208. Coat of Many Colours - Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton is an artist I would have actively avoided until relatively recently. Her biggest hits did not endear her to me, and I am not a huge Country fan. I then discovered that she has been hugely important in improving childhood literacy through her library programme, which has been transformative for tens of thousands of young people in poverty in the US, and she massively grew on me.

Coat of Many Colours was the eighth Dolly Parton studio album, but the first to catapult her to solo success, having previously 'merely' been Porter Wagoner's duet partner. She had written seven of the ten tracks, and demonstrated her talents with the variety of styles inherent within the 27 minute running time. The title track, and third single, off the album would reach number 4 on the US charts, and became something of an anthem for Dolly, describing her childhood as it did.

The opener is emotionally autobiographical from the singer, who grew up in such poverty that she didn't have shoes until she was 12 years old. It is clearly a heartfelt song, and conveys a real sense of both Parton's struggles as a child and her strong, Christian-derived moral compass. Travelling Man is a cracking piece of storytelling with a pretty sharp, and genuinely funny, twist at the end - it's almost Dylan-esque in its nature. My Blue Tears is a bit too mawkish and identikit Country and Western for my tastes, whereas If I Lose My Mind has a darker edge to it. The talk of making "me watch him love another woman, and trying to make me love another man" indicates a deeply troubling situation, and Parton's voice shows how fragile she is. The Mystery of the Mystery is a pretty naff song, with frankly trite lyrics. She Never Met a Man She Didn't Like is a pretty early example of slut-shaming, but is at least done with a delicate and well-observed touch. Early Morning Breeze is pretty forgettable, although it does show Parton's voice at its most delicately powerful. The Way I See You is a quietly determined song, with some truly heartfelt lyrics. Here I Am has one of the best choruses on the album, and show how broad and powerful a country song can be when the instruments all come together. A Better Place to Live is an optimistic, possibly naive, yearning for making the world a happier, more peaceful place. It is long on ideals and short on practical guidance, but then it is a pop song, and not a manual, so I should probably be more forgiving.

The album is a whole is very hit and miss, with some well-considered songs alongside some utterly non-descript background tunes that seem to add nothing. I was pleasantly surprised by the good tracks and the well thought out narrative structure within many of them. There was also a bit more variety in the tracks than I would have anticipated, and a good deal more humour too. Overall I was fairly impressed, but can't imagine coming back to it too often as it isn't really a genre I'm overly drawn to, hence the slightly lower score.

Chloe's album rating: 6

Chloe's favourite track: 1. Coat of Many Colours

Olly's album rating: 6

Olly's favourite track: 1. Coat of Many Colours

Next week is the delicious-sounding 70. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme by Simon and Garfunkel.

112. Electric Ladyland - The Jimi Hendrix Experience

At the age of 18, I remember a group of friends coming over to my house, and me playing an original gatefold copy of this album on vinyl, and feeling frankly like the dog's.

This was the first album produced by Jimi Hendrix himself, which came about due to his perfectionism in the studio driving the original producer, Chas Chandler, away. Whilst the album was not a critical success, with many stating that the album sounded overly muddled and dense, it sold well commercially, reaching number one in the US and number six in the UK. It is now almost universally acclaimed, appearing in numerous greatest album ever lists, including those from Rolling Stone and Q magazines.

The UK album cover was highly controversial, featuring a photo of 19 naked women, and it was not sanctioned by Jimi Hendrix himself, who wanted a more Alice in Wonderland themed cover. The naked version was banned by some sellers, and nowadays it is the red and yellow photo of Hendrix that is most commonly used to represent the album.

And the God's Made Love is an opportunity to show off the new recording studio effects available, and is frankly one that is missed. It just sounds a bit ridiculous to modern ears. Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland) has some decent elements, but is so swirling and discombobulating that it is hard to appreciate. Crosstown Traffic is far superior primarily due to its more accessible and traditional song structure. The lyrics are more coherent and the guitar is clear enough for the listener to appreciate the technical skills on show. Voodoo Chile has a lovely bassy feel to it, all textures and soundscapes. It comes together into coherence for the chorus, but is slightly too drawn out for my liking. There are also some slightly problematic lyrics about "making love to you in your sleep"; consent isn't even implied in that situation, dream-state or nay. Little Miss Strange is percussively pretty explosive, and has a guitar tone that is engaging, but again just falls into the trap of too much distortion, and not enough clarity. Long Hot Summer Night is a touch too tinny for me, however catchy the chorus may have been, whereas Come On (Let the Good Times Roll) has a great, meaty sound, and proper Hendrix solos, in all their intensity and rawness. Gypsy Eyes has a great riff, but doesn't quite do enough with it for me, and there are some annoying studio effects applied to the sound too. Burning of the Midnight Lamp is simply trying to do too much, and none of it very well. Rainy Day, Dream Away is pleasant enough, but actually being able to see the band working together would improve it markedly. 1983... (I should be a Merman) has some fragments of greatness, like the guitar riff after each chorus, but the overall piece is too muddled. Still Raining, Still Dreaming starts well but descends somewhat, in contrast to House Burning Down which, as a more conventional song, has a real cohesion to it. All Along the Watchtower is one of the rare occasions when a cover surpasses the original, albeit only just. Bob Dylan's lyrics, coupled with some more stripped back solos, lends to an exceptionally focused track, especially amongst some frankly bloated company. Voodoo Chile (Slight Return) is a masterful demonstration of guitar playing, but I'm left wondering if I primarily feel that way because it is a song I know so well. Whilst many of the criticisms applied to other songs could be levelled here, it feels much more driven and musical, rather than just technically impressive.

I expected to love this album, and was really disappointed that I didn't. The great songs are truly great, but repeated listens could not bring the rest of the album to life for me. It's too psychedelic and lacking in an overall focus to be completely enjoyable. Whilst readily apparent that there is a huge amount of talent on display, it is lost in a fog of studio effects in an attempt to push the envelope too far. The album is also far too long - there are songs here which simply add nothing but some effects.

Chloe's album rating: 6

Chloe's favourite track: 15. All Along the Watchtower

Olly's album rating: 5

Olly's favourite track: 15. All Along the Watchtower

Next week is the less-effects laden 208. Coat of Many Colours by Dolly Parton.

997. Django Django - Django Django

An artist I'd never heard of, this was our most current record yet. I find it slightly concerning that an album of such alleged importance was released in 2012, and I was not familiar with it. 

The four members of Django Django met at Edinburgh College of Art, and founded the band based in London in 2009. Their self-titled debut album, released in 2012, became a surprise seller reaching number 33 in the UK, partly off the back of coverage in FIFA and GTA, as well as a Mercury nomination. It went on to reach Gold sales across Europe, and Platinum in France, who appreciate a cool-as-fuck arthouse band like few other nations.

Introduction is an impressionist wonder of swirling guitars, that flows beautifully into Hail Bop. This track has an obscenely great riff, that builds alongside an effects-laden voice. It peaks with a swaying euphoria of a chant that will get stuck in your head. Default takes things up a notch, with a scattergun approach of sounds that come together in a triumph of a piece of music. The guitar just cuts through with an insistent bludgeoning of the mid-range. Firewater is a track that could be straight off Gomez's Liquid Skin, with its multi-instrumental and layered approach, and a lively acoustic guitar at its heart. Vincent Neff's voice is wonderfully detached, looking down on the maelstrom of sounds below, and knitting them together. Waveforms has a more conventional structure, but works well within that, sounding like something straight off Alt-J's debut. Zumm Zumm is an effects-laden fog, although it lacks the focus of some of the album's stronger tracks. Hand of Man is a slower, more stripped back number, with acoustic guitars front and centre, and Dave Maclean (brother of the Beta Band's John Maclean) keeping things ticking along on drums. There are also some handclaps, which I assume are a deliberate nod to the song title. Love's Dart has some of the strongest lyrics on the album, "Love's Dart/ No longer sharp/ Your end is in sight/ But your aim takes you wide of the mark" and a crackling effect that draws the listener in. WOR is ridiculously catchy, with its Wild West style sound effects on the wordless chorus, and an ever-shifting set of instruments that never seem to lose the driving rhythm or soaring melody of this song. Storm has an inhale-exhale feel due to the hi-hat, that cannot but get your foot tapping. Life's a Beach is an enjoyable song, if slightly tinny, but Skies Over Cairo is something of a blemish on this otherwise outstanding album. Playing pseudo Egyptian music without much direction may seem like a good idea if you're not expecting many people to hear the album, but it's a bit embarrassing in this context. Silver Rays sees the album out on a much better note, with some lovely squelchy synths.

As a complete album, it is a wonderfully quirky, arty and varied work; the array of instruments and tempos alone makes it impressive. What really strikes me, however, is the catchiness and quality of the song writing, with a real confidence and maturity apparent throughout. There are some incredible moments which make you stop what you're doing and just nod in appreciation. I think this is better than Alt-J's debut, which is high praise, as the songs grab your attention rather than settling into the background. This is definitely an album I will be returning to again and again, and am frankly gutted that I didn't pick it up first time round.

Chloe's album rating: 8
Chloe's favourite track: 5. Waveforms
Olly's album rating: 9
Olly's favourite track: 3. Default

Next week is the seminal 112. Electric Ladyland by The Jimi Hendrix Experience.