The Grass Is Blue is the thirty-seventh solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on October 26, 1999, by Sugar Hill and Blue Eye Records. The album won a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album and "Travelin' Prayer" was nominated for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. The album includes a mixture of Parton originals and folk and bluegrass standards, as well as a Billy Joel cover. "Silver Dagger", a late nineteenth century ballad, had been popularized by Joan Baez during the early 1960s. Parton had originally written "Steady as the Rain" for her younger sister Stella Parton, who had a top 40 country hit with the song in 1979. "Will He Be Waiting for Me" is an updated version of a song which Parton originally recorded for her 1972 album, Touch Your Woman. The album also includes a cover of the Blackfoot song "Train, Train".
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!
Absolutely wonderful! Dolly plus bluegrass is gold! I happily listened to this twice today.
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.
Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Travellin’ prayer
Sorry but one Dolly Parton was enough for me.