I bought this album when it first came out, and perhaps it is a bit late to be writing a review, but with Dolly's recent success with "The Grass is Blue" and "Little Sparrow", I am hoping to spark some interest in great past albums that never did as well as they should have. "Something Special" is a great album! From the first song, "Crippled Bird" the harmonies (here with Alison Krauss) and beautiful melodies begin. "Change", "Teach me to Trust", and the magnificent duet version with Vince Gill of "I Will Always Love You" (Oh that last note!)are songs as wonderful as Dolly has ever recoded, sung, or written. As a matter of fact, she wrote or co-wrote all of the songs on the album. "Green Eyed Boy", "Something Special", and "Speakin' of the Devil" are great fun, and there is a wonderful new arrangement of her classic "Jolene" as well as another take on the gospel-charged "The Seeker". There isn't a clunker in the bunch, and it is a well rounded album where the voices and harmonies are in the forefront. It isn't bluegrass, but for the most part it is acoustic and just great, plain, simple music. Also highly reccomended: "Heartsongs-Live from Home"---possibly Dolly's greatest, though least heard, album.

A few years ago "Newsweek" named Dolly Parton one of the United State's "one of the nations' most treasured". Being in the music business now for over 50 years Dolly has proven herself time and time again as someone her is tireless and has amazing staying power in a business that eats talent for breakfast.

Dolly released "Something Special" way back in 1995 and like many of her late eighties and nineties albums has been pretty much forgotten, not just by the general population, but even her ardent fan base. Although I wouldn't say "Something Special" is one of her best records, there are some gems here, especially her self-penned "Green-Eyed Boy" and the title track.

However, the CD is mostly known for her remakes of three of her biggest classics: "Jolene", "The Seeker", and "I Will Always Love You" that is done here as a duet with then-hot Vince Gill and garnered them the CMA "Vocal Event of the Year" in 1996.

The record did spend two weeks at #10, but unfortunately didn't sell enough records for Columbia so the label dropped Dolly from their roaster making this the last time Dolly would be with a major record label.

The cover art, by the way, is one of Dolly's most beautiful.

Dolly's 1995 album SOMETHING SPECIAL was a album which took time to grow on me, but I appreciate it for what it is now. It's worth the price of the CD alone for "Crippled Bird", one of the most depressing songs Dolly has ever sung. On SPECIAL we get vamped up versions of past hits, which she has been known to do. This time "Jolene", "The Seeker" and "I Will Always Love You" get the treatment. They are nice versions, but especially the new version of "I Will Always Love You" which features Vince Gill. Songs like "Something Special", "Green Eyed Boy" and "Speakin of the Devil" are fun quirky songs, which are just great. Perhaps the most poignant songs come from "Crippled Bird", "Change", "No Good Way Of Saying Goodbye", and the closing "Teach Me To Trust". Overall not her best but its worth owning, give it a listen.

i dont no why people say this is a bad cd its one of my favs her new version of jolene is wonderful the duet of i will always love is perfect my fav song on this album is speaking of the devil

There is no one Better than Dolly Parton and this is one of her best. Seller great.