Coat of Many Colors

Back in the early ‘70s, Dolly Parton was a quietly determined rebel, pushing against the country music conventions of her time. Coat Of Many Colors (1971) adds depth and shadows to Nashville’s familiar conception of the female artist, and the album’s title track remains one of Parton’s signature tunes, drawing an analogy between a poor mountain family’s pride and the blessings of an Old Testament king. Such tracks as “My Blue Tears” (a traditional-styled ballad of stark beauty) and the Porter Wagoner-composed “The Mystery Of The Mystery” (a meditation on the wonders of God’s creation) have a similarly old-fashioned feel. Other tracks are more risk-taking, especially the rollicking “Traveling Man” and “If I Lose My Mind” (the latter a domestic portrait with decidedly kinky overtones) and “She Never Met A Man (She Didn’t Like),” a tale of an unashamedly loose woman. Musically, most of the tracks stick to familiar Nashville arrangements — “Here I Am,” though, simmers to an enticing Memphis soul groove. Throughout, there’s a sense of hard-won wisdom and independence to Parton’s sweet-yet-resolute performances.