Dolly Parton: Coat Of Many Colors (Remastered + Expanded) CD Track Listing

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Dolly Parton Coat Of Many Colors (Remastered + Expanded) (1971)
Coat Of Many Colors (Remastered + Expanded)\n2007 RCA Nashville/Legacy\n\nOriginally Released October 30, 1971\nBuddah CD Edition Released August 24, 1999\nRemastered + Expanded CD Edition Released April 3, 2007\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: At some point, after a successful career and a comeback or two, certain singer/writers like Dolly Parton become artists above and beyond criticism. If her past work in pop and country hadn't accomplished this for her, her recent string of roots albums on Sugar Hill certified her status as a senior statesperson of American music. Interestingly, reaching this exalted position also has a retroactive effect, bestowing the word "classic" on one's earlier work. Coat of Many Colors was first issued in 1971, and the now famous title cut has remained one of Parton's best love songs. The album's arrangements are all over the map, and it sounds, unlike 1973's My Tennessee Mountain Home, as though she had recorded a handful of singles and then added filler. Parton's voice and the subject matter of her mostly self-penned songs defined her as a country singer, in spite of dissimilar arrangements. While none of the material is bad, little holds up to "Coat of Many Colors" and the rocking "Traveling Man," the first and second cuts on the album. The bonus material adds little to the package save the very special last cut, an acoustic demo of "My Blue Tears" (the album cut was a hit -- number 17 -- in 1971). This cut brings to mind the adage about demos sometimes being more interesting than the actual release. With only Parton and her acoustic guitar, the song has an organic, natural feel that roots fans would call authentic. Arguably, the cut has more authenticity than her later recordings on Sugar Hill, and it is frightening to imagine that recordings like this, deemed too basic for public consumption, remain locked in the vault. Not only is the demo of "My Blue Tears" more interesting than the album track, it leads one to believe that the entire album would have been better off without Nashville touches like cheesy background singers. Coat of Many Colors is still a good snapshot of Parton as her career really started to pick up steam. -- Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.\n\n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: Dolly Parton had a number of hits in the late '60s as Porter Wagoner's duet partner, yet solo success eluded her until her 1971 album Coat of Many Colors. The title track was a Top Ten single, and it effectively became her signature song, largely because it was a sweetly autobiographical tune about her childhood. That song, along with its two hit predecessors, "Traveling Man" and "My Blue Tears," were evidence that Parton was a strong songwriter, but the full album reveals the true depth of her talents. She wrote seven of the ten songs (Wagoner wrote the other three), none of which is filler. There isn't really a theme behind Coat of Many Colors, even if its title track suggests otherwise. Instead, it's a remarkably consistent album, in terms of songwriting and performances, but also remarkably diverse, revealing that Dolly can handle ballads, country-rockers, tearjerkers, and country-pop with equal aplomb. And while it is very short, clocking in at under a half-hour, there isn't a wasted moment on the album. It's a lean, trim album that impresses because of succinctness -- with its ten songs, it announced Parton as a major talent in her own right, not merely a duet partner. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine \n \n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nHere she is..., November 18, 2006 \nBy ewomack "ewomack" (MN USA)\nEntertainers that endure for forty years or more will inevitably take on multiple personas, endear their willing fans, and, simultaneously, alienate an equal or greater amount of unwilling or vicarious detractors. Many innocents doggedly chase this evasive limelight to find that it dishes out more scorn than praise. Only the strong survive, and Dolly Parton, who has received an enormous share of scorn, has proven her titanic strength and longevity in the face of such adversity. Of course she also has a monumental fan base that strain at every chance to see or hear their larger than life Queen of Country. But Dolly Parton the cultural icon often invokes contradictory binocular images: the "Just Because I'm a Woman" late 1960s feminist versus the self-deprecating glitzy painted lady proudly displaying cleavage the size of supernovae; the brash and unavoidable pop movie crossover mega-superstar versus the demure but astonishingly innovative songwriter who comprised the female part of country music's most famous pair on "The Porter Wagoner Show." Today these dual roles seem hard to reconcile, but Parton has played them masterfully for decades. Not only that, it seems incomprehensible that she ever held a mere supporting role, as she did to Wagoner, but her excellent 1971 album "Coat of Many Colors" helped her to finally burst out on her own when 1974 arrived. \n\nWay back in 1971, Parton's career was on the upswing. By this time she had already released numerous albums stretching all the way back to 1963. A greatest hits album, sans Wagoner, appeared in 1970 along with her first number one country hit, "Joshua." Parton, probably feeling a little dizzy at the peak of fame and groping for footing, turned to her childhood for inspiration. She swears that the story depicted in "Coat of Many Colors" actually happened. The miniscule handwriting included in the CD booklet, made somewhat illegible by today's coaster-sized packaging, tells the entire story - Parton signed the tale with flourishes as full as her celebrity bosom. Bouncing along with a steady unwavering rhythm, the song itself has become a country standard. Parton's voice remains solemnly subdued throughout, almost in reverence or awe of the pride instilled in the patchwork coat her mother made her. The song also finds a source of pride in family, regardless of poverty: "And oh I couldnt understand it / For I felt I was rich / And I told them of the love / My momma sewed in every stitch" and "One is only poor only if they choose to be." \n\nUnfortunately, mother turns a little evil in the second song, "Traveling Man." Here "mama" runs off with the "traveling man" that her daughter had dibs on. Parton plays the shafted offspring bemoaning "Mama, you know you oughtn't a'done that / You just like my daddy / He run off before I ever knowed him / You done run-off with my traveling man / And I really don't think I ever knowed you either." "Traveling Man" adds a new dimension to country music's "cheatin'" theme: this time the cheater is the accuser's own mother! Defiant strings and a driving honky tonk beat give this #20 hit a humorous, playful tone. \n\nThe beautiful and folksy "My Blue Tears" mourns lost love. Parton's voice appropriately flutters upward on the second "fly." This song revels in bluegrass instrumentation and riffs. It could fit on any of Parton's most recent releases in which she comes full circle back to her musical roots. \n\n"Coat of Many Colors" also harbors some shocking scenes for 1971. "If I Lose My Mind" deals with abuse and with what then passed as perversion. Mother becomes good again. Less jarring, "The Way I See You" subtly explores the sensual side of love. In "She Never Met a Man (She Didn't Like)" a woman tries to convince her lover that he's fallen for a promiscuous flirt. Mixed with these amorous tragedies are philosophical musings, "The Mystery of the Mystery," a paen to nature, "Early Morning Breeze," and a call for world peace, "A Better Place to Live." "Here I am" boldly pronounces steadfast love and commitment to another. Parton sings it as if she realizes that she's finally come into her own. She was right. "Coat of Many Colors" remains her most praised and acclaimed album. Rolling Stone even declared it number 299 on its list of "500 Greatest Albums Ever." \n\nParton's personal touch and soaring vocals, the themes the album explores, and the poingant story from her youth make this album a timeless country music classic. Anyone with doubts about Dolly Paton should spin this disc and perhaps reevaluate the dual but complementary personas she created that have boosted her to the level of American pop culture icon. Here she is, indeed. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\n1972 Country Music Association Nominee ALBUM OF THE YEAR , October 5, 2005 \nBy "Tee" (LA)\n\nOne of the greatest albums of Dolly Parton's legendary career, COAT OF MANY COLORS is a stunning work of art starting with the magnificent oil painting of Dolly as a child on the cover. The title song, despite only charting in the back of the top ten, is perhaps her most famous and certainly greatest song she has ever written. Amazingly, this anthem to motherhood is followed by the racy TRAVELIN' MAN, where mommy becomes a rival for the no good traveling salesman who wanders into their neck of the woods (this song was another hit for Dolly the following year in a new version with a sassier, more comic production that is admittedly superior to the rather straight reading here in both Dolly's vocals and the track's production). Another hit for Dolly, albeit not a major one, was the lovely MY BLUE TEARS, sung Skeeter Davis-style in double-track harmony. \n\nThe conservative crowd charmed by the old-fashioned values in the title song probably got through for a major loop with IF I LOSE MY MIND, one of the most risque songs ever in country music in which Dolly escapes the clutches of a husband into kinky sex ("He made me watch him make love to another woman and tried to make me love another man.") And years before she went pop, Dolly's HERE I AM was clearly an attempt to have the country queen sing soul music with an arrangement more at home on a typical Aretha Franklin album than a Tammy Wynette one. \n\nThis album earned Dolly a CMA nomination for ALBUM OF THE YEAR in 1972. There are very few country albums from the era now available on CD in exact reproductions today. That alone should tell you COAT OF MANY COLORS was and is something special. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nPerfect example of Parton's earlier work, December 9, 2001 \nBy redtunictroll (Earth, USA)\nParton's years under the tutelage (and to a large extent, control) of Porter Wagoner were rich in good material and performances, even if they didn't produce the sort of enormous popular acclaim she would later find. 1971's "Coat of Many Colors" is a perfect example of the brilliant work Parton was recording during these years, including the gospel inflections of the signature title tune, the bluegrass harmonies of "My Blue Tears," and the more outre subject matter of "If I Lose My Mind" and "She Never Met a Man (She Didn't Like)."\n\nThe title track attests to Parton's brilliance as a songwriter, capturing the emotional turmoil of childhood through the discovery of an adult's nostalgic memory. Parton's voice holds both a little girl's confusion and a woman's knowingness, underlined by acoustic guitar, a light shuffle beat, and touches of gospel organ and background harmonies. It's breathtaking to hear songwriting, singing and production mesh so fully. Throughout the rest of the album Parton's songs, augmented by a trio of tunes from Wagoner, tell human stories in a language that seems effortlessly plainspoken. The productions remain light and supportive, spanning weepy steel and fiddle ("The Mystery of the Mystery"), twangy electric guitar and a funky swamp beat ("Traveling Man"), and 70s soul ("Here I am").\n\nBuddha's reissue presents a crisp remastering of the album's original ten tracks. Parton's original handwritten liner notes are reproduced in reduced form, necessitating a magnifying glass for most readers. Robyn Flans newly penned notes provide a few short paragraphs of career background, but haven't the room to make much of a dent in explaining the album and its songs. Ironically, the reissue credits for the Buddha staff fill an entire column, while a personnel listing for the original players is missing. And that's a shame, because the studio pickers give welcome, understated performances that support Parton's songwriting without drowning her finely crafted words in countrypolitan dross.\n\nWith most of Parton's albums from this era out of print, those wishing to dig deeper than greatest hits compilations will find this a welcome addition to their collections. For those just discovering Parton's early years, this is (despite its brevity - the entire disc clocks in at just over 27 minutes) as good an introduction as you'll find. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nStraight From the Heart, September 7, 2000 \nBy Steven Slayton (Plaquemine, La USA)\nTo sum up this Dolly album only takes one word--- WOW! The beginning tune is an autobiography of her life in the haunting "Coat of Many Colors" which rivals Loretta's "Coal Miner's Daughter." Of all of the songs Dolly's written, this is still her favorite. The second is Traveling Man-- this version is far superior than the other version released as a single for the Bubbling Over album. It is much more laid back and fun. My Blue Tears is another strong song on the album. As you go down the album, you are greeted by such great tunes as "If I Lose My Mind" and "The Mystery of the Mystery." The second half of the album begins with "She Never Met a Man She Didn't Like" which is rather light-hearted and fun. Then she hits you with "Early Morning Breeze" which would later be re-recorded for her Jolene album. But this version is far superior than the second version of the song. My two favorite tracks are next with "The Way I See You" and "Here I Am." I can't help but singing along to those two songs. It closes with "A Better Place to Live." There is really no weak link on this album. Many have said that Dolly is just a singles' artist and not an albums' artist, but one listen at this album can prove all the critics wrong.... WOW!!! \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\n"Another Dolly Winner!", April 8, 2007 \nBy Terry Richard "Terry Richard" (New Brunswick, Canada)\nRolling Stone magazine named this album last year as one of the top 100 greatest albums of all time by any artist in any genre. Heavily regarded by many critics and Dolly fans as one of the top 3 albums in her career, "Coat of Many Colors" is simply a standout. This collection comes with new liner notes, recoreded dates of the song sessions, beautiful repackaging if the original LP art, and 4 new songs never released, with the exception of "Just as Good as Gone" that was a rare single B-side released back in 1972. A must have for any music fan. The rare Dolly pictures too are the most glamorous I have ever seen of Dolly Parton. \n\n\nAMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW\nA perfect Parton LP from 1971 w/bonus tracks, April 4, 2007 \nBy redtunictroll (Earth, USA)\nFor an artist of Parton's stature, it's incredible that her towering early achievements are so spottily available on CD. Many of her brilliant solo albums of the '70s - the sides waxed before crossing over to pop stardom - have been left unreissued. The few that have seen CD, such as this classic 1971 release, have moved in and out of print. Buddha provided a straight-up reissue in 1999, and an imported two-fer on BMG paired this title with Parton's "Joshua" LP. The domestic Buddha release is now replaced by this bonus-track augmented Legacy reissue, but fans that want the extra tracks here and "Joshua" on the import will buy themselves some duplication. \n\nParton's early years under the tutelage of Porter Wagoner were rich in material and performances, and "Coat of Many Colors" contains some of her best. The title track weaves biography, bible verse and gospel soul into one of Parton's most heart-rending compositions. Her words capture the emotional turmoil of childhood through the discovery of an adult's nostalgic memory, and her voice holds both a little girl's confusion and a women's knowingness. It's breathtaking to hear songwriting, singing and production mesh so fully. \n\nThe unrivaled quality of Parton's voice is heard on the bluegrass-harmony backed "My Blue Tears" and the forthright "She Never Met a Man (She Didn't Like)." Parton's sassy comedic edge, which would carry her into the mainstream, is heard on "Traveling Man," and the outr

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