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STUDIO: MPI Home Video
MSRP: $24.98
RATED: Not Rated
RUNNING TIME: 180 Minutes
SPECIAL FEATURES:
• Bonus performance clips
• Interview with Charlie Dick

The Pitch

"These queens will scratch your eyes out while belting out some tunes."

The Humans

Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton

The Nutshell

Three giants of country music are showcased with clips from television performances from the fifties up through the seventies.

The Lowdown

Last week I inundated my Facebook friends with several classic country videos I'd discovered on YouTube. No one dropped me so that was a good sign (no telling how many blocked me and if you did may the ghost of Conway Twitty haunt you) but the thing that struck me was how simple yet wonderful classic country was. Unlike today where country music has been watered down so much to the point where it has lost what made it unique and fun, which brings me to another music memory. Olivia Newton John (I honestly love you) and Elton John (Honky Cat) had songs that crossed over to the country charts which was a rarity and the reaction from the country music community was one of outrage and mockery. It was like how dare these two pop stars tread in on their sacred territory. How ironic that today's country music resembles the pop ballads that Olivia and Elton were singing in the seventies!

The Queens of Country set that I had the pleasure of watching (well, two out of three pleasures but more on that later) offers up some rare performances shown on television. You are not going to find anyone who enjoys classic country music who will disagree when it is said that Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton are the queens of country. In fact, you will not find a trio of female singers in the country music field who have influenced so many even to this day.

Patsy Cline: Sweet Dreams Still - The Anthology

The most influential female country singer of all time is showcased featuring various times in her all too short career. Even though she died at the age of 32 Patsy had an enormous catalog of songs and even though only 11 songs are featured one can get a good idea of what this lady had to offer the country music field, and in these performances you will appreciate why she is regarded as the greatest.

Song list

• A Church, A Courtroom and then Goodbye
• Come on In
• I've Loved and Lost again
• Walkin' after Midnight
• Lovesick Blues
• How can I face tomorrow
• I fall to pieces
• San Antonio Rose
• Crazy
• She's got You
• So Wrong

Patsy was not a songwriter (unlike Dolly) and a couple of these songs were previously recorded and were country standards (Lovesick Blues, San Antonio Rose) but when Patsy sang it she made it her own. Another interesting thing about Patsy's choice of songs, her biggest hits were the very songs she did not want to sing initially and for various reasons - She felt she could not do the song Crazy justice and she thought Walkin' after Midnight was more of a pop music song. The last song on this set was Patsy's final performance as she was killed in a plane crash a few days later.

All of these songs are performed on various country music television shows and are live performances which in and of itself is a treat considering performers today lip synch even at concert events. Out of the three features this is by far the best of the lot.

Bonus songs include:

• Alternate cuts of Come on In and Walkin' After Midnight
• I Saw Light - with Ernest Tubb & Little Jimmy Dickens
• Let's go to Church
• A Conversation with Charlie Dick (not sure why this was included as he just sits there mumbling a few words)

Dolly Parton & Friends

Dolly is the quintessential entertainer. Here is a performer whose music has reached outside the country field and she does it without losing her country roots. In fact, one of the most appealing things about Dolly is her sweet and bubbly country charm - she is one of the few entertainers I know of who can come onstage and say howdy without the audience cringing. Dolly is a rare talent whose career spans four decades, and she is one of the few female entertainers who has also seen success in the film and television fields. Dolly is the total package when it comes to entertaining and this DVD tries to capture some of that magic by featuring performances from her short lived television show Dolly (1976-77).

Song list

• I Will Always Love You
• Silver Threads & Golden Needles
• Apple Jack
• My Funny Valentine
• Joshua
• He s Got The Whole World In His Hands
• The World I Used To Know
• I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)
• My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy
• The Sweetest Gift
• All I Can Do
• Do I Ever Cross Your Mind

The set includes some wonderful performances by Dolly and several guests including Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstandt and Anne Murray. My favorite part was when Dolly, Linda and Emmylou perform Silver Thread & Golden Needles. These three harmonize so well and in later years they got together and did an album which went on to become a huge success. Dolly's television show also showcased poets and comedians which made it a true variety show. The only extra is Dolly singing a gospel tune on The Porter Wagoner Show and with just one extra I have to ask why the studio even bothered as this could have easily been included in the main feature.

The third disc on this set features another queen of country but unfortunately all you get is Loretta Lynn singing gospel music.

Loretta Lynn - Songs of Inspiration features Loretta singing 22 traditional gospel hymns from when she appeared on the Wilburn Brothers Show, and is the most disappointing disc out of this set. At least with Patsy and Dolly you get an opportunity to watch them perform some of their classics which gives the causal viewer a better understanding of why they are legends. Even though Loretta is a great singer a major part of her appeal was her personality which you are not going to see in these performances. No question that her heart is in right place when she sings this material its just her usual upbeat demeanor is more somber. Not exactly my cup of tea.

I enjoy gospel music except when it comes to country and bluegrass artists offering up their versions mainly because they are not uplifting and usually turn out to be depressing (which is not the point of gospel music). If you are a big country music fan who prefers classic country this set would make a nice addition to your collection.

7 out of 10