All I Can Do (album)
Dolly Parton's seventeenth solo album, co-produced with Porter Wagoner.
All I Can Do is the seventeenth solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton, released on August 16, 1976, by RCA Victor. Co-produced by Parton and Porter Wagoner, it was the last of her solo albums to involve Wagoner. The album earned a Grammy nomination for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Dolly Parton
- Released
- August 16, 1976
- Recorded
- December 9, 1974–February 19, 1976
- Studio
- RCA Studio A (Nashville)
- Genre
- Country
- Length
- 27:51
- Label
- RCA Victor
- Producer
- Porter Wagoner, Dolly Parton
Facts from the source article.
Track listing
Side one
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | All I Can Do | 2:23 |
| 2 | The Fire That Keeps You Warm | 2:49 |
| 3 | When the Sun Goes Down Tomorrow | 2:05 |
| 4 | I'm a Drifter | 2:53 |
| 5 | Falling Out of Love with Me | 2:47 |
Side two
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shattered Image | 2:23 | |
| 2 | Boulder to Birmingham | Emmylou Harris, Bill Danoff | 4:13 |
| 3 | Preacher Tom | 3:40 | |
| 4 | Life's Like Poetry | Merle Haggard | 1:48 |
| 5 | Hey, Lucky Lady | 2:20 |
Track listing from the source article.
Content
Of the ten tracks on this album, Dolly Parton wrote eight herself. The other two are covers: Emmylou Harris's "Boulder to Birmingham" and Merle Haggard's "Life's Like Poetry." Released as Parton began appearing regularly in tabloids, "Shattered Image" was considered a response, with its line about staying out of her closet. "The Fire That Keeps You Warm" had previously been recorded by Parton and Porter Wagoner. Parton later re-recorded "Shattered Image" for her 2002 album Halos & Horns. Country-rock band Pinmonkey covered "Falling Out of Love with Me" in 2002, with Parton singing harmony.
Critical reception
Billboard's August 28, 1976, review called the album exceptional, noting Parton's songwriting and vocal ability, and described her version of "Boulder to Birmingham" as striking and heartfelt. The review praised the blend of slow ballads and uptempo numbers and mentioned incisive liner notes by Don Cusic. Cashbox's same-date review highlighted Parton's move into a progressive sound, listing self-penned tracks including "The Fire That Keeps You Warm", "When the Sun Goes Down Tomorrow", "I'm a Drifter", "Falling Out of Love with Me", "Shattered Image", "Preacher Tom", and "Hey, Lucky Lady", along with the two covers.
Commercial performance
The album debuted at number 32 on the Billboard Hot Country Albums chart and peaked at number three in its eleventh week, spending 25 weeks on the chart. First single "Hey Lucky Lady" reached number 19 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and number 11 in Canada. Second single "All I Can Do" peaked at number three on the Billboard chart and number one in Canada. Third single "Shattered Image" was released in the UK in November 1976 and did not chart.
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