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Loretta Lynn, Van Lear Rose

Producer: Jack White
Label: Interscope Records

Reviewed by William Miller

Being a musical legend has its drawbacks. The material from your heyday is hosannahed up the yin yang while your latter day material is poo poohed- as in "sounds OK but I like his/her/their early stuff better". Therefore, an artist will often team up with a hot young turk in an attempt to reconnect with the cultural zeitgeist. Johnny Cash and Carlos Santana are two former also-rans who reaped the benefits of said strategy, and produced some of the most acclaimed work of their careers. Now Jack White, in between gigs with the White Stripes and assaulting members of the Von Blondies, has hopped into bed with country music icon Loretta Lynn for a killer album destined to be a high water mark for both parties. Knock, knock Ms. Lynn your musical rebirth has arrived.

Van Lear Rose is a monster. It will make a believer out of a country music hater. It annihilates the candy-country-ass-pop of the Shania Twain/Faith Hill variety and reveals it as the soulless pap millions of record buyers the world over have bought. Eschewing modern recording trends, Van Lear Rose is a fresh, exhilarating joy of a record. So snappy is its punch you'll swear you're listening to a greatest hits album- all the songs are instantly memorable. It's a career retrospective that encompasses not only Lynn's musical strengths but offers weighty ruminations on her own rags to riches story. And don't forget, the lady is seventy years old. Yet, Lynn sounds every inch the feisty kid who changed the world of country music with her songs of love, betrayal, and revenge. With such trailblazing feminist war cries like "You Aint Woman Enough", "Fist City" and "Don't Come Home A Drinkin", Lynn is the prototype for every artist who loved em, got dumped, and ain't gonna take it lying down. She's Alannis Morisette's fairy godmother and would easily win a rap battle against current Diss king Eminem.

White is clearly a Loretta Lynn fanboy- 2002's White Blood Cells was dedicated to her and last year's triumphant Elephant featured the Whites on the cover adorned in country attire. He doesn't try to modernize her sound, but provides a loose "aw shucks" creative space built to bring out the best in his star. The accompaniment ranges from traditional country instrumentation, garage band White Stripe-ish rave up, and on "Have Mercy" what can only be called Led Zeppelin reborn (Message to Robert Plant. It's been a loooong time since you rock and rolled, so get Jack to produce you're next album). With Jack's prodding, this is also the first album Lynn has written all the tunes for (the shimmering Loretta/Jack duet Portland Oregon"is the only co-written piece), and the sheer quality of each track is staggering. This is an album in every sense of the word back when the word meant a collection of worthy songs not two keepers and a bunch of filler. "Family Tree" and "Women's Prison" update her wronged women manifesto. "This Old Life" and "Miss Being Mrs." are touching reflections on a woman who came from nothing and gained the world. But it's on the up tempo material where Van Lear Rose achieves its classic status. The title song, "Portland, Oregon", "Have Mercy", "High On A Mountain Top", "Mrs. Leroy Brown" are infectious rockers that put bands decades younger to shame.

Van Lear Rose is the raw sound of a legend rediscovering her muse and the upstart fan who always knew she had what it takes. Please give it a hear. Your ears will thank you.

Rating: (4 out of 4 stars)