Trio II
Studio album by
Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt
ReleasedFebruary 9, 1999
Recorded1994
StudioThe Site (Marin County)
GenreCountry
Length41:13
LabelAsylum
ProducerGeorge Massenburg
Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt chronology
Trio
(1987)		 Trio II
(1999)		 The Complete Trio Collection
(2016)
Dolly Parton chronology
Hungry Again
(1998)		 Trio II
(1999)		 Precious Memories
(1999)
Emmylou Harris chronology
Spyboy
(1998)		 Trio II
(1999)		 Western Wall: The Tucson Sessions
(1999)
Linda Ronstadt chronology
We Ran
(1998)		 Trio II
(1999)		 Western Wall: The Tucson Sessions
(1999)
Singles from Trio II
  1. "High Sierra"
    Released: January 1999
  2. "After the Gold Rush"
    Released: April 1999
  3. "Feels Like Home"
    Released: April 1999
  4. "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind"
    Released: April 1999

Trio II is the second collaborative studio album by Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. It was released on February 9, 1999, by Asylum Records.[1]

Background

A dozen years after the release of their Platinum, Grammy-winning Trio album, the country music supergroup returned with another in the same vein. The songs were recorded in 1994 by Parton, Harris and Ronstadt, but label disputes and conflicting schedules prevented their release at the time. Eventually, Ronstadt remixed five of the album's ten tracks (sans Parton's vocals) to include on her 1995 album, Feels Like Home; "Lover's Return", "High Sierra", "After the Gold Rush", "The Blue Train", and "Feels Like Home".

In 1998, after Parton and Harris had parted ways with their respective labels, they decided to release the album as originally recorded. Childhood photos of Parton, Harris and Ronstadt were used for the album's cover when a photo shoot proved impossible due to their busy schedules.

Release and promotion

The album was released on February 9, 1999, and though scheduling conflicts would not allow for an extended concert tour, Parton, Harris and Ronstadt did a short promotional tour to support the album. The trio made appearances on CBS This Morning, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Today Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, and The Rosie O'Donnell Show.[2]

Initially, there were no plans to release a single to country radio. "High Sierra" was issued to adult contemporary stations in January 1999 prior to the album's release and was also sent to country stations by mistake[3][4] where it received some airplay. In April 1999, following strong sales of the album, three singles were released to country radio simultaneously; "After the Gold Rush", "Feels Like Home" and "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind".[5][6] A music video was filmed for "After the Gold Rush" at a synagogue in New York City on March 25 and premiered April 13 on Great American Country.[6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[7]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[8]
Los Angeles Times[9]
Robert Christgau(neither)[10]
Rolling Stone[11]

The album received positive reviews from music critics.

Billboard reviewed the album in the February 6, 1999, issue and said, "Trio II reprises the 1987 joint effort by these three stellar voices. George Massenburg's production is crystal clear and on target. The eternal appeal of such ethereal singing is best epitomized in the Carter Family's "Lover's Return", with its silvery guitar chimes winding around the Trio's sweet harmony singing. Dolly Parton's pop-ish "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind" is rendered forever country by Emmylou Harris' trilling lead vocal. Neil Young's "After The Gold Rush" takes on a genuine fairy-tale quality in this shimmering version. Harris' lead vocal gives Donagh Long's "You'll Never Be the Sun" an anthemic quality, as does Linda Ronstadt's lead on Randy Newman's "Feels Like Home". Album closer is the O'Kanes' lovely "When We're Gone, Long Gone"."[12]

Entertainment Weekly gave the album a B+ and said that it "comes about 75 percent of the way" and is "very fine nonetheless."[8] The Los Angeles Times gave the album 3.5 out of 4 stars, saying that the "inspired reading of the Neil Young stalwart "After the Gold Rush" brings harmonies of celestial loveliness to Young's elegy to a passing era. Harris' signature vocal purity is a perfect match for Donagh Long's stunningly pretty love song "You'll Never Be the Sun." Ronstadt taps her formidable country-rock heritage in Jennifer Kimball and Tom Kimmel's "Blue Train" and Randy Newman's "Feels Like Home"."[9]

Writing for AllMusic, Becky Byrkit gave the album 3 out of 5 stars, calling the album "a gem along the beautiful lines of cubic zirconium, from the most well-intended and loving of real-deal songbird girlfriends."[7] Patrick Carr of Rolling Stone gave the album 3 out of 5 stars and said that "at its best, this mutual-admiration society works with a vengeance approaching the heavenly."[11]

Commercial performance

The album peaked at No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums chart and No. 62 on the U.S. Billboard 200. The album also peaked at No. 4 in Canada on the RPM Country Albums chart.

The album's first single, "High Sierra", was sent to adult contemporary stations in January 1999 and peaked at No. 90 on the RPM Country 100 chart. Following the album's strong sales, three singles were issued simultaneously to country stations in April 1999; "After the Gold Rush", "Feels Like Home" and "Do I Ever Cross Your Mind"; none of which received enough airplay to chart.

Accolades

The album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Country Album. "After the Gold Rush" won the Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals.[13]

42nd Annual Grammy Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2000 Trio II Best Country Album Nominated
"After the Gold Rush" Best Country Collaboration with Vocals Won

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Lover's Return"
4:00
2."High Sierra"Harley Allen4:21
3."Do I Ever Cross Your Mind"Dolly Parton3:16
4."After the Gold Rush"Neil Young3:31
5."The Blue Train"
  • Jennifer Kimball
  • Tom Kimmel
4:57
6."I Feel the Blues Movin' In"Del McCoury4:31
7."You'll Never Be the Sun"Donagh Long4:43
8."He Rode All the Way to Texas"John Starling3:07
9."Feels Like Home"Randy Newman4:47
10."When We're Gone, Long Gone"
4:00
Total length:41:13

Personnel

Adapted from the album liner notes.[1]

Production

  • George Massenburg – producer, recording, mixing
  • John Starling – co-producer
  • Nathaniel Kunkel – recording
  • Kevin Scott – recording assistant
  • Linda Ronstadt – mixing
  • Doug Sax – mastering
  • The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, California) – mastering location
  • Gail Rosman – production assistant
  • Janet Stark – production assistant
  • Michael Hagegood – art administration
  • John Brenes – production archivist
  • Lyn Bradley – art direction, design
  • John Kosh – art direction, design

Charts

Singles

Title Year Peak
position
CAN
Country
[19]
"High Sierra" 1999 90

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[20] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release history and formats for Trio II
Region Date Format Label Ref.
North America February 9, 1999
  • CD
  • cassette
 Asylum Records [21]

References

  1. 1 2 "Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton - Trio II". Discogs. Archived from the original on March 17, 2010. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Dollymania: The Online Dolly Parton Newsmagazine. Your premier resource for Dolly Parton news and information". www.dollymania.net. Archived from the original on February 17, 2001. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  3. ↑ "Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton - High Sierra". Discogs. Archived from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  4. ↑ Jessen, Wade (27 February 1999). "Country Corner" (PDF). American Radio History. Billboard. p. 36. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 3, 2023. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton - A Trio From The Trio: One Angelic Sound". Discogs. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  6. 1 2 "Dollymania: The Online Dolly Parton Newsmagazine. Your premier resource for Dolly Parton news and information". www.dollymania.net. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  7. 1 2 Byrkit, Becky. "Trio II Review". All Music. Archived from the original on June 5, 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
  8. 1 2 Scherman, Tony. "Trio II". EW.com. Archived from the original on 29 January 2022. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  9. 1 2 Lewis, Randy (February 15, 1999). "Harris, Ronstadt, Parton Get Atmospheric on 'II'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 25 March 2020. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  10. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris". www.robertchristgau.com. Archived from the original on July 31, 2002. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  11. 1 2 Carr, Patrick (March 4, 1999). "Emmylou Harris/Linda Ronstadt/Dolly Parton Trio II". www.ronstadt-linda.com. Archived from the original on February 14, 2008. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  12. ↑ Verna, Paul, ed. (February 2, 1999). "Reviews & Previews: Albums" (PDF). American Radio History. Billboard. p. 24. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 21, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Dolly Parton". GRAMMY.com. March 17, 2014. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  14. ↑ "Dolly Parton ARIA chart history, received April 29, 2019". ARIA. Retrieved April 1, 2020 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.
  15. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris – Trio II Two" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Dolly Parton Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  17. ↑ "Dolly Parton Chart History (Top Country Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
  18. ↑ "1999 The Year in Music". Billboard. Vol. 111, no. 52. December 25, 1999. p. YE-64. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  19. ↑ Canada, Library and Archives (July 17, 2013). "Results: RPM Weekly". www.bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
  20. ↑ "American album certifications – D. PARTON, L. RONSTADT, E. HARRIS – TRIO II". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 22, 2019.
  21. ↑ Harris, Emmylou; Parton, Dolly; Ronstadt, Linda (February 9, 1999). "Trio (Liner Notes)". Asylum Records. 62275-2 (CD); 62275-4 (Cassette).
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