Eagle When She Flies is the thirty-first solo studio album by American singer-songwriter Dolly Parton. It was released on March 7, 1991, by Columbia Records. The album was produced by Steve Buckingham and Gary Smith, with Parton serving as executive producer. It continues Parton's return to mainstream country sounds following 1989's White Limozeen. The album features collaborations with Lorrie Morgan and Ricky Van Shelton, with additional supporting vocals provided by Vince Gill and Emmylou Harris. The album was a commercial success, becoming Parton's first solo album to peak at number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart since 1980s 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs. It was certified Platinum in by the RIAA in 1992. The album spawned four singles, the most successful being "Rockin' Years" with Ricky Van Shelton, which topped the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. In support of the album, Parton embarked on the Eagle When She Flies Tour, her only concert tour of the 1990s.
| Eagle When She Flies | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio albumby | ||||
| Released | March 7, 1991 | |||
| Recorded | c. January 1991 | |||
| Studio |
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| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 34:34 | |||
| Label | Columbia Nashville | |||
| Producer |
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| Dolly Parton chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Eagle When She Flies | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Calgary Herald | A[2] |
| Robert Christgau |  [3] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [4] |
The album was released March 7, 1991, on CD, cassette, and LP.
Dolly Parton's duet with Shelton, "Rockin' Years", topped the country charts, and the follow-up single co-written by Carl Perkins, "Silver and Gold", was a #15 country single. Rounding out the hit singles was the title song "Eagle When She Flies", which only reached a #33 peak, despite spending 20 weeks on the Billboard Country Singles chart. Her duet with Lorrie Morgan, "Best Woman Wins", appeared simultaneously on Lorrie Morgan's 1991 album Something in Red. She co-wrote the song "Family" with Carl Perkins and "Wildest Dreams" with Mac Davis.
Frank King from Calgary Herald wrote, "Hot damn, she's back. Just when the world is ready to write off Dolly as a cupie doll incapable of anything but candy fluff pop albums and silly duets with Kenny Rogers, she wipes us out with an inspiring, heart-on-your-sleeve country classic. The guest list - Vince Gill, Patty Loveless, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss - is impressive, but it's Dolly that shines from start to finish. Most of the 11 tracks are self-penned and drip with honest-to-goodness emotion. Makes a fella proud to slide on his cowboy boots and declare he finally likes Dolly for more than her pin-up appearance."[2]
Neal Broverman from The Advocate described the album's song Family-which contained the lyrics "Some are preachers / some are gay / some are addicts, drunks and strays / But not a one is turned away when it's family"- as "very progressive" for its time.[5]
The album also topped the U.S. country albums charts, Parton's first solo album to reach the top in a decade (and her last to do so until 2016) and reached #24 on the pop albums charts. The album spent 73 weeks on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. It was her first solo studio album to reach number one album in the United States after 1980's 9 to 5 and Odd Jobs. The album's single week at number one interrupted what would otherwise have been an unbroken run of over 14 months in the top spot for Garth Brooks.
The album sold 74,000 copies in its first week. It ended up being certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.[6] The album has sold 1.14 million copies as of July 2016.[7]
In 2009, Sony Music reissued Eagle When She Flies in a triple-feature CD set with White Limozeen and Slow Dancing with the Moon.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "If You Need Me" | Dolly Parton | 2:44 |
| 2. | "Rockin' Years" (duet with Ricky Van Shelton) | Floyd Parton | 3:25 |
| 3. | "Country Road" |
| 3:27 |
| 4. | "Silver and Gold" |
| 3:54 |
| 5. | "Eagle When She Flies" | D. Parton | 3:11 |
| 6. | "Best Woman Wins" (duet with Lorrie Morgan) | D. Parton | 3:08 |
| 7. | "What a Heartache" | D. Parton | 3:32 |
| 8. | "Runaway Feelin'" | D. Parton | 2:56 |
| 9. | "Dreams Do Come True" | Bill Owens | 3:26 |
| 10. | "Family" |
| 3:47 |
| 11. | "Wildest Dreams" |
| 4:30 |
Adapted from the album liner notes.
Additional musicians
Additional vocalists
Production
Other personnel
Album
| Chart (1991) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums[8] | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard 200[8] | 24 |
| Australia (ARIA Charts)[9] | 185 |
Album (Year-End)
| Chart (1991) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| USTop Country Albums (Billboard)[10] | 13 |
| USBillboard 200[11] | 82 |
| Chart (1992) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| USTop Country Albums (Billboard)[12] | 51 |
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada)[13] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[14] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
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^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
