Freida Parton
Parton, who's in her mid-20s, should be commended for not trying to rip off the singing style of her big sisters Dolly and Stella. That, however, is about the only thing to commend. While she has cited Pat Benatar, Led Zeppelin and The Who as musical influences, this hard-rock debut LP shows more influence from the sounds of traffic jams in midtown New York. Parton shrieks, growls, yells, gurgles and does just about everything else but sing; it would be hard to dance to this album, but you sure could strangle a parking meter to it if you were in the mood. With her guitarist husband, Mark Andersen, Parton has written some creditable songs—such as Sing for the Common Man, which Dolly recorded on her 9 to 5 LP—and there are flashes of wit among these nine songs. They aren't worth putting up with the cacophony for, though—not by a long shot. (Bearsville)
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