'Heartsongs' was a wonderful discovery I found at a souvenir shop at Dollywood in Pidgeon Forge, Tennessee. It's a LIVE album done on the Dollywood grounds at The Pines theater. It's a real treat to see one of Dolly Parton's LIVE performances and if you're ever fortunate please do so. Dolly can really put on a fabulous show. Not all the flash of any other concerts you go to. Dolly is down home flair and makes you feel like you never left home. This album is a collections of Dolly's show that stems from many of her past works in TV, radio and her roots.

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This live album, recorded before an adoring hometown audience is a real gem. Containing some of the best songs from her career and a host of guest artists, it represents a return to Dolly's roots after so many years of recording little more than empty pop songs designed to sell a lot of records but do little to utilize her talents to their full potential. Get this while you still can!

I love dolly parton in this CD she has such a wonderful gift to touch peoples lives, she makes you feel like there is still some good in the world, and my kids love the song Apple Jack they ask me often to play the song for them and the love singing with her, I believe music makes a difference in peoples lives, weather for bad or for good, and she's good.

Dolly established her theme park in the region of East Tennessee where she was born and raised, and sometimes performs there herself. These recordings were made in 1994, and remind us of Dolly's musical as well as her geographical roots.

Dolly performs several of her own oldies. It would have been interesting to hear some of her pop-country hits like Here you come again given a traditional country treatment, but Dolly avoided those. However, it is nice to hear new versions of My blue tears, Applejack, Coat of many colors and My Tennessee mountain home. Longer than always is a song Dolly first recorded as a duet with Porter Wagoner, but titled Is forever longer than always. Smoky mountain memories was originally recorded for Burlap and satin, but titled Appalachian memories.

Most interesting of all is the inclusion of To daddy. Dolly originally recorded this in 1976 for the All I can do album, then let her friend Emmylou hear it. Emmylou immediately recorded it herself and Dolly dropped it from the album, replacing it with another song. The original version eventually appeared on a compilation, The essential Dolly Parton.

Traditional songs are also included, among them Mary of the wild moor, In the pines, Barbara Allen and Wayfaring stranger, as well as a couple of country golden oldies - I'm thinking tonight of my blue eyes and Night train to Memphis.