Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.For Those Were the Days, Dolly Parton and various guest singers revisit some favourite songs from her youth, in the bluegrass style that has revitalised her career over the last few years. It's a bit of a mixed bag, with some successes - notably a "Both Sides Now" that sounds as fresh as it did 40 years ago, and a "Twelfth of Never" whose bluegrass setting exposes the Celtic folk melody at the heart of the song - and a few failures, such as a "Crimson and Clover" that doesn't quite retain the requisite pop momentum, and a "Me And Bobby McGee" that's not as strikingly transformative as Janis Joplin's version. It's a pleasant enough set, with an interesting subtext: songs such as "Blowin' in the Wind", "Where Have All the Flowers Gone", "The Cruel War" and "Imagine" lend the album a distinctly protest-oriented aspect that offers a subliminal challenge to her core conservative fanbase. Particularly interesting is the duet with Yusuf Islam, "Where Do the Children Play", a courageous cultural crossover to set before a whitebread American audience at this time.
DOWNLOAD THIS: 'Both Sides Now', 'Twelfth of Never', 'The Cruel War'
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments