Little Sparrow

Dolly Parton has been an icon in country and bluegrass music for years. She began her career from very humble beginnings and has become an international star. Her career spans both music and film. She is one of the most successful country music artists of all time, having had twenty-five number-one singles and forty-one top-10 country albums, and she has had at least one top-five country hit in the last five decades.

While Dolly has slowed down in terms of original output over the past decade, she has not stopped writing good music. She has released five records in the last 10 years, mostly in the early part of the decade. Her 2001 record, Little Sparrow, gained critical success for not only her songs but the songs she chose to cover. Little Sparrow is the next record on my list.

#144 – Dolly Parton, Little Sparrow (Metascore = 86)

Little Sparrow is mostly a bluegrass record. The record is part two in a three part series of bluegrass records she recorded in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. This record blends bluegrass, Appalachian folk, and country gospel music. Her backing musicians are mostly known for their contributions to bluegrass music, including Nickel Creek and Alison Kraus. Parton wrote seven of the 14 songs on the record.

The most famous song from this record is actually a cover of the Collective Soul hit, “Shine”. Parton’s version includes Nickel Creek as her backing band. “Shine” won a Grammy for best female country vocal performance. Her vocals combined with the excellent musicianship won over fans and critics. The song is also one of her strongest on the record with excellent vocals and musicians. Other good cover songs here include “Seven Bridges Road” and “I Get a Kick Out of You”. The last song, especially, combines excellent musicianship and good singing.

Some of her original songs are very good. “Little Sparrow” has probably the deepest meaning, but “Bluer Pastures” has probably the best melody. “Mountain Angel” is a beautiful ballad about the life of a woman and trials that she went through. I felt that Loretta Lynn would be at home with this song. Each is a great representation of the styles that she brings into her music. Some of her original songs, however, are not as strong. They’re not bad songs, but they’re not nearly as good as “Little Sparrow” or “Bluer Pastures”. “My Blue Tears” feels like it drags after a verse. “Marry Me”, while popular, has some lyrics that are a bit goofy to me.

Overall I enjoyed listening to this record. Prior to starting this project I had been listening to a few bluegrass records. I really grew up listening to this music, even through rock music runs through my blood more. But I have heard Dolly Parton’s songs for years and years, and her sound is as recognizable today as it has ever been. Little Sparrow is not a perfect record but a good record to listen to if you want to hear some good bluegrass music.