Halos & Horns

Like many musicians profoundly moved by the events of September 11, Dolly Parton reacted to the tragedy by going inward and forging a spiritual journey through songwriting. As usual, the subjects from which she draws the greatest strength are the ones that have buoyed her throughout her career--the Deity, to whom she talks directly in the searching "Hello, God," and the mythology of the mountains, best exemplified in "These Old Bones," a fascinating piece of backwoods lore, even as Parton's impersonation of an ancient fortune teller turns grating. Yet the songs on Halos & Horns carry a subtext, too, that of the perpetual struggle between right and wrong, temptation and redemption, and heaven and hell. Longtime Parton fans will recognize that thematic tug from her earliest work, just as they will hear a return to her more primitive, pre-'80s sound. While the singer, who produced the record herself using both Nashville and East Tennessee musicians, reprises several tunes ("Shattered Image," "What a Heartache") from her catalog to give them an acoustic, bluegrassy treatment, she is not without her surprises. Chief among them: "Raven Dove," a powerful, almost biblical prophesy of a Second Coming, and a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven," which Parton slightly rewrote to give it more personal and apocalyptic verve. If the thought of that brings a smile to your face, just wait: one spin through it, and you'll be down on your knees.

2002年7月9日，46岁的美国乡村乐坛天后Dolly Parton发行了第39张个人录音室专辑《Halos & Horns》，由Parton亲自制作。这张作品是她广受好评的“蓝草三部曲”的第三部，延续了她对民谣和蓝草音乐的探索。12首曲为原创，其余包括翻唱Led Zeppelin的《Stairway to Heaven》和Bread的《If》，以及她此前录制过的两首作品《Shattered Image》和《What a Heartache》的新版本。 创作背景充满个人色彩。继2001年专辑《Little Sparrow》发布后，Parton在田纳西山中故乡持续创作，她表示歌曲灵感如潮水般涌出。早在2002年初，Sugar Hill Records确认她正在为新专辑写作和编曲，而录音工作随即在Knoxville启动，起初仅为示范录音，但效果出色使她决定正式制作专辑。Parton强调录音过程非常“现场”，她希望与家乡的音乐人合作，创造自然、真诚的声音。 专辑中多首歌曲都富有个人回忆和故事。开篇曲《Halos and Horns》的标题源于她两年前为未获采纳的电视试播节目所构思的概念；《Sugar Hill》灵感来自她对唱片公司标签名字的遐想；《Not for Me》则是一首35年前未曾录制的旧作。部分曲目反映社会和历史事件，例如《Hello God》创作于911事件次日，探讨生命的脆弱与上天的普遍性。 专辑发行后获得了积极评价。商业表现方面，在Billboard200总榜最高登上第58位，乡村专辑榜第4位，首周销量约1.85万张，是她自1993年的《Slow Dancing with the Moon》和1999年的《Trio II》以来乡村榜的最高排名，也是在Billboard200上的最高成绩（自1995年的《Something Special》以来）。截至2003年12月，美国累计销量约18.7万张。专辑在英国OCC乡村专辑榜登顶，是Parton第二张获得该成绩的作品。