Earlier this month my friend Bill asked me to post 5 albums that influenced me or changed my life in some way. Here's #1. It was Dolly Parton's 9 to 5. I found many relatable songs in the album and fell in love with Dolly's optimistic personality and appreciation for the simple things in life. Of course "9 to 5" is one of my all time favorites.About the Album:
9 to 5 and Odd Jobs is the twenty-third solo studio album by Dolly Parton. It was released on November 17, 1980, by RCA Records. A concept album about working, the album was centered on Parton's hit "9 to 5", which served as the theme song to the film of the same name (co-starring Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin), and topped both the U.S. country and pop charts. The album's two additional singles—a cover of Mike Settle's "But You Know I Love You" and a reading of "The House of the Rising Sun" – provided further country hits, with "But You Know I Love You" also reaching #1.
The understated pop-country arrangement of most of the songs was seen as a welcome return to form for Parton by critics, after the overly-polished pop sound of Parton's previous albums. In addition to five Parton compositions, the album contained a number of folk and country classics, including work by Woody Guthrie, Mel Tillis and Merle Travis.
The album was produced by Mike Post (with the exception of "9 to 5", which was produced by Parton's bandleader Gregg Perry).
A 1983 reissue on cassette omitted the tracks "Detroit City" and "Dark as a Dungeon," and moved the song "Sing For The Common Man" to the end of Side 2. However, a 2009 reissue of the album included all ten of the album's original tracks, as well as a remixed version of "9 to 5", and a previously unreleased cover of Sly & the Family Stone's 1969 hit "Everyday People" as bonus cuts.
The album stayed at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart for 10 consecutive weeks and ended up being certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.[1]
