Q (10/03, p.128) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...[The album] showcases a musical talent that puts Dolly Parton in a league of her own..."
Personnel includes: Dolly Parton (vocals, guitar); Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Kenny Rogers, Porter Wagoner (vocals).
Producers include: Dolly Parton, Bob Ferguson, Gary Klein, Ricky Skaggs, Gregg Perry.
Compilation producer: Al Quaglieri.
Recorded between 1970 & 1988. Includes liner notes by Holly George-Warren. Includes liner notes by Holly George-Warren.
Though various record labels have released several dozen Dolly Parton greatest-hits and "best of" compilations over the years, few have attempted to effectively encapsulate the artist's enviably long and incredibly varied career in a single disc. THE ULTIMATE DOLLY PARTON goes a long way towards filling this void by collecting choice cuts from nearly every era and musical phase of Dolly's tenure. Beginning with stone-cold country classics like "Coat Of Many Colors" and "Please Don't Stop Loving Me" and proceeding through crossover smashes such as "9 To 5" and "Islands In The Stream," the collection will give the uninitiated more than enough prime Parton to dispel any inkling that the singer is all flash. On the contrary, her uncanny pop sensibility, heartstring-pulling, warbling soprano, and emotional directness are apparent in every single note on this disc, and anyone curious about why Dolly Parton is a cultural icon of the highest order would do well to start here.