Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Who doesn't love a bit of Dolly Parton? The globally renown queen of country - and the unlikely cult hero who invested heavily in the quest for a Covid-19 vaccine once the pandemic hit - is still turning out plenty of new music. Rockstar is her latest full length and it comes via Butterfly Records and Big Machine Records. It is a collaboration with a variety of rockstars which marks her first moves in the world of rock. Legends like Simon Le Bon and Rob Halford, Pink, Brandi Carlile and Sheryl Crow all feature across eight sides of vinyl and an adventurous and accomplished long player.

Review: Where do you start with someone like Dolly Parton. Singer, songwriter, actress, philanthropist, entrepreneur, she's been there, done that, got a stack of t-shirts and survived to tell the tale. Fiercely determined and staunchly independent, the fact she's one of the best-selling female artists of all time, with more than 100million units shifted, speaks volumes about her ability to capture a lived experience on record. The fact she managed to navigate a notoriously ruthless industry during its most notorious decades proves her grit.
The Monument Singles Collection presents a convincing case for all this. Comprising early work for the eponymous Monument label, this was Parton emerging from a successful but largely unsung period as songwriter for others, and becoming a veritable star in the making. Songs about overcoming adversities from poverty to patriarchy, which would go on to become anthems in their own right.