Dolly Parton – “Shinola”

I haven’t heard this song, but I know for a fact that one thing you said is true: I have no idea what , or who, this Shinola is.

I do really like this song, though.

I found some cool vintage ads for Shinloa on the Wikipedia page.

I don’t think that “he doesn’t know shit from Shinola” is still part of the vernacular. At least it isn’t in any place that I’ve ever lived. I don’t think that the average Taylor Swift/Rascal Flatts fan will understand this song.

Hey, maybe young people could embrace it, because it could be a way of swearing without exactly swearing! Maybe Dolly’ll bring it back.:) Okay…probably not.

I liked the song, but I have to agree with you, really. Funny review.

I didn’t mean to kill the discussion, I was attempting to continue the line of Chris’ joke. I guess my joke was either too obscure or too dumb :(

while sharing your view on this song,in the context of an album named “backwoods barbie” these, somewhat out of date sounding songs make perfect sense. of course, today’s country radio and a young audience will hardly be impressed – so what. i enjoy her doing her “own thing”, even at the cost of a slightly mixed result.

Oh, I just assumed the yarn weavin’ thing was a southern saying, since I had heard it before, not a generational saying. Then again, I suppose I’ve never heard anyone my age use that line.

The other thing to remember is that radio plays the artists who get videos played and that means young and cute. Its a sad fact that we need to really face in our society, but a 60 year old with a really good facelift doesn’t look 25, she (or he) just looks like a 60 year old with a really good facelift.

Actually, Dolly’s last video “Jesus And Gravity” got quite a bit of airplay at CMT and GAC but still got nowhere with radio.

“Better Get To Livin” was played fairly regularly on GAC, I believe. She was even their artist of the month. I agree, though, that someone her age will have a really difficult time up against today’s artists.

Gonna agree on this review … There just weren’t many radio-ready songs on this release, so if Dolly’s goal was to get back on the radio, she missed it.

J.R., it’s beyond dispute that country radio playlists are heavily skewed toward young artists. Kenny Rogers did hit #1 when he was 61 — and it was a huge deal because he became the oldest person in country music history to have a #1 hit.

You’ve named a few exceptions to the rule — Strait, Jackson, and Brooks & Dunn — all of whom could pass for being under 50. Reba is the only woman in that age range to still get airplay, and her chart success is fading rapidly. Some of the best music of Dolly Parton’s career came after she was past age 50. She’s won critical acclaim and several Grammies during that time period. She and other veteran artists, particularly women, have a very valid complaint indeed, that their work is being ignored by the ageist Today’s Country radio.

But don’t you think that ageism is more of a problem for female artists than for males? Even in TV and movies. Probably because female listeners and viewers aren’t as close-minded or shallow as males. We’ll listen to and look at older men and still find them attractive whereas men think that a woman over 40 isn’t worth their time. I don’t listen to too much contemporary country but on what I have heard lately, the older men seem to be singing about their family, how their kids have grown up, etc. The women are still singing about the men. Which is kind of odd since in reality, it’s the men who are still chasing the women at 70 years old and the women who’re not thinking about the men much anymore but instead are thinking about the family and the kids!

I love Dolly Parton, I think better get to living was a great song and should have been a top ten hit. I also think Jesus and Gravity should have been a top ten hit. How ever I didn’t care for Shinola or only dreaming or that other song, The Lonesomes, on the CD. Backwoods Barbie is a great CD. I bought 8 copies and I liked the song Drive me crazy. I also loved the song, Cologne. That should be released as a single. However if Dolly wants to have a hit on radio she needs to let somebody else write her, Some new songs for today’s audience. She needs to hire Tim McGraw or Faith Hill’s songwriter’s or Shania Twain’s ex manager Mutt Lang to produce her next CD. And let somebody else do the writting for a change. Let them help her get back out on top, Then her dream of making a radio comeback would come true and her albums would probably sale again. Dolly just something to think about. Take a break from song writing and let somebody else do it for you, Just for one album and see what happens?