Trio

Feels bad to write as she died so recently but this was just boring

RIP. Sounded like a lovely lady.

This is essentially the music played in the background of every American themed restaurant in the UK.

Having said that, RIP Dolly!

RIP, Dolly. This is pretty good. I really like the three of them together.

Don't we all have a bad day once in a while, and haven't we all lived through a painful breakup at some point? Consider yourself a very lucky person if you have friends who don't hit mute on you if you deliver lines such as “I'd join the wild birds in their crying, thinking of [him] and [his] sweet face” or “I will go down to the cold dark waters, and there I'll lay me down and weep” for 40+ minutes straight. I mean, if they did, rightfully so. It's just too much.

The obvious highlight here is “Wildflower,” mainly because it's way more empowering than this devotional, near-religious, all-cosuming understanding of failed man-woman relationships, which takes up most of this record. Great musicianship all around, but lyrically, Trio feels just like a loose collection of one-dimensional metaphors on misery.

Solid country, just not something i naturally gravitate towards

Bluegrass X country, women singing about relationship drama. If this is your vibe is the right album and a good one. Plenty of songs about relationship drama.

Trio brings together three incredible artists: Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris. On paper, that sounds like a dream team. Three legendary solo careers coming together should surely result in something special.

Unfortunately, it just didn't work for me.

I'd read that this was considered groundbreaking and hugely influential, but listening to it today I found it surprisingly ordinary. Rather than hearing three distinctive voices creating something unique, I felt like I was listening to fairly standard country music that never really developed or surprised me. Track after track blended into the next, and I struggled to find anything that grabbed my attention or made me want to keep listening.

It's one of those albums that I really wanted to like because of the people involved, but I just couldn't

Favourite tracks: I couldn't pick one that stood out.

Least favourite tracks: Nothing really clicked for me. I found the album consistently dull from start to finish.

Album artwork: Such an unmistakably '80s album cover! It always makes me smile, although I'm never quite sure whether it's intentionally cheesy or not.

Just good classic country. They're all so talented. I wish they all let their strengths show a little more, but it's hard not to like this

Favorite Songs: To Know Him Is To Love Him

Not a country listener, but that was lovely.

While not my go-to style, you can’t deny the great voices and song writing here.

gonna tell my kids this is boygenius. 3.5

Excellent and a long time coming. They mix well and each showed off strengths. Not my favorite genre of music, but I thrive off of listening to artists who are passionate and talented. Would certainly listen again. 3+

My only complaint is that I wish it were a double album. Or that they formed a super group and made a dozen albums.

A nice wee album that I already know quite well. I rather enjoy the fact that these 3 heavyweights come together and made something to melancholic, how bizarre but such a good move rather. Linda Ronstadt has one of my favourite voices, but the combination of the trio is also fabulous of course. Debated giving it a 5 x

(Decent 7/10)

As with most records like this that have 3 or more major songwriters and singers all sharing a spotlight together, you're gonna have a rather unbalanced effort that feels like some members are gonna have less time up front than others. Then there's the issue of sometimes the songs that your favorite of the 3 sings are just not the best ones. That was overall my experience with Trio. I love all the vocalists here but Ronstadt was my all time favorite as I grew up with her music, and just hearing her sometimes and on some of the more underwhelming tracks was a bit sad for me lol.

All that being said though, this is a very nice record and when all three of these amazing ladies come together for the harmonies, it's golden country magic. The songs are for the most part all really nice too. Dolly is the clear standout here by far, all the best songs have her front and center. It's a great little LP that really only made sense for a collaboration like this to occur. For the outlaws we have The Highwomen, and for the softer country souls we have Trio.

On paper, this should be an easy winner. You get three of the biggest and most respected voices in country and folk music, and all of them sound great throughout the album. The harmonies are beautiful, the performances are professional, and there’s never any doubt about the talent involved.

The strange thing is that the album itself feels less special than the lineup suggests. Everything is pleasant and well executed, but very little sticks with me once it’s over. I enjoyed listening to it, yet I kept feeling like a collaboration between artists of this caliber should have left a stronger impression.

This feels like it should have been an earth shattering event, like has there ever been a collaborative album between three titans at the heights of their career in any genre? The Traveling Wilbury’s I guess. CSNY in the sort of obscure. But this feels monumental because
It’s also good.

3/5. With the two albums I’ve had of hers so far on this generator I’m realizing that I love a ton of Dolly Parton songs, but never really completely click with her full albums. Though Dolly is only 1/3 of the equation on this album which also features Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, both of whom I am admittedly not familiar with. And though as I mentioned I didn’t love the full album there’s still a good amount of highlights like “to know him is to love him” or “rosewood casket.”

Another surprising sorta-country album. The three singers’ voices work together well and most of the songs are pretty solid.