Dolly Parton, Billie Eilish join 80 musicians on overlooked albums book
Dolly Parton and Billie Eilish are among 80 musicians writing about overlooked albums in a new book due on Nov. 17.
The book is titled On the Records: 80 Musicians on Beloved and Overlooked Albums. It was compiled by Brian Beck and Piotr Orlov, and it collects essays and conversations in which musicians pick influential records that went underrated or unknown, according to Rolling Stone.
Parton writes about Mama Sings, a collection of traditional songs recorded by her mother, Avie Lee Parton. The songs were recorded in the 1970s. They were released in 2024, after Avie Lee Parton’s death.
Eilish writes about Shake Shook Shaken, the 2014 album by French-Finnish duo The Dø. She has spoken about the duo before. She discussed the album in the 2021 instalment of her recurring Vanity Fair interview series.
She has said The Dø changed her life and perspective on music. She has also called Shake Shook Shaken her main source of inspiration during the making of Happier Than Ever.
Other chapters span punk, rap, folk and jazz. Yeah Yeah Yeahs singer Karen O writes about ESG’s post-punk compilation A South Bronx Story. Earl Sweatshirt writes about First Family 4 Life, the third album from Brooklyn rap duo M.O.P. Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon writes about singer-songwriter Paul Pena’s New Train, an album released after Pena’s death that features Jerry Garcia on pedal steel.
The Roots’ Black Thought picks Free Your Mind (The 700 West Sessions), a collection of rare recordings by Indianapolis funk band Amnesty. Chris Stapleton writes about Real Time, a collaborative record from Darrell Scott and Tim O’Brien. Willie Colón writes about jazz saxophonist Stanley Turrentine’s 1974 LP Pieces of Dreams.
The wider contributor list includes Brian Eno, Margo Price, Erykah Badu, Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic, Laufey, Jessie Reyez, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Gillian Welch, Finneas, Dev Hynes, Carl Craig, Bettye LaVette, Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker, Jamie xx, Kelela, Philip Glass, Meshell Ndegeocello, Terrace Martin and Yaeji.
Beck is a music industry veteran. Orlov is a music writer, editor and educator. Penguin Random House hosts the book’s official page.
What makes this stand out is the brief. The writers were not asked to name their favourite record of all time. They were asked to name the one they wish more people had heard.
