Dolly Parton – The Grass is Blue

Because every once in a while, it’s good to stop and remember that Jolene isn’t the only reason Dolly Parton is a badass.

This was the 35th album of Dolly Parton’s ridiculous career, and it’s one of her best, so take that, Cult of The Young, you piece of shit.

I like my musicians older and wiser. I like smart musicians. I like musicians who go acoustic when they’ve lost their way. I like musicians who can write. I like musicians who like other musicians, and know them when they hear them. I like musicians who cover songs by The Louvin Brothers.

Very few of those traits can one generally associate with artists in the early days of their careers.

What’s also important to note is that Dolly Parton pretty nearly STARTED in bluegrass.

Look, Dolly Parton can sing her ass off. And she can out-artist just about every acoustic roots/folk/country/americana/bluegrass/newgrass artist out there. So what if she spends 23 hours a day as some kind of weird uber-rich rodeo clown floating over the south in a rhinestone zeppelin. When she comes back down, this is what she sounds like, and then you remember just how bloody talented she really is.

Recommended track to start with: Silver Dagger