Although lumped with the bluegrass revival, Parton's album sports little of the preciousness associated with most nouveau blue. On traditional tunes and unconventional ones (Collective Soul's Shine, Cole Porter's I Get a Kick Out of You), Parton tests bluegrass's elasticity — but gently. The whole album sounds fresh and playful.
Animated actors dominated the box office, Barry Bonds hit 73 and 'It' turned out to be a scooter. TIME picks the bests and the worsts of this year...