Dolly Parton
Treasures

I deeply love this (now no longer) girl from Tennessee: partly for that eccentric and over-the-top look (which she herself humorously and lightly alluded to in the 2008 album "Backwoods Barbie"), partly for her innate vitality and charm mixed with that rustic and genuine sensuality to which I am particularly sensitive, qualities that are reflected in her songs, from "Jolene" to "The Seeker," from "Coat Of Many Colors" to "Love Is Like A Butterfly," from "Little Sparrow" to "Joshua," from "Applejack" to "Teach Me To Trust," which rightfully project her among the great icons of Country.

Her indisputable talent, the versatility of her character, and her ability to span decades while remaining almost entirely intact are qualities that, willingly or not, one can't help but recognize in the delightful Dolly, but on the other hand, with a repertoire including 42 studio albums, one cannot expect them all to be works of absolute value: one of the most "avoidable" episodes in Parton's discography is certainly the cover album "Treasures" from 1996, which fully falls into the limbo of those albums that never fully convince, where only a few tracks are listened to with pleasure while the rest is completely forgotten: an album of filler and craftsmanship, elevated by some high-quality episodes and Dolly's voice, a splendid voice, always capable of conveying emotions, entertaining, energizing, and moving without unnecessary baroque embellishments and vocal showmanship.

Among the "Treasures" of the album, the most outstanding is Cat Stevens' "Peace Train," enriched with a touch of African atmospheres thanks to the presence of the South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo and performed by Dolly with great personality and enthusiasm, and the delightful semi-ballad "Behind Closed Doors," with its evergreen melody and catchy chorus that seems specifically written for Dolly, while among the numerous ballads, the acoustic and subdued "Just When I Needed You Most" and the warm and sensual "For The Good Times" stand out, perfect for bringing out the most romantic side of the blonde country queen, who offers vocal performances in these songs rich with pathos and crystalline class.

Also considered overall positive are the lively country of "Satin Sheets" and the atmosphere of Neil Young's "After The Gold Rush," but alas, the album doesn't go beyond this, presenting us with a series of rather monotonous and repetitive ballads such as "Today I Started Loving You Again", "Before The Next Teardrop Falls" and "Don't Let Me Cross Over", where even Dolly's always extraordinary voice isn't enough to save the situation. Even worse with "Something's Burning" and its almost irritating shouted chorus, but the dishonor of "Treasures" is certainly the artistically suicidal choice of covering "Walking On Sunshine": Dolly, my dear, with all the beautiful songs out there, did you really have to pick this cheap and tacky commercial jingle? At least Sheryl Crow managed to sing "Sweet Child O' Mine" making it sound like a song, here the base is so basic that it even undermines a voice like Miss Parton's, and that's no small feat.

And well, I've forgiven Dolly for even worse cash-ins (see participation in episodes of Hanna Montana) and, despite the not exactly excellent success of this "Treasures", she remains a great interpreter as much as an incredibly talented songwriter, as demonstrated by a career filled with stunning covers like a refined "Stairway To Heaven", a roaring "I Walk The Line" by Johnny Cash, completely transformed from the original, a "The Great Pretender", which has nothing to envy from Freddie Mercury's version up to renditions of classic American country songs like the wonderful "Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Ole Oak Tree" and "D.I.V.O.R.C.E." by her friend and colleague Tammy Wynette, which abundantly show how my Dolly can do better, much better than what she showed in this album.