Van Lear Rose

[Iver]

I got a chance to hear some of Loretta Lynn's new album, Van Lear Rose, when Laura Cantrell recently played it on The Radio Thrift Shop.

This record is produced by Jack White, of the White Stripes. The song I heard, "Portland Oregon," started out with quite a bit of rock-n-roll guitar-n-drums bombast, but then settled into a slamming country swing as Loretta (who celebrated her 70th birthday this past April 14th) tore into the vocals: "Portland Oregon and a sloe gin fizz/ If that ain't love, I don't know what is." Indeed.

Although it's a studio recording, the song had a very live feel. Reviews say White kept the atmosphere upbeat and the takes short, making it feel like a live album.

For background info on Loretta, see the movie Coal Miner's Daughter with Cissy Spacek playing the country singer.

 

[GarySI]

Van Lear Rose is a killer disc. This is the best disc of the year so far. This is one helluva great vocal show by Lyn, and White is turning out to be a multi-faceted artist. So far the only disc that gets as much play in my deck is Scissors Sisters.

 

[Chuck L]

This is an amazing album.

It is beautiful, raw and everything that Loretta has always been about. I think that it is one of the best releases of her over forty year life in music.