DISClosure: Dolly Parton & Lenny Kravitz

DISClosure
CD Review Of A National Scale

Dolly Parton
Little Sparrow

by Michala Michaels

Continuing on the path set by 1999’s The Grass is Blue, Dolly Parton has released yet another bluegrass prize. Unlike her recordings of the past decade, Little Sparrow features Parton returning to her roots, ignoring the flash and rhinestones and capitalizing on the simplicity and emotion she grew up with in the Appalachian Mountains. Though her trademark tower of golden hair remains, little else of the often-parodied Dolly exists on the disc — gone are the cheesy quirks (and little shirts) that have endeared the songstress/actress to the commercial world. Instead, this is a toned-down, softer version of Parton, who had a little help from her friends on this disc, collaborating with bluegrass pros Jerry Douglas, Chris Thile, Stuart Duncan, and Alison Krauss.

With songs that focus on themes of the melancholic sort and never stray too far from the backwoods, Little Sparrow is a perfect vehicle to highlight Parton’s voice, arranging her tilting twang in soothing, smooth harmonies that are set to a rich acoustic accompaniment.

As with any genre she tackles, Parton has always maintained her status as a gifted songwriter — in addition to writing many of her own hits, she also penned the Whitney Houston-made-famous “I Will Always Love You” — and there is no difference with this release. Parton is responsible for eight of Sparrow’s 14 tracks, including the aching “My Blue Tears” and “Mountain Angel,” a haunting twist on a love song that evokes old-time Appalachian storytelling, and the poignant “Down from Dover.”

Little Sparrow also features unexpected, if not odd, bluegrass covers of some contemporary songs, including Collective Soul’s 1994 hit single, “Shine,” Cole Porter’s “I Get a Kick Out of You,” and the Eagles’ “Seven Bridges Road.” While all were definitely not intended to be recorded as folk numbers, Parton turns these tracks with enthusiasm and should get points for trying, whether they fit the mood of the album or not.

Little Sparrow is said to be the second in Parton’s bluegrass trilogy — and while The Grass is Blue was no light-weight, Sparrow more than knocks it out of competition. Can’t wait to hear entry number three. (Sugar Hill)

Lenny Kravitz
Greatest Hits

by Michala Michaels

Has Lenny Kravitz produced enough notable material to mount a ‘greatest hits’ collection? You better believe it, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Sure, some of the albums 15 tracks (especially those from his first two releases, Let Love Rule and Mama Said) may be unfamiliar to listeners whose knowledge of Kravitz’s work doesn’t extend past the radio, but Greatest Hits is an aptly titled and well-deserved release from one of the hardest hitters of the past decade.

In the short time he’s been on the scene (Let Love Rule was released in 1992), Kravitz has successfully combined pop, funk, soul, and rock, ignoring naysayers who referred to he and his songs as throwbacks to the retro psychedelic sounds of the ’60s and ’70s, and finding his niche as a ‘rock and roll revivalist’ of the past decade, proving his worth as a musician, vocalist, and songwriter. Hits places some of Kravitz’s best-known works — “It Ain’t Over ’til It’s Over” “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” “Fly Away,” and his cover of the Guess Who’s “American Woman” — alongside his lesser known offerings, like “Mr. Cabdriver” and “Black Velveteen.” And it is that very placement that, rather than affirming those critics who love to refer to Kravitz’s material as spotty or ‘hit or miss,’ instead shows just how far he’s come in the time he’s been on the scene. After all, not every artist has a commercial hit in each song; Kravitz is no different.

The collection featured on Greatest Hits more than highlights Kravitz’s superiority on guitar and boasts a mix of vocals, from ferocious to soulful, that have helped seal his fate as one of the finest rockers of his time. Furthering that cause and showing even more depth on Kravitz’s part is the never before released “Again,” a simplistically beautiful look at love penned by the singer that was nominated for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance and for Best Rock Song at last month’s Grammy Awards. (Virgin)