New Harvest...First Gathering

In 1977, Dolly Parton broke ties with her mentor Porter Wagoner, moved to Los Angeles, and began mapping out the career that would take her out of the country market and transform her into a star of practically all media. New Harvest ? First Gathering was Parton's first album working with her new management, and she produced it herself (with Gregg Perry assisting on two tracks), and though it isn't as calculated a piece of radio-ready product as her next set ( Here You Come Again) would be, the record makes clear that Parton was interested in moving on to a larger stage. The opening track, "Light Of A Clear Blue Morning", is a sophisticated piece of adult-contemporary songcraft that suggests practically zero Nashville influence, and her covers of two soul chestnuts, "My Girl" (reworked into the gender-free "My Love") and "(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher" dispel any doubts that Parton's voice would work outside of strict country boundaries. However, Dolly doesn't turn her back on her country audience with this set; "Applejack" is a cheerfully corny bit of backwoods nostalgia, "Holdin' On To You" and "You Are" are lovely and delicate love songs, and "There" is a spiritual number that's as sincere and passionate as it is inventive. In retrospect New Harvest ? First Gathering sounds like a dry run for Dolly's later crossover career, but it's also full of fine songs and produced with intelligence and restraint, and it has stood the test of time far better than much of her work of the 1980's.

1976　美国乡村才女Dolly Parton与恩师Porter Wagoner结束合作关系后，便积极往流行跨界发展。77年初发行自作自制的专辑［New Harvest…First Gathering］，虽然好评，也拿到生平首张乡村榜冠军专辑，但流行榜表现却不佳（＃71），便找了知名流行制作人Gary Klein掌舵下张专辑。

70年代中期美国乡村乐太后Dolly Parton逐渐跨界向主流市场希望拓展乡寸界外的歌迷。这是她首张独力制作的大碟这，也第一张明确为打流行市场的作品，也成为她第1张打入美国Top100的大碟（#71）。隔年提名格莱美最佳乡村女歌手。下张专辑邀请Gary Klein为其操刀,果真让她在流行界的成绩有了突破性发展。