Bottom Line:
Dolly Parton - The Acoustic Collection 1999-2002 is a box set that includes Dolly's three bluegrass albums plus a bonus DVD. Dolly received Grammy's from both The Grass is Blue and Little Sparrow. Halos & Horns spawned her first concert tour in a few years and had packed houses all over the world. The included DVD makes this set something that will be a true collector's item and will help make it a favorite part of your music library.
The Journey Back to Her Roots
In 1999 Dolly went on a journey to find her roots. The resulting album was The Grass is Blue and it became the first of three albums in her journey that embraced the acoustic bluegrass sound. In 2000 she performed on the Grammy Awards and received the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album. She also has included a remake of a classic song from outside the country music genre on her last few albums. For this project she did Billy Joel's "Travelin' Prayer." Little Sparrow was released in 2001 and Dolly received a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for the song "Shine." She also included the Eagles' Classic "Seven Bridges Road." In support of Halos & Horns, Dolly put together a wildly successful concert tour. Her first in several years. She performed in front of sold out audiences in the US, England, Scotland and Ireland. For this album, she chose to record a classic song from Led Zeppelin, "Stairway to Heaven." All three of these albums were outstanding in the choice of songs and the musical arrangements. More in-depth reviews of each one can be found by clicking on the links included with this review.A Bonus for the Fans
When I first looked at this set, I wasn't sure if I wanted to pick it up. After all, being a fan of Dolly's I already had all three of the included albums. However, looking at the package closer I noticed that there was a DVD also included. The DVD swayed me as it holds some great footage and bonus material all collected in one convenient spot. The little booklet in the case has the story behind the making of the albums. The DVD includes new song mixes, a couple of which are tracks from the tribute album to Dolly done by other artists. There are three music videos for "Shine," "I'm Gone" and "Dagger Through the Heart." And there is a video from Dolly & Norah Jones singing "The Grass is Blue" on the CMA Awards show. And if that wasn't enough, there is a whole album of studio shots of Dolly in the studio recording the three albums. It is a great collector's item to have.Song List:
The Grass is Blue:- Travelin' Prayer
- Cash on the Barrelhead
- A Few Old Memories
- I'm Gonna Sleep With One Eye Open
- Steady As the Rain
- I Still Miss Someone
- Endless Stream of Tears
- Silver Dagger
- Train, Train
- I Wonder Where You are Tonight
- Will He Be Waiting For Me
- The Grass is Blue
- I Am Ready
Little Sparrow:
- Little Sparrow
- Shine
- I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby
- My Blue Tears
- Seven Bridges Road
- Bluer Pastures
- Marry Me
- Down From Dover
- The Beautiful Lie
- In The Sweet By and By
- Little Sparrow Reprise
Halos & Horns:
- Halos and Horns
- Sugar Hill
- Not For Me
- Hello God
- If
- Shattered Image
- These Old Bones
- What A Heartache
- I'm Gone
- Raven Dove
- Dagger Through the Heart
- If Only
- John Daniel
- Stairway to Heaven