Amazon.co.uk Review
Keeping with the grand new tradition of country music stars breathing new life into the latter parts of their careers, Loretta Lynn's
Van Lear Rose finds the coal miner's daughter teaming up with White Stripes svengali Jack White, who produces, plays guitar and duets on "Portland Oregon" (where he's easily outshined by Lynn). And, like the later work of Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton, the result is a resounding success.
White is a traditionalist at heart and he treats Lynn's music with both respect and restraint; this is most definitely a country album, though it's a rocking one. Pedal steel, dobro, banjo and fiddle are all here, alongside White's blues-tinged electric guitar, but the star is Lynn's voice: worn, warm and full of heart. Her storytelling abilities come to the fore on the title track, the album's highlight, and her ability to spin a phrase in a country way is highlighted on songs like "Family Tree" (a tale of a wife confronting her husband's lover) and the lament "Miss Being Mrs". But really, there isn't a dud track here, from the celebratory stomp of "High on a Mountain Top" to the restrained spiritual "God Makes No Mistakes", to the accompanied spoken-story "Little Red Shoes". White's contribution should open Lynn's music up to a well-deserved wider audience. Really, though, one would be hard-pressed to find a better album by this country legend. --Robert Burrow
Album Description
Loretta Lynn is one of the most iconic and inspirational women in country music; one of her biggest fans is Jack White from the White Stripes. Jack and Loretta have collaborated to create Van Lear Rose.
Loretta's music and lyrics are unavoidably influenced by her extraordinary life. Born into poverty, being married at 13, having four children by the age of 18 and then being the first country female to become a millionaire has shaped Loretta into the artist she is today. This remarkable story was told in her autobiography, A Coal Miner's Daughter, which was made into an Oscar-winning film of the same name.
See all Product Description