolly's typical country pop style, instead she goes all in on the bluegrass theme and does a damn good job of it. It also helps the vibe of the album that it seems like she's having fun. The last song, I Am Ready, is a complete change from the rest of the album, it's a beautiful a capella and gospel song about accepting death, meeting god, and reassuring those around her once she's gone. I had this album generated the day after her death as a tribute, so this song hits especially hard right now. RIP Dolly, hopefully you had the same attitude towards death as you did 27 years ago. Should it be on the main list: No, add Jolene instead Top 3 songs: Travelling Prayer, Silver Dagger, I Am Ready

Well played again, Mr 1001. In 2024 I listened to Trio and gave it 3 stars. In 2025 I listened to Coat of Many Colors and also gave it 3 stars. Of course, on a day like today, an album like this takes on a lot more meaning, and learning that this was album number 37 has got me curious. “The Grass Is Blue” is the standout for me, and “I Am Ready” as the closer—just wow. Also, with one Dolly album a year for the past three years, a new tradition is born. Dolly New Year to you all.

Bluesgrass-heavy country, straight down the middle - even the format, just under 45 minutes, only a couple songs over 4 minutes... And of course it's all consummately professional - top level craft across the board. It is Parton herself that elevates it above being just a very sickly produced modern country album with a bit of extra roots spin on it: there is just something fundamentally real and sincere about her performances. I'm not a huge country music person but I'd listen to more of this any day.

I love so many things about this generator (Thank you A!) but one of the subtle touches is when an event occurs and we are all pushed a particular artist, most notably when they pass away. I was hoping there was a Dolly album in the selections out there today and here it is - a wonderful tribute. I don't like many singers - any style; vocals are just not my thing, not remotely what I focus on, and more often than not they get in the way for me. I'm not even a fan of country music. But Dolly is one of a small handful of vocalists that has ever made me sit back and listen to their voice. I'd be a right shit to not give this a good mark and even though I really don't like bluegrass music at all [although you'd be hard-pressed to find better subsets of musicians] and it's a damn album of mostly covers (ugh)....Dolly's voice is enough to make this a sincerely nice listen. Hell she might have even made me like Metallica...imagine her singing Unforgiven... 8/10 4 stars IMO: Belonged in the book? No.

Was curious to see if Dolly was gonna be force-generated similar to Brian Wilson when he passed. One of the few people who words can't genuinely explain the impact Dolly Parton had. Whether in charity, music, or just genuine human spirit. One that shook people around me so much, it makes me worried for the other titans like Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Stevie Nicks, and more and when those days come how sad I'll be. As for the album itself, it was a very fun listen, even if the context made me appreciate it more than I usually may have.

Dolly Parton is a national treasure, and I'll fight anyone who disagrees. Not only is she a great person, but she's also a great talent. While not exactly my favorite kind of music, this is some great bluegrass. 4 stars.

RIP. Can definitely get down with some bluegrass Dolly. Mandolin/Banjo sound great on it. Not really my go to type of music, but enjoyable on a Wednesday morning.

The Grass Is Blue is a nice album with blue grass and country interpretations of older songs. The song selection is not really a surprise as a lot are well known. The vocals and instruments are impressive and the arrangements are good. Too bad it's not that original, but great craft(wo)manship. If the songs were more obscure finds, it could have been great.

Spongebob chase music.

Sorry but one Dolly Parton was enough for me.

Saint Parton.

Classic Dolly

What a legend she was. Bless her heart and let her legacy live on forever!

Automatic perfect score for the queen. (This album also objectively deserves it.)

I got this album a day after Dolly's passing. RIP Dolly, you are a national treasure. She had the look, the voice, the personality... So humble... Just a hell of a good person. You will be missed. Favourite songs: Travelin' Prayer, Cash on the Barrelhead, Silver Dagger, I'm Gonna Sleep With One Eye Open, "Train, Train", Steady as the Rain, Endless Stream of Tears, The Grass is Blue, A Few Old Memories, I Am Ready Least favourite songs: none. Absolute perfection. 5/5 I must say... I Am Ready hits differently today. We love you Dolly. Rest easy.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Album #55 (1001 challenge extended): "The Grass Is Blue" by Dolly Parton (1999) "The Grass Is Blue" is the 37th solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. Bluegrass is the sole Wiki-listed genre. The eventual producer Steve Buckingham pitched the idea of a bluegrass album to Dolly telling her that when asked, bluegrass fans cited her as the artist that they would most like to see do a bluegrass album. The album is a mix of Dolly originals and folk and bluegrass standards. Of course, Dolly was on the vocals and other bandmembers included Barry Bales (bass), Steve Buckingham (guitar), Sam Bush (mandolin), Jerry Douglass (dobro), Stuart Duncan (fiddle), Jim Mills (banjo) and Bryan Sutton (guitar). 15 people contributed on backing harmony vocals including Allison Krauss and Patty Loveless. Commercially, the album reached #24 on the US Country Chart, #198 on the US Billboard 200 Chart and #8 on the UK Country Chart. It received much praise and won a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album. The album opens with a Billy Joel cover "Travelin' Prayer." A fiddle and banjo plucking which eventually kicks into faster-paced bluegrass: fast pickin' and fiddle. Dolly just belting it out. Sublime backing harmony vocals. This band is tight. "Cash on the Barrelhead" is slower, more of a traditional country beat. Strong harmony vocals. The dobro standing out. Somehow, it doesn't seem far-fetched that Dolly would be carrying a gun. Ahh, we get a waltz in the third song and first single "A Few Old Memories." More loud harmonies. Dolly struggles to move on from the past. "Silver Dagger" starts out with fast pickin' from the banjo. A more subdued Dolly as she carries a dagger a symbol of both protection and of harm. The melancholic fiddle matches. A slow fade outro and a beautiful song. "The Grass Is Blue" is also melancholic and heartfelt. Soaring vocals and harmonies. The album closes with "I Am Ready." A capella singing and harmonies. Soulful and gospel-like. Dolly is accepting and peaceful in the face of death. How appropriate!!! I'm sure we were though. Well, I can't say I was surprised a Dolly album turned up. First off, just an exquisite and tight band...banjo, mandolin, bass, fiddle, dobro and acoustic guitar. The music falls into three categories: fast-pace bluegrass, slower, more traditional country and, of course, a few waltzes. The backing and harmony vocals are outstanding. And, well, the star of the show is Dolly: strong, strong vocals...heartfelt, soulful and soaring. Can Dolly sing with a bluegrass band? Yes! Should you listen to this? Yes! Will we miss ger? Absolutely!!! 5 out of 5

Simply brilliant.

Constantly scheming increasingly elaborate ways to make Dolly my friend.

Absolutely wonderful! Dolly plus bluegrass is gold! I happily listened to this twice today.

Aww, love Dolly and this is great. One thing I have discovered from this project is a liking for bluegrass music. Dolly always delivers and there are some great musicians backing her up. RIP she seemed like an absolute gem

Rip

RIP Dolly

I am ready was definitely devastating right now

RIP

She was ready

The original 1001 list gives Ms. Parton the respect she deserves with not just Jolene or Coat of Many Colors, but also the Trio album she did with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris. These albums primarily represent the Nashville Sound though, which smoothed the rougher edges of honky tonk while taking notes from pop music at the time. Dolly Parton is perhaps the best representation of the Nashville Sound outside of Patsy Cline, but it would be unfair to say that's Parton's only style of country. In addition to her occasional dabbling in the disco-styled neocountry music of the '80s and her more personal folksy singer-songwriter songs, Dolly Parton has been an integral public figure for keeping the bluegrass tradition alive. This was formalized with a series of albums throughout the late '90s and early 2000s, starting with The Grass Is Blue. The Grass is Blue is consists of covers of existing bluegrass songs, bluegrass renditions of other songs, and the occasional original composition by Parton. While there are no clear standout tracks on this album, Parton's signature vocal style and the impressive musicality of her studio band makes for a wonderful tribute to country music's roots. Further, a beautiful country gospel sung a capella by Parton and her harmonizing singers makes for a striking close to the album: "Oh, Hosanna/I am ready to go/I can hear God's heavenly angels/Singing me on through heaven's door/Singing me on through heaven's door/And I am ready." Dolly Parton's passing was announced August 25th, 2026. It would fair to say that she lived a full life at 80, shining bright with her incredible talent and sparking personality. I am certain her legacy will be long remembered for her contributions to country music and beyond. Fly high, Ms. Parton. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: There should be at least a couple more bluegrass albums on there, but I'd leave it for Flatt and Scruggs selection instead.

First of all, this was Dolly Parton's THIRTY-SEVENTH studio album. Holy shit. Talk about a legacy. Onto the contents of the album. Much of Dolly's music over the years had danced around the bluegrass genre, so I think it was only natural that Dolly would want to take on bluegrass music at some point, and that point would be here on her 1999 album "The Grass is Blue" (what a cute and appropriate album name, I might add). All I can say here is that while Dolly took her time getting here, she is an incredibly natural and beautiful fit for the bluegrass genre. While every song on here is done with precision and care, I found her cover of the traditional bluegrass standard "Silver Dagger" to be a standout performance. Maybe I'm rating this when riding off the emotion of Dolly's recent passing, but I don't care -- it is really quite a beautiful album. I find this album to be a fitting one to receive on the day of her passing. It shows off the angelic qualities of her voice. Fitting for someone who was one of the closest things to angelic on this planet. As if emotions weren't high enough, this album ends with "I Am Ready", a typical gospel song about going to heaven, turned tearjerker in light of her recent death. So to that I say, rest in power, sweet angel. Thank you for the music, and thank you for being an example of the best of us. I know you were ready, and I know you were being sung through heaven's doors.

Yup, a fair enough pick, and I appreciate the site putting her forwards today as a tribute. She was a 5 star person, for sure! Maybe 6! I like this bluegrass tinged album slightly more than vanilla country, I'd say. Fave tracks - "Steady as the Rain", "Train, Train", and that closer, in this context! 🥲

Wonderful. I don’t know if this was coincidence or if everyone got this album yesterday. But it is fantastic and just what I needed to hear the day after she died.

Dolly is a world treasure and she deserves every happiness. Really enjoyed this album. What I love about country is the songs are interchangeable between artists and can sound so different. I Still Miss Someone is a prime example.

8/10 pretty good! I’m not a huge fan of this style of country, but it is undoubtedly well made and of course, Dolly Parton is one of my favorite people ever, one of the most incredible people to ever live, I just don’t love her music as much as I love her as a person

Solid, classic. Would not mind listening to this again.

She never dissapoints. Altough I find country music to be full of clichés (and this album is no different), I liked this album

Oh boy I was ready to dismiss this out of hand but it's actually quite good. Dolly has such a good voice it's hard to believe it's not digitally enhanced. The instrumentalisation is spot on- very well produced but then I don't know why I'm suprised as this would no doubt been heavily backed by a major label. I prefer the Bluegrass to the C&W tunes she's normally associated with.

I offer shy away from C&W but I love a bit of Dolly.

It's not my typical jam, but I love me some Americana and I love Dolly's personality so much. I'll admit my toe tapped a few times. 3.5/5 rounding up to 4/5 because she's an amazing person.

First of all, RIP Dolly Parton. A wonderful person. I've never been the biggest fan of her work musically. I'm not too into the super polished country/bluegrass sound of the '80s and '90s, but this is a decent album. The songs carry themselves well, it doesn't go on too long. There's too much sheen for my liking, but it was decent.

2.5/5

While I adore Parton and much of what she did, her music on the whole just doesn't do much for me. Yes, it harkens back to a 'simpler' time of honky-tonks and innocence, but for me it's little more than background music.

I don't think it's fair to serve this album up a day after she died. People are going to rate higher than they would have just out of some kind of perceived respect. Plus I've been hearing her music everywhere I go for the last 24 hours and it's already getting old. I was always neutral on Dolly Parton. There were a few good songs back in the day. Anyway, this seems a little too "cassette rack at Kmart" for me. Still, I can't seem to reasonably give her anything below a 3 now.

. A towering achievement in country-bluegrass songwriting. It proves that nobody can articulate pure, crushing sorrow quite like Dolly Parton—even when she's singing about upside-down landscapes.

She was such a positive force in this world.

3/4

I love Dolly Parton as a human; I do not love her as a musician. That being said, I do enjoy bluegrass over country, and this album was fine. I see why it wasn't included on the original list, though. Dolly has so much more impactful work.

Definitely not my style. But I am pretty sure it is a decent example of what it is supposed to be. I am interested in why this particular Dolly Parton record was chosen out of the very large number she created over the years.

Although I appreciated Dolly Parton as a person, I didn't really enjoy this in the slightest. Some of the bluegrass backing music wasn't too bad, so I'm going with two stars, but the lyrics were dreadful and the songs lacklustre. I don't think I've ever heard so many songs about the physics of weeping packed together so closely before.

sorry dolly. you might be dead but this is still bad. love you though

Not a fan of the music but she seemed like a genuinely lovely human being. RIP

Fuuuuuckin' hell I hate fiddle and banjo. Reckon there's a special place in hell that's just this kind of corny country shit played nonstop forever. Fuck no.

Love her but not her music. RIP Dolly, the world was a little bit brighter with you on it

Rest in peace Dolly ❤️

Loss of a real one. Great album.

Hardly fair to pick Dolly the day after she died, but still, this is amazing

Dolly Parton is a national treasure and a legend. Amazing voice and music!

Miss Parton is an incredibly lovely soul. I see that in her music. I automatically loved this

Dolly is perfection, her blue grass is no exception

RIP to a real one. Bluegrass is definitely my preferred style of country. This one lands right in the high 3 territory, but this one is getting the Rest in Peace to a Legend Bump™️

RIP.

High spec but generic bluegrass with clean production where every instrument pops cleanly, coming forward as it takes the lead. Traditional arrangements, harmonies, and melodies. The distinctive part is, of course, the lead vocals which has a unique hoarse timbre, exquisite twang, and forceful charisma that really stands out in the mix.

Not something I would ever listen to in normal circumstances, but by god Dolly's got pipes, and this is all pretty joyous even when it's sad. Nice to have a mid-late period choice as well.

Toinen suuri naislaulaja menehtyi lyhyen ajan sisällä :( lepää rauhassa. En oo suuri bluegrass/kantri-fani, mutta Parton on kyllä osoittanut voimansa tämän listan myötä. 4/5

I don't know much about Bluegrass, but I know what I like. I'm not sure I enjoy most bluegrass music, but Dolly Parton has a certain charm. Her sweet voice is soothing, and I suspect she would be just lovely singing the telephone book. Her accent only helps her! As a result of her passing, I listened to the replay of Fresh Air's interview with Dolly from 2001. Bluegrass music is what she grew up with, which is obvious once you hear her sincere storytelling. She had a lot of fun creating The Grass is Blue, even when the songs are devastating. RIP to a great.

It's an enjoyable listen. Maybe hit harder with the news.

Blue Grass.

I'm not sure if everyone was treated to a Dolly Parton album this morning, or just me. I did have a similar experience with getting a Sinead O'Conner album a few days after her death, though that seemed like more of a coincidence. This album is an interesting choice, coming so late in her career. It's great, and her voice held up well for an incredible amount of time. I'm sure other folks have written about her legacy, so little is needed to say on that account, other than that she tangibly made the world a better place, and we are all poorer for the loss of her. 4/5 I'll rate the album honestly, while acknowledging that I have received gifts from the album artist, using my children's names. Fuckin 5 star lady though. If you're looking for someone to replace all the confederate monuments, you could do a hell of a lot worse, and a great sculptor could do some wild shit with that hair

Love Dolly. I haven't listened to this before but it was really fun. Her voice is so great. Bluegrass is a great fit for her.

This is a very pretty record and has some nice musicianship. Dolly is a national treasure.

This is strong – Dolly in more or less her natural habitat,  the singing is natural/straightforward and not so performatively cutesy or self-referential. This is pre-overexposure of recent years and thus a good reminder of her merits. (And certaintly better than Rockstar, that outrigh embarrassing, karaoke-esque experiment.) "Endless Stream of Tears" is terrific and just one of many cuts in which Dolly seems to be having a very good time. "Silver Dagger" also good. Having Bush, Kraus, Vincent, etc. involved certainly helps. This easily go on list proper – replacing Britney Spears, Incubus, Slipknot, and Metallica from 1999 – and of course bluegrass, country, folk could/should sustain their own list.

Peppy!

Great start, second half sort of drags, but the title track is fantastic. A slow burn, but that finale! Really just the last chord. Shame they chose to close on a shitty religious song. I really like Dolly. One of the all time greatest, in my opinion. This ain’t her best album, maybe not even her top ten, but it’s still really solid. She’s just that great. She brings her unique perspective, as always, but since it’s all covers, there ain’t too much to be done. I enjoyed it, though. I’d listen to Dolly any day. 4/5

Love me some up-tempo Dolly. Ballads aren't really my bag.

I love me some Dolly but I feel the OG list has the right amount of coverage for her. Not to say you shouldn't listen to this, it's great, but just a nice little extra. My personal rating: 4/5 My rating relative to the list: 4/5 Should this have been included on the original list? No.

Its interesting that this is "newer" as it sounds like it could have stepped out of the mid 70's. Sweet old time country blueglass. Smooth and enjoyable... enough catchy tunes and interesting lyrics to stay interesting the whole time. A very nice dolly time.

Rip to the goat. Dolly is a national treasure and I miss her dearly. Given that, this type of music is just always difficult for me to like and get behind. So jolly and country sounding that it’s difficult for me to really like. However for this genre it’s good and it’s dolly!!!!!

J’aurais pas cru que ce générateur allait se transformer en rubrique nécrologique des stars de la musique

I like her, she's fun. Bluegrass? not so much

Best Song: Steady as the Rain. Rather than the overwrought singing that she seems to tend towards, I wish Dolly sang with this pace and energy more often. Worst Song: I Am Ready. Maybe the worst gospel has ever sounded. Overall: I like the woman, don't much like the music. She can really sing, but the trappings of the genre make it difficult for me to enjoy much.

A solid album. Easy listening with some cute song topics. RIP to a legend! 6/10

I had no idea that there was a Dolly Parton album on the user submission list, but here we are, the day after her death with an album from later on in her career. After her passing yesterday, I fired up my favorite song of hers, her duet with Kenny Rogers on “Islands in the Stream.” I love eighties music, and “Islands” has always been a favorite of mine. As I listened to her and Kenny sing the chorus, I was just hit with a heavy sadness that she was gone. And it’s not that I’m a huge fan of hers or anything, but it’s just sad to lose someone who advocated for the poor and destitute, in a world that seems to grow colder each day to those who suffer from poverty. But I digress. I’m glad that I get to listen to this album today, and I hope it can spark some joy in me, because I’m sure that’s what Dolly intended. Eh, overall, I thought this album was fine. I enjoy some fast-paced banjo plucking, and I definitely got my fill of that from songs like “Travelin’ Prayer,” “Steady as the Rain,” and “Silver Dagger.” But the songs that were heavier on the fiddle just weren’t my cup of tea. Dolly Parton’s voice is well suited for those slower, emotional songs, but they just weren’t something that I enjoyed listening to. And despite Dolly’s great voice, for some reason, those songs just didn’t carry much weight with me emotionally, and I think that it’s because I felt like Dolly was disconnected from the lyrics in a way. On Coat of Many Colors, Dolly’s own lived experiences really burst to life, but that sort of emotional connection was missing from this album. This was pleasant enough to listen to, but it’s mostly not something that I find incredibly enjoyable.

Appreciate Dolly. Love Bluegrass. Solid album. 3.5/5

I've said before I'm not particularly a country fan, but I did enjoy the combo of Dolly's voice and the bluegrass sounds. Some talented musicians here. I particularly liked "Silver Dagger." Strong three.

Favorite Track: Travelin’ Prayer

Country suave interpretado por una gran artista con gran tradición. Excelente voz y temas muy acordes con el estilo. Personalmente, algunas canciones me han parecido un poco planas e inexpresivas. No es mi estilo ideal.

I don't hate it, but I won't play this often.

Is it "good music"? It sure is. Talent oozes from every pore of this record, and Dolly Parton was absolutely right to rejuvenate her late career with that sort of project. Besides, I'm quite a sucker for bluegrass when I watch it being played live, believe me, so I get where this user comes from. All that being said, I doubt you can label this album as an "essential", mandatory listen. Its tracklist is made out of covers or songs already sung by Parton in the past. We're close to that *American* thing Johnny Cash did with Rick Rubin at the end of his life, but without the emotional punch and high stakes the context and choice of songs provided. This here feels way more streamlined. It's very *professional*, if you take my meaning. At the end of the day, *The Grass Is Blue* is still a nice "little" record. Not everything should be about "high stakes" and "essential" lists, so this user has my blessing. Yeah, I know, I shouldn't talk like the Pope, it's just that phrase they're using. But that phrasing is not more absurd than the term "blue grass", I imagine. 🤷 2.5, maybe 3/5 for the purposes of this list dedicated to essential albums. 7.5/10 for more general purposes (5 + 2.5) ---- Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465 Albums from the original list I *might* include in mine later on: 288 Albums from the original list I won't include in mine: 336 ---- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 82 Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 104 Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 212 (including this one) ---- Émile, j'ai vu ta dernière réponse. J'essaie de trouver le temps de te laisser la mienne dans les jours qui viennent. Désolé, ça fait longtemps que je te dis ça, mais la situation est un peu compliquée par chez moi en ce moment... Rien de grave, mais je trouve pas beaucoup de temps pour moi. Porte-toi bien

It's Dolly so nothing fundamental to argue about here.

We've had some quality Dolly albums but The Grass Is Blue is just okay more modern country/bluegrass stuff that she elevates with her professionalism and emotion. Easy 3/5, not especially memorable in her exhaustive catalogue but good enough anyway.

Dolly Parton is a country legend. No doubt about it. This album was her 37th!! Solo album. Her work in the 70s and 80s are by far her best. This album was a bit more easy going and melancholic overall. A few songs about tears, a classic cover, all while keeping a strong bluegrass country style. This album may not be amazing in comparison to Dollys other work but it’s still a very good album by a genius artist. 6.7/10

I feel I needed this today

7/10 Still not a Dolly superfan, but her + bluegrass are a pretty nice mix. Favourite track might be her cover of “Silver Dagger”, though the title track is up there

This album is pretty but unlike Trio, I find the bluegrass rhythms infectious and the heartache just like I like my country music - offset by toe-tapping.

I don't really like Dolly Parton's music as much as I just kind of enjoy her as a public figure. Similar to how I feel about Snoop, honestly

Change of the millenium Dolly Parton? i guess bro

Obviously Dolly Parton is incredible. I don't have all the context for different periods of her career or anything, and I'm not super familiar with her records, but this was just so enjoyable and lovely on a weekend morning.

But I thought grass was green