This came out in 2003 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Some people think Dolly Parton is just another country-pop singer with huge … uh, hair. But the blond bombshell is also one helluva songwriter.
Over the decades, Dolly has penned a whole slate of hits, including Jolene, 9 to 5, and the obscure pop nugget I Will Always Love You. All of which get the remake treatment on the female-centric tribute Just Because I’m A Woman. The guest list on this 13-track set could fill the VIP room at the Grammys: The lineup includes Alison Krauss (who gives 9 to 5 a bluesy bluegrass revamp), Melissa Etheridge (who delivers a mellower rendition of I Will Always Love You), Norah Jones (who brings her breathy jazz-croon delicacy to The Grass Is Blue), Shania Twain (who tries on a rootsy sound for Coat of Many Colours) and even Sinead O’Connor (who delivers a suitably piercing version of Dagger Through the Heart). Sure, this set could be hipper and more adventurous — they could have tossed in The White Stripes’ cover of Jolene — but it couldn’t be more sincere.
