When Dolly Parton received her invitation to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2022, she initially turned it down. “I don’t feel that I have earned that right… so I must respectfully bow out," she announced. Of course she’s been a country musician from her beehive to her boots since she first performed at the Grand Ole Opry as a 13-year-old, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame back in 1999.
But she changed her mind, then set about earning her spot by recording what, aged 77, is her first ever rock album. And this is no half-hearted afterthought – her 49th album is a monster of rock, featuring 30 songs (21 of which are covers of classics) and almost two and a half hours of music. Strictly speaking, far more instances of Dolly’s inimitable voice cooing over chest-thrusting electric guitar than can be digested in one sitting, but her guest list is so blindingly starry that you get the impression that once she opened her address book, she couldn’t stop dialling.
So while everyone’s fussing about The Beatles being back with a number one single, it’s also pretty impressive that Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have reunited here to back her up on Let It Be. Mick Jagger may have been too busy making a new Rolling Stones album to duet on (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, but Pink and Brandi Carlile are hardly second class substitutes. Stevie Nicks, Debbie Harry, Sting and Elton John are all here too.
The epic running time means there’s plenty of room for things to get a bit weird. She really does dig into Purple Rain for the full eight minutes. The last time you wondered what Stairway to Heaven would sound like with Dolly Parton singing and Lizzo on flute, it was probably 3am and you’d eaten too much cheese. Now it exists. She has a great time on the original I Dreamed About Elvis, which sees Ronnie McDowell impersonating Presley finally getting his chance to sing I Will Always Love You, and gets uncharacteristically political on World on Fire.
Throughout, she still sounds just like herself, leaving any rock rasping to others, especially Rob Halford of Judas Priest on the theatrical Bygones. Rockstar is an odd diversion but she goes all in, black leather and leopard print on the cover and all. She’s definitely earned her devil horns.
