Dolly Parton is known as a country music legend, actress and businesswoman, but on March 7, 2022, Parton added another title to her resume: author.
Teaming up with novelist James Patterson, Parton released her first novel entitled “Run, Rose Run.” The book features a young woman who leaves a murky past to go to Nashville in hopes of becoming an accomplished musician.
Given Parton is first and foremost a musician, and the novel she has written features a musician protagonist, it seems fitting that she produced a full-length studio album to act as a “literary soundtrack” to pair with the book.
This new album, also titled “Run, Rose Run,” was released on March 4, 2022, three days before Parton’s novel debut.
The new record, however, is far from a debut in terms of Parton’s music career. In fact, “Run, Rose Run”is Parton’s 48th studio album.
“Run, Rose Run” is a standard Dolly Parton album when it comes to length, consisting of 12 songs at 39 minutes. It also features many of Parton’s influences regarding sound, such as bluegrass, gospel and, of course, country.
The opening track, simply titled “Run,” is a blend of bluegrass and Parton’s signature pop/country sound. The song is reminiscent of Parton’s 1971 hit “Joshua” in terms of melody, but when it comes to instrumentation “Run” seems more complex.
“Firecracker” also incorporates bluegrass inspirations. The song presents a swift banjo pattern, and Parton’s vocals are layered during the chorus to give a bit of a “gang vocal” impression.
Lyrically, “Firecracker” discusses the personality and drive of the album’s protagonist: “Standin’ up for who I am and all that I believe / Is makin’ me a firecracker, that’s just what I’ll be.”
“Big Dreams and Faded Jeans” is another highlight off the album and similarly discusses the protagonist from Parton’s novel. It refers to chasing one’s dreams and desires while simultaneously not letting fear get in the way. Instrumentally, however, this track is less based in bluegrass, but rather, in country. The song features an acoustic guitar opening the track, but quickly becomes more electric towards the chorus.
Parton is not the only artist featured on “Run, Rose Run.”Most notably, the album’s third track, “Demons,” features Ben Haggard on co-lead vocals. Haggard is the son of country legend Merle Haggard, who toured with Parton during the mid-70s.
The next collaboration on Parton’s new record is found on the 10th track. “Lost and Found” features Joe Nichols and is a soft country love song that discusses being “found” by a significant other. The song also features a sample of “Amazing Grace,” which Parton covered in its entirety during many live performances.
The 12th and final track of the album is the last to feature a collaboration. Richard Dennison appears on this last song entitled “Love or Lust,” which features a stringed orchestration and produces a duet not unsimilar to a Disney love song.
With 48 studio albums, not all of them can be winners; but then again, not all of them can be losers either. Upon listening to “Run, Rose Run,” I have concluded that this is a middle-of-the-road Parton album.
This new album will not have the timelessness of albums like “Jolene” or “9 to 5 and Odd Jobs,” and I must also say I also preferred some of Parton’s previous, yet recent material, such as 2008’s “Backwoods Barbie,” over this new effort.
That is not to say “Run, Rose Run” is an awful album; quite the opposite. I like the whole “novel companion” concept of the record, as I cannot recall a time when a musician wrote a book about a musician and then proceeded to put out music about that character.
While the album does not possess any “timeless hits” per se, I do not think that was its purpose. As a pairing with Parton’s novel, I think the 76-year-old musician hit it out of the park.
Speaking of Parton’s age, her voice is just as strong on this new album as it was in her prime, proving that whether she sings, acts or writes, there really is nothing Dolly Parton cannot do.
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