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Album Details

• Artist: Loretta Lynn
• Album: Van Lear Rose
• Label: Interscope
• Year of Release: 2004
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: dscanland on 2004-07-14

I don't know if there is a better rags to riches story than Loretta Lynn. If you were born a Coal Miner's Daughter one would probably not think that you would be a successful country singer/songwriter but that is exactly what happened with Mrs. Lynn. She was even married at the youthful age of 13 and proceeded to raise a respectable family. In 1989 Loretta pretty much called it quits after her album Who Was That Stranger in order to take care of her ill husband. In 2000 she saw other older successful country stars making a bit of comeback: Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton... so Loretta decided to release an album called Still Country. It hardly made a blip at the record stores but there was one person watching, that was Jack White of the White Stripes fame. Think of Jack White to Loretta as you think of Rick Rubin to Johnny Cash, an injection of youthfulness into her amazing vocals. No, Lynn hasn't gone garage. Instead, it's probably one of the most inspired album's of her career. She is accompanied by a thickly distorted guitar on "Have Mercy" and yet the next track, "High On A Mountain Top", is a total hoedown complete with fiddle. The album starts out with what sounds like a confessional in the title track, singing about coal miners. One of the finest moments on Van Lear Rose is her duet with Jack, "Portland Oregon". She sounds so sincere and Jack is giving it his best. The ballad "Miss Being Mrs." is one of the most beautiful songs on the album with just an acoustic guitar accompanying her. One bad moment on the album is "This Old House". Jack White backs up Lynn but pretty much overpowers her. But one bad moment on a 13 track album is very impressive. Add this one to your collection.

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