Dolly Parton – ‘Rockstar’ album review: a joyful and genuinely brilliant fantasy
As Rockstar opens up, it appears that Dolly Parton is rewriting history. Starting with a play-through of an alternative universe, depicting a Parton that grew up shredding an electric guitar in her bedroom, to the dismay of her parents, the singer is fully immersed in her fantasy.
All the way through the lengthy 30-track album, there is really only one summarising thought to be had: Dolly Parton is living her dream. Sure, with a career as lengthy and rewarding as hers, becoming a true international treasure, she’s always been living her dream. But listening to Rockstar, it feels like the singer is finally indulging in a long-held secret longing to simply rock out.
You can feel the incredible levels of fun that flood out of the album. With every collaborator – featuring a long list of legends from Steve Tyler and Stevie Nicks to the surviving Beatles – their coming together sounds like a joy. Everyone brings their A-game. On ‘I Want You Back’, Tyler sounds better than he has in years. The same goes for Joan Jett and Debbie Harry, delivering faultless performances of their own songs as if Parton wills it out of them.
Maybe there’s something about Parton and the insane levels of respect she fosters, being truly beloved by just about everyone for her well-regarded kindness and generosity that brings out the best in her collaborators. Everyone seems to be out to impress, resulting in an album without a single subpar performance, no notes out of place and no real weak links.
The efforts that see Parton teaming up with iconic women in rock are particularly special. When you’re at the level that Parton sits, it would be easy to see yourself as a singular, god-like figure. It would be easy to indulge in a rockstar fantasy as if you’re now the only voice in the genre, ignoring the actual history of the sound in order to play into your dream. Parton could have easily pulled this record together by simply covering the songs, keeping it to her voice only. However, the inclusion of rock music’s biggest names is magical.
Her laughter with Nicks prompts a genuine smile from this listener before the two join together for a Hall Of Fame-worthy duet as Parton squeals, “Take it, girl!”. Bringing together Stevie Nicks, Joan Jett, Debbie Harry, Linda Perry, Sheryl Crow, Emmylou Harris, Ann Wilson, and so many more, Parton celebrates the women of rock in the greatest way possible: by letting them shine at what they do best.
Parton also includes a selection of modern forerunners. Her duet with goddaughter Miley Cyrus is naturally a stand-out. Cyrus undeniably has one of the finest rock voices of this generation, and it’s a joy to hear her fully unleash it. Parton, in turn, shines a spotlight on Cyrus’ lyricism. In this new version, ‘Wrecking Ball’ is allowed to be the devastating power ballad it always should’ve been. When the drums kick in, it’s goosebump-inducing.
Throughout the entire extended album, there is rarely a moment when the goosebumps dissipate. It is the kind of record that makes your jaw swing open at the sheer spectacle of it. Even in the first two tracks, ‘Rockstar’ and ‘World On Fire’, it’s like Parton smashes through who she’s perceived to be and becomes something a million times more powerful. ‘Rockstar’ is rock music on its grandest, most theatrical scale. While ‘World On Fire’ is a screaming reminder that Parton has always been a deeply engaged political figure, and her voice won’t be ignored.
From that moment on, the album is at its best when completely bonkers. Its shining moments are when it strays into total melodrama, like Parton’s wailing entry to ‘I Can’t Get No Satisfaction’, the delightfully exaggerated glam-rock rendition of ‘Magic Man’, or her epic, ceiling-smashing take on ‘Purple Rain’.
Epic feels like the only suitable word for Rockstar. It is a total over-the-top joy that celebrates the theatre of rock. Parton’s expressive, emotive country voice lends itself perfectly to rock performances that indulge entirely in the story of the song. Each track feels so thorough and so richly invested, elevating the content beyond mere melody.
But it’s essential to note Parton’s impressive ability to pull this record together in a way that avoids a cringe-inducing homage to a bygone era. This isn’t a cheesy album you’ll be putting on for a laugh; Parton is serious here. Even while exaggerating everything about the songs and letting herself live out a fantasy at its most extreme, Rockstar is a genuinely excellent record. Despite being slightly over the top, it is never too overblown, toeing the line between epic and exhausting perfectly. Parton’s vocals are built to wow. It’s almost impossible to believe that this is the voice of a 77-year-old. Her rock riffs and wails are powerful and supported. By the end of the record, you’ll have forgotten that Parton was ever a country darling, as her voice feels made for rock.
If there was a critique of the record at all, it would be that it is just too long. The slower ballads are less thrilling, and with so many tracks, the skip button does start to look appealing when it comes to songs like ‘Baby I Love Your Way’ or ‘Long As I Can See The Light’. In the slower, more sincere moments, the album’s concept becomes a little twee, but with 30 tracks to choose from, that almost feels unavoidable.
‘Let It Be’ is free from this critique. Bringing together Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as Mick Fleetwood and Peter Frampton, this is the moment that our hero brings it home. Turning the Beatles classic into a godly, gospel rendition, it feels like standing in the church of rock or hearing a beautiful moment of music history eulogised with religiosity.
Rockstar feels like an alternative timeline, soundtracking what would’ve happened if, somewhere down the line, Dolly Parton picked up an electric guitar and waltzed on down a different path. Proving what we all already knew, that she has one of the greatest voices in history regardless of genre, Rockstar is Parton finally playing out her daydreams.
Dolly Parton has always been a rock star, but now she really is a rock god.
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