Blue Smoke (album)
Blue Smoke is the forty-fourth solo studio album by American country entertainer Dolly Parton. The album was released in Australia and New Zealand on January 31, 2014, in North America on May 13, 2014, in Ireland on June 6, 2014, and in Europe on June 9, 2014.
| Blue Smoke | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 31, 2014 | |||
| Recorded | 2013 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 46:43 | |||
| Label | Dolly Records Sony Masterworks | |||
| Dolly Parton chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Blue Smoke | ||||
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Background edit
Parton mentioned working on a new album in July 2013.[2] In December 2013, Parton announced that the album would be released through a partnership between Parton's Dolly Records and Sony Masterworks.[3][4]
The name, Blue Smoke, was inspired by the mist that covers the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee.[5] The album features a duet with Kenny Rogers on "You Can't Make Old Friends", which was originally released on his 2013 album of the same name. The song debuted on the Billboard Country Airplay chart in December 2013 and reached a peak of number 57, becoming Parton's first chart entry since "Jesus and Gravity" peaked at number 56 in 2008. The album also includes a new recording of "From Here to the Moon and Back" with Willie Nelson, which was also on Nelson's 2013 album, To All the Girls.... Parton previously recorded and performed the song with Kris Kristofferson in Joyful Noise, and it was featured on the movie's soundtrack release. Blue Smoke also includes covers of Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" and Bon Jovi's "Lay Your Hands on Me".
In the UK, a special version of the album, titled Blue Smoke – The Best Of, was released on June 9, 2014, in conjunction with the European leg of the Blue Smoke World Tour. It features the standard album, plus a bonus disc with 20 of Parton's greatest hits, most of which feature in the tour set list.
Previous recordings edit
Three songs featured on the album had previously been recorded by Parton.
- "Unlikely Angel" was originally written and recorded for the 1996 film of the same name. The version featured in the film was never commercially released.
- "From Here to the Moon and Back" was previously recorded by Parton, Jeremy Jordan and Kris Kristofferson for the 2012 film Joyful Noise and was released on the film's soundtrack album.
- "Early Morning Breeze" was originally recorded by Parton for her 1971 album Coat of Many Colors and again for her 1974 album Jolene.
Promotion edit
The Blue Smoke World Tour was officially announced on The Queen Latifah Show on October 21, 2013, where she performed a song from the album, "Miss You, Miss Me".[6] In December 2013, Parton discussed the album and tour on Access Hollywood.[7] The tour will serve as the main promotional vehicle behind the album.[8] On April 14, 2014, Parton appeared on AXS TV's The Big Interview to discuss the album, tour, and other aspects of her career with Dan Rather.[9] Parton also signed on to become one of the headlining acts of the Glastonbury Festival to promote the album in the United Kingdom in June 2014.[10] On April 27, 2014, Parton performed on QVC's Q Sessions Live, where she performed several songs from the album along with past hits.[11] Also on April 27, the entire album became available to stream for free on National Public Radio.[12] Yahoo! Music hosted a series of videos of Parton discussing her album, life, and career leading up to the album's release.[13] Parton appeared on Today on the album's release date where she performed in the show's Toyota Concert Series.[14] Parton also promoted the album by offering fans a free digital copy of Blue Smoke if they pre-ordered the album from Walmart.[15]
The title track was released as a single ahead of the album release in Australia and New Zealand in December 2013.[16] On March 18, 2014, the single was released elsewhere via iTunes. It was also available for immediate download with pre-order of the album. The second single is "Home" and Parton filmed a video in Tennessee for the song.[17] "Home" was written by Parton and Kent Wells, and was released as a single with a music video on May 28, 2014. Lyrically, the song tells the story of a girl who left her home at age 17 to follow her dreams and is now returning after many years, which she describes fondly. The song is considered to be autobiographical of Parton.[citation needed]
Critical reception edit
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 81/100[18] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| The A.V. Club | B+[19] |
| AllMusic | [20] |
| American Songwriter | [21] |
| CCM Magazine | [22] |
| Country Weekly | A−[23] |
| Exclaim! | 7/10[24] |
| Paste | 8.3/10[25] |
| Slant Magazine | [26] |
Blue Smoke received general acclaim from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, they assign a rating out of 100 to selected independent reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 81, based on 8 reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".[18] At Country Weekly, Jon Freeman graded the album an A−, stating that "On Blue Smoke, the country legend travels many different paths and sounds only like herself."[23] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic rated the album three-and-a-half stars out of five, writing that "Perhaps there are no permanent additions to her canon here, but the remarkable thing is how satisfying an album this is: it sounds good and the songs are sturdy, proof that Parton is far from resting on her laurels."[20] At Paste, Holly Gleason rated the album an 8.3 out of ten, saying that the artist "Finding a strong balance between art and slick, Parton continues walking a line of what people expect and her heart. She just gets better with age."[25] Marah Eakin of The A.V. Club graded the album a B+, stating that the release shows how Parton "handily harnesses those charms [...] coupled with that stellar musicality, of course [...] to produce an absolutely lovely LP."[19]
At The Boston Globe, James Reed gave a positive review of the album, writing that "even when Parton goes camp and piles on the gloss, there's still a big heart beating beneath the album's surface, much like the artist herself."[27] At American Songwriter, Eric Allen rated the album four stars out of five, stating that "Blue Smoke easily hits its mark of making us look within ourselves while laughing through our tears."[21] Joe Sweeney of Slant Magazine rated the album three-and-a-half stars out of five, saying that in "the vividness and genuine conviction in that timeless, still-powerful voice finds the humanity in all of it", and in so doing "the country legend mainlines one greeting-card sentiment after another, singing about angels, rainbows, moons, and fishing holes with reckless abandon."[26] At Exclaim!, Thierry Côté rated the album a seven out of ten, writing that "It is an album of small pleasures, an eclectic collection of songs that showcases many of the qualities that have made the Tennessee singer such a vital force in country music for five decades."[24] Andy Argyrakis of CCM Magazine rated the album four stars out of five, commenting how "Parton's cheer, humor and candor continue on this stripped-down, catchy collection" that "continues her popularity resurgence with another rootsy record consisting of many personally penned tunes."[22]
Commercial performance edit
In the US, Blue Smoke debuted at number 6 with first-week sales of 37,000 copies.[28] It was Parton's highest-charting, and first top 10, solo album ever. Its first week sales were her best sales week for a solo project. Blue Smoke also logged her best debut rank on Top Country Albums in 23 years, entering at No. 2.
In the UK, Blue Smoke proved to be Parton's most successful album ever, spending 12 weeks in the top 10 UK Albums Chart, with a peak position of number 2 in the seventh week. It was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) on July 4, 2014, Gold on July 18, 2014, and Platinum on December 12, 2014.[29] The album has sold over 400,000 copies in the UK as of August 2016.[30]
Track listing edit
All tracks are written by Dolly Parton, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Blue Smoke" | 3:33 | |
| 2. | "Unlikely Angel" | 3:23 | |
| 3. | "Don't Think Twice" | Bob Dylan | 3:21 |
| 4. | "You Can't Make Old Friends" (duet with Kenny Rogers) |
| 3:57 |
| 5. | "Home" |
| 3:22 |
| 6. | "Banks of the Ohio" |
| 3:48 |
| 7. | "Lay Your Hands on Me" | 4:13 | |
| 8. | "Miss You–Miss Me" | 4:00 | |
| 9. | "If I Had Wings" | 4:06 | |
| 10. | "Lover du Jour" | 4:11 | |
| 11. | "From Here to the Moon and Back" (duet with Willie Nelson) | 4:02 | |
| 12. | "Try" | 4:47 | |
| Total length: | 46:43 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Get Up, Get Out, Get On" | 2:55 |
| 14. | "Olive Branch" | 3:09 |
| 15. | "Early Morning Breeze" | 2:57 |
| 16. | "Angels in the Midst" | 3:12 |
| Total length: | 58:56 | |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Will Always Love You" | 3:07 | |
| 2. | "9 to 5" | 3:01 | |
| 3. | "Jolene" | 2:42 | |
| 4. | "Together You and I" | 3:59 | |
| 5. | "Islands in the Stream" (duet with Kenny Rogers) | 4:11 | |
| 6. | "Here You Come Again" | 2:55 | |
| 7. | "Coat of Many Colors" | 3:05 | |
| 8. | "Little Sparrow" | 4:14 | |
| 9. | "Love Is Like a Butterfly" | 2:22 | |
| 10. | "My Tennessee Mountain Home" | 3:09 | |
| 11. | "In the Ghetto" | Mac Davis | 2:49 |
| 12. | "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" (with Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn) |
| 2:25 |
| 13. | "Sacred Memories" | 2:44 | |
| 14. | "Applejack" | 3:27 | |
| 15. | "Two Doors Down" | 3:06 | |
| 16. | "Baby I'm Burning" | 2:38 | |
| 17. | "Better Get to Livin'" |
| 3:36 |
| 18. | "The Sacrifice" | 3:28 | |
| 19. | "From Here to the Moon and Back" (with Kris Kristofferson and Jeremy Jordan) | 4:26 | |
| 20. | "Better Day" | 3:19 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Two Doors Down" (Live from London) | 4:16 | |
| 2. | "Jolene" (Live from London) | 3:00 | |
| 3. | "Here You Come Again" (Live from London) |
| 2:58 |
| 4. | "9 to 5" (Live from London) | 3:15 | |
| 5. | "I Will Always Love You" (Live from London) | 4:32 |
Personnel edit
- Monty Allen – background vocals
- Rebecca Isaacs Bowman – background vocals
- Mike Brignardello – bass guitar
- Jim "Moose" Brown – piano
- Pat Buchanan – electric guitar, harmonica
- Nick Buda – drums, percussion
- J.T. Corenflos – electric guitar
- Chad Cromwell – drums
- Dennis Crouch – upright bass
- Eric Darken – percussion
- Christian Davis – background vocals
- Michael Davis – keyboards
- Richard Dennison – piano, background vocals
- Stuart Duncan – fiddle
- Terry Eldridge – background vocals
- Paul Franklin – steel guitar
- Steve Gibson – electric guitar
- Vicki Hampton – background vocals
- Aubrey Haynie – fiddle, mandolin
- Steve Hinson – lap steel guitar
- Jim Hoke – harmonica
- Paul Hollowell – Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards, piano
- Dann Huff – electric guitar
- Sonya Isaacs – background vocals
- Carl Jackson – background vocals
- Jamie Johnson – background vocals
- Charlie Judge – piano, synthesizer strings, synthesizer
- Randy Kohrs – dobro
- Steve Mackey – bass guitar
- Bob Mater – drums
- Jimmy Mattingly – fiddle, mandolin
- John Mock – harmonium
- Greg Morrow – drums
- The Nashville String Machine – strings
- Willie Nelson – duet vocals on "From Here to the Moon and Back"
- Jennifer O'Brien – background vocals
- Dolly Parton – lead vocals
- Mickey Raphael – harmonica
- Danny Roberts – mandolin
- Kenny Rogers – duet vocals on "You Can't Make Old Friends"
- Tom Rutledge – acoustic guitar
- Jimmie Lee Sloas – bass guitar
- Val Story – background vocals
- Bryan Sutton – acoustic guitar
- Bobby Terry – acoustic guitar
- Ilya Toshinsky – acoustic guitar
- Steve Turner – drums, percussion
- Scott Vestal – banjo
- Jay Weaver – upright bass
- Derek Wells – electric guitar
- Kent Wells – drum programming, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
- Tommy White – steel guitar
- Bobby Wood – synthesizer
Charts edit
Weekly charts edit
| Year-end charts edit
|
Certifications and sales edit
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[45] | Platinum | 401,584[30] |
| United States | — | 88,000[46] |
Release history edit
| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | January 31, 2014 | CD, digital download | Dolly Records/Sony Masterworks |
| New Zealand | |||
| North America | May 13, 2014 | CD, LP, digital download | |
| Republic of Ireland | June 6, 2014 | CD, digital download | |
| Europe | June 9, 2014 | CD, LP, digital download |
References edit
- ^ Corner, Lewis (July 4, 2014). "Dolly Parton announces new single 'Try' - listen". Digital Spy. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
- ^ Watts, Cindy (23 August 2013). "Dolly Parton plans new album and tour". The Tennessean. Gannett Company. Archived from the original on 22 November 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ^ . DollyPartonMusic.net. December 9, 2013. Archived from the original on January 18, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
- ^ . Billboard. December 24, 2013. Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
- ^ Dolly Parton Productions (13 May 2014). "Dolly Parton's 42nd Solo Album - Blue Smoke". Dolly Parton Productions.
- ^ Brandle, Lars (21 October 2013). "Dolly Parton's 'Blue Smoke World Tour' to Visit Australia". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on 22 November 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ^ . Access Hollywood. December 9, 2013. Archived from the original on February 8, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
- ^ Lewis, Randy (29 October 2013). "Dolly Parton talks 'Blue Smoke' album, tour, Imagination Library". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 22 November 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ^ "Dolly Parton to Open Up to Dan Rather in Hour-Long Interview". The Boot. April 3, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
- ^ "Glastonbury lines up more big acts". The Independent. April 6, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
- ^ "Dolly Parton Headlines 'A Night in Nashville' on QVC". Taste of Country. April 27, 2014. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
- ^ "First Listen: Dolly Parton, 'Blue Smoke'". NPR. April 27, 2014. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
- ^ "Dolly Parton Talks 'Blue Smoke' Track-By-Track: Week 2". Yahoo! Music. April 22, 2014. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
- ^ "Dolly Parton to perform live on TODAY on May 13". TODAY. May 6, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
- ^ "Dolly Parton Offering Fans Bonus Bundles of 'Blue Smoke'". The Boot. May 7, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
- ^ "Single Review: Dolly Parton – 'Blue Smoke'". Renowned For Sound. December 18, 2013. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
- ^ "Dolly Parton sings through grueling media schedule". USA Today. April 18, 2014. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
- ^ a b Metacritic. "Critic Reviews for Blue Smoke". CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
- ^ a b Eakin, Marah (May 13, 2014). "Dolly Parton gets folksy, dark on the lovable Blue Smoke". The A.V. Club. Retrieved May 13, 2014.
- ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (May 9, 2014). "Blue Smoke - Dolly Parton | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
- ^ a b Allen, Eric (May 19, 2014). "Dolly Parton: Blue Smoke". American Songwriter. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
- ^ a b Argyrakis, Andy (July 1, 2014). "Dolly Parton: Blue Smoke (Sony Masterworks)" (PDF). CCM Magazine. Salem Publishing. p. 38. ISSN 1524-7848. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
- ^ a b Freeman, Jon (May 19, 2014). . Country Weekly. American Media, Inc. p. 67. ISSN 1074-3235. Archived from the original on May 17, 2014. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
- ^ a b Côté, Thierry (May 16, 2014). "Dolly Parton - Blue Smoke". Exclaim!. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
- ^ a b Gleason, Holly (May 13, 2014). "Dolly Parton: Blue Smoke Review". Paste. Retrieved May 13, 2014.
- ^ a b Sweeney, Joe (May 19, 2014). "Dolly Parton: Blue Smoke". Slant Magazine. Retrieved May 20, 2014.
- ^ Reed, James (May 13, 2014). "ALBUM REVIEW: Dolly Parton, 'Blue Smoke'". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 13, 2014.
- ^ "Rascal Flatts, Dolly Parton Soar Onto Top Country Albums Chart". Billboard. 22 May 2014. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
- ^ . URL. Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
- ^ a b Jones, Alan (August 27, 2016). "Official Charts Analysis: Frank Ocean leads all-new albums top 3". Music Week. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Dolly Parton – Blue Smoke". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
- ^ "ARIA Top 40 Country Albums Chart".
- ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Dolly Parton – Blue Smoke". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
- ^ . Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Dolly Parton – Blue Smoke". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Dolly Parton – Blue Smoke". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
- ^ "Dolly Parton | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
- ^ "Official Country Artists Albums Chart Top 20". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "2014-06-21 Top 40 Country Compilation Albums Archive - Official Charts". Official Charts Company.
- ^ "Dolly Parton Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
- ^ "Dolly Parton Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard.
- ^ Moss, Liv (1 January 2015). "The Official Top 40 Biggest Selling Artist Albums of 2014". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 17 January 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
- ^ "Top Country Albums: 2014 Year-End Charts". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. 2 January 2013. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
- ^ "British album certifications – Dolly Parton – Blue Smoke". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
- ^ "Dolly Parton Announces New Joint Venture with Sony Music Nashville for 'Pure & Simple'". Billboard. 7 July 2016.