“I may not be pure, but I’m as simple as they come.” There she is playing us again – the little innocent dirt-poor country girl with a wicked, knowing grin.
As a great cultural phenomenon Dolly Parton at 70 continues to enjoy the parry and thrust of stardom. She has always flitted between being a paragon of parody and a model of downhome authenticity. This double DC of a studio “roots” selection and a live recording of her celebrated Glastonbury greatest hits show displays both leanings.
The latter is an add-on; the meat is in the 12 studio tracks. As age dulls the chirpy freshness of Parton’s voice, she reads songs differently, using timing and tone to deliver impact. The material, however, lacks real depth.
There is entertainment aplenty, both lachrymose and lively, but the songs are mostly safe and predictable musings on enduring love.
