The songs are mostly excellent, though I confess that the lyrics of Family stretch credibility to the limit. Dolly says that the family is a strong unit and suggests (more eloquently than I can describe) that people will forgive other family members anything. I wish families were as united and strong as Dolly sings, but it's not my experience and I don't know of any family that lives up to the ideals expressed in the song. Maybe Dolly was just doing some wishful thinking when she wrote the song, or maybe her family really is that strong.

The other songs are much more realistic. The two other country hits, Eagle when she flies (an inspiration to women) and Silver and gold (a song about love being more important than money) are among Dolly's finest songs ever. Dolly original recorded What a heartache for the Rhinestone soundtrack but re-recorded it for this album and again for her more recent Halos and horns, so although it wasn't a single it might sound familiar to you, although each recording is distinctive.

Best woman wins, a song about two women fighting over a man, features Lorrie Morgan, although Dolly does most of the singing so perhaps she wins that battle. Other great songs include If you need me, Wildest dreams and Dreams do come true and Runaway feeling, but may favorite here is the upbeat Country road, a song about the love a country woman has for a man from the city.

This overlooked gem will forever be one of my favorite Dolly albums.


One of Dolly's finest albums   June 13, 2004
Peter Durward Harris (Leicester England)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

Dolly recorded for Columbia during the late eighties and early nineties, during which time she had three number one country hits during that period, the last of them (Rocking years) coming from this album. Rocking years was originally intended to be a duet with George Jones but he left the label so Ricky van Shelton became the duet partner. The success of the single may have owed more to Ricky (who was fashionable at the time) than Dolly, as American country radio only showed limited interest in the other singles from this album. Despite a lack of airplay, the album sold in vast quantities (well over a million in the USA) and deservedly so.

The songs are mostly excellent, though I confess that the lyrics of Family stretch credibility to the limit. Dolly says that the family is a strong unit and suggests (more eloquently than I can describe) that people will forgive other family members anything. I wish families were as united and strong as Dolly sings, but it's not my experience and I don't know of any family that lives up to the ideals expressed in the song. Maybe Dolly was just doing some wishful thinking when she wrote the song, or maybe her family really is that strong.

The other songs are much more realistic. The two other country hits, Eagle when she flies (an inspiration to women) and Silver and gold (a song about love being more important than money) are among Dolly's finest songs ever. Dolly original recorded What a heartache for the Rhinestone soundtrack but re-recorded it for this album and again for her more recent Halos and horns, so although it wasn't a single it might sound familiar to you, although each recording is distinctive.

Best woman wins, a song about two women fighting over a man, features Lorrie Morgan, although Dolly does most of the singing so perhaps she wins that battle. Other great songs include If you need me, Wildest dreams and Dreams do come true and Runaway feelings, but may favorite here is the upbeat Country road, a song about the love a country woman has for a man from the city.

This overlooked gem will forever be one of my favorite Dolly albums.


Enjoyable   December 8, 2000
G. Sawaged (Canada)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

Maybe not one of her best albums, but a pretty good one none the less. Dolly has the most recognizable voice in country music, and she has a wonderful talent for pouring her emotions into each song. And her songs are always filled with romance, heartbreak, humour and inspiration. And this album has plenty of all that. And with Alison Krauss, Ricky Van Shelton, Vince Gill, Patty Loveless, Emmylou Harris and Lorrie Morgan lending their voices to this album make it an enjoyable listen.


Hit And Miss   January 22, 2001
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Eagle When She Flies, Dolly's first album in the 90s, is a collection of songs that are hit and miss. The album does have its strong tracks (The soaring Eagle When She Flies, simple Silver and Gold, accepting type song Family, Dreams Do Come True, etc) but it falls short on some songs (What A Heartache, Best Woman Wins). This is still a nice album, as Dolly always releases quality music, she has the best voice in country music (even to date).


Pleasant CD   July 17, 2002
J. M. Zuurbier (Canada)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Dolly Parton's 1991 album EAGLE WHEN SHE FLIES is pleasant enough for a CD. We have the big hits, "Rockin Years" - a duet with Ricky Van Shelton, Dolly's last #1 hit, and last top 10 hit. The title track is one of her more poignant and beautiful tracks, a song about a woman finding strength. However it failed to impress country radio, their loss, it hit #33 on the charts. "Silver and Gold" is another hit from the album, a touching tale. "Silver and Gold" hit #15 on the country charts. While EAGLE WHEN SHE FLIES isn't her strongest, there is some good material here. "Wildest Dreams" is a really beautiful song, really touching. "Dreams Do Come True" is a song about love at first sight, and finding someone after so many wrong guys. "Best Woman Wins" includes Lorrie Morgan, a spirited duet about two women fighting over the same man. "Family" is a song about how family accepts everyone, from any walk of life, and how diverse a family can be with its people. Overall its a pleasant album and worth checking out.