Customer Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating compilation for collectors
Comment: The first thing to say about this collection is that although some of Dolly's hits are here, a lot of them are missing including Jolene, 9 to 5, Here you come again, Coat of many colors, Two doors down, Joshua, Bargain store, The seeker, Old flames and You're the only one (to name a few). This is not, and was never meant to be, a hits collection. Plenty of those are already available. I'm sure that a lot of fans would have been happy for this collection to completely avoid the obvious classics (I know that I would) but I guess that commercial reality necessitated the inclusion of some of them.
At the other end of the spectrum, nine tracks (Bubbling over, Love with me, Because I love you, Most of all why, Robert, Chas, I'm doing this for your sake, Take me back, Blackie Kentucky) are making their debut on CD here while there are others that have appeared only on CD's that are now out of print or only available at a premium price (the 1982 version of Release me, Games people play, Love you're so beautiful tonight, Just the way I am, Daddy come and get me, Carroll county accident, Cowgirl and the dandy) and if you didn't buy those CD's, may be hard to find now outside this boxed set. There are also some duet tracks that are making their debut on a Dolly compilation, but which have appeared on albums by the various duet partners.
This really is, for the most part, a collection for country music fans. Aside from those that focus exclusively on the early stuff (notably Mission chapel memories), most Dolly compilations tend to lean towards the more pop-sounding material. While this has some of her pop-sounding music (most famously Islands in the stream, Save the last dance for me), I don't think fans who enjoy that music to the exclusion of her more traditional sounds will find much to get excited about here.
The packaging is different from any boxed set I've previously seen, although I don't suppose it's unique. I'd heard that it was going to be housed in a tin box, but this was not to be. Instead, it comes in a cardboard gift box with a lid. Inside, there are four digipacks each housing a single CD with a 30-page booklet sitting on top of the lot. A ribbon attached at one end to the inside rear base allows the contents to be removed easily. The booklet gives extensive notes about Dolly's career as well as a track listing for each CD. The track listing for the covers CD helpfully lists the original artist for each song, but there is at least one major blunder (Engelbert Humperdinck did NOT record the original version of Release me). Apart from the track listing, these notes are not directly relevant to the contents and could just as easily be included in a greatest hits compilation; however, there are further notes on the inside of each digipack that discuss the contents of the CD contained therein. The four CD's each have a different theme, these being love, covers, mountain memories and duets. Some songs fit more than one category and you'll notice (for example) that there are duets on three of the four CD's.
One way or another, even the most die-hard Dolly fan (and that includes me) will find plenty here of interest. Of course, the two questions that all such die-hard fans have to ask are (a) is there enough they haven't got on CD to justify the cost? and (b) will more of the hitherto-rare songs be released again as further original albums are made available on CD? Each Dolly fan can only answer for themselves, but while I pondered long and hard, I knew that I couldn't resist once I decided I had just enough money to be able to afford it. Perhaps this collection will have greater appeal to those who are less committed, and therefore don't have as many of these songs elsewhere.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Magnificent Collection!
Comment: What a gem this boxset from the wonderful and legendary singer/songwriter Dolly Parton this really is!
Many of the tracks here are new to CD and as a bonus, included we have one or two rarities of which have never before been released in the UK.
The songs in this set span Dolly's five decades of recording and these "themed" CDs feature some of Dolly's most beautiful, timeless songs, hits and album highlights are plently!
If you're a newbie fan to Dolly, this is the perfect starting point for you and of course, a must have for the die hard fan.
A wonderful release above all and a real must have for those who enjoy great country music.
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