Party Doll and Other Favorites Mary Chapin Carpenter

Party Doll and Other Favorites

1	Can't Take Love for Granted Live 3:48
2	Wherever You Are previously unreleased 4:17
3	Down at the Twist and Shout Live 3:19
4	I Feel Lucky 3:32
5	Dreamland 3:04
6	Passionate Kisses 3:21
7	Quittin' Time Live 6:09
8	This Shirt 3:48
9	Grow Old with Me 3:21
10	He Thinks He'll Keep Her 4:03
11	I Take My Chances Live 4:22
12	Shut Up and Kiss Me 3:42
13	The Hard Way Live 4:55
14	10,000 Miles 6:12
15	Stones in the Road Live 4:34
16	Almost Home previously unreleased 4:41
17	Party Doll 5:38

Barnes & Noble

Mary Chapin Carpenter has always followed her own vision, since the days when she first sold homemade cassettes at shows. (One attracted the notice of Columbia recording executives and went on to become the hit album HOMETOWN GIRL.) Leave it to country's Ivy-League-educated star to offer a "best of" collection that somehow isn't. What PARTY DOLL is, however, is a vivid snapshot of where this thoughtful, funny, and intelligent artist is at this moment in her career. The hits are here, many recorded at live performances. "Down at the Twist and Shout" is caught live with ragin' Cajuns Beausoleil at the Louisiana Superdome; "Quittin' Time" takes place at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville -- where Carpenter's folky, feminist brand of country was initially rejected. But there are also selections from lesser-known projects ("10,000 Miles" from the soundtrack of the movie "Fly Away Home") and four new songs, including "Almost Home," cowritten with Beth Nielsen Chapman. Chapman guests on the record, as do longtime collaborator John Jennings and country diva Trisha Yearwood. From outsider to superstar, Carpenter's is a real Cinderella story, and PARTY DOLL will surely find her the belle of the ball this summer. Kerry Dexter

All Music Guide

Mary Chapin Carpenter has always eschewed the schlock material that often plagues country artists, avoiding the trappings of Nashville in favor of a more independent approach to her music. Party Doll, a greatest-hits collection, stays in line with Carpenter's approach of giving listeners substance rather than gloss. Instead of releasing the typical "best-of" collection that includes only the standard radio hits, Carpenter has put enough thought and imagination into Party Doll that even familiar fans will be surprised. Her career making hits are here, but often in an alternate form such as the live version of "Down at the Twist and Shout" recorded at Super Bowl XXXI or the version of "Quittin' Time" from the Ryman Auditorium. Also included are songs from soundtracks and tribute albums and an achingly beautiful cover of the Mick Jagger song that serves as the album's namesake. While some may be disappointed they can't buy one CD that includes all her hits the way they first heard them, Carpenter's true fans will appreciate the effort that went into this greatest-hits package. Steve Kurutz