What Was Old Is Now New Again
A must have album for anyone who appreciates music in the most musical sense
from 
JoeUser Forums
JoeUser Forums
My wife went CD shopping a few days ago and came back with a handful of new albums, one of which is the new Loretta Lynn album, Van Lear Rose. Now this album has been out for about six months already, but it wasn't until a month or so ago we heard anything about it. We first saw a video on GAC for "Miss being Mrs." Then, about a week ago we heard/saw the video for "Portland Oregon." Phenomenal song, period. Raw, natural, timeless, energetic. So, after having brought it home, we had a listen. The entire album is so vivid, so heartfelt, so basic, so emotional.
Loretta is 70, give or take a few months. She's been at this for quite awhile. Yet she has never written every song on an album until now. It is inarguably apparent how good a songwriter and storyteller she really is. It is also unmistakably apparent the difference between real country music and the fodder most of Nashville has fed us for the last 30 odd years. The simplicity, the directness, the power in these songs is unbeatable.
The album was arranged and produced by Jack White, of the White Stripes. His touch was a breath of fresh air in an industry of slickly produced, over orchestrated, over produced, overdubbed garbage. When you put this album on, it's like being a little kid again. Like dropping the vinyl on the turntable, lifting and moving the needle to drop on the edge of the record, then sitting down in front of the stereo and imagining everything that poured from the speakers. It sounds like it should have been on vinyl. The richness, the ambient sound, the slight hiss heard on some quiet parts, makes this album beautiful.
There are 13 tracks, each beautifully simple and beautifully emotional. It ranges from near gospel to Janis Joplin-type blues, but unmistakably Loretta Lynn. It's happy, sad, nostalgic, romantic. It's love, lust, laughter and loss. It covers the gamut of life and makes you believe every word her lips utter. Loretta sings with more emotion than she has in many decades and you can feel it. There are only a handful of albums I've ever heard that give me goosebumps when I listen and this is the latest. I am so in love with this album and so back in love with Loretta Lynn. I had forgotten how pleasant she was to listen to. She makes me cry and smile at the same time.
If you want real music and you're not prejudiced about country music and its stereotypes, you must check this album out. If you want more emotion and feeling out of what you listen to, get this album. If you appreciate the human condition and love music, get it. If you enjoy great songwriting and great production, buy this album. If you want to sit cross-legged in front of a stereo and daydream about the lyrics, this album's for you.
Loretta is 70, give or take a few months. She's been at this for quite awhile. Yet she has never written every song on an album until now. It is inarguably apparent how good a songwriter and storyteller she really is. It is also unmistakably apparent the difference between real country music and the fodder most of Nashville has fed us for the last 30 odd years. The simplicity, the directness, the power in these songs is unbeatable.
The album was arranged and produced by Jack White, of the White Stripes. His touch was a breath of fresh air in an industry of slickly produced, over orchestrated, over produced, overdubbed garbage. When you put this album on, it's like being a little kid again. Like dropping the vinyl on the turntable, lifting and moving the needle to drop on the edge of the record, then sitting down in front of the stereo and imagining everything that poured from the speakers. It sounds like it should have been on vinyl. The richness, the ambient sound, the slight hiss heard on some quiet parts, makes this album beautiful.
There are 13 tracks, each beautifully simple and beautifully emotional. It ranges from near gospel to Janis Joplin-type blues, but unmistakably Loretta Lynn. It's happy, sad, nostalgic, romantic. It's love, lust, laughter and loss. It covers the gamut of life and makes you believe every word her lips utter. Loretta sings with more emotion than she has in many decades and you can feel it. There are only a handful of albums I've ever heard that give me goosebumps when I listen and this is the latest. I am so in love with this album and so back in love with Loretta Lynn. I had forgotten how pleasant she was to listen to. She makes me cry and smile at the same time.
If you want real music and you're not prejudiced about country music and its stereotypes, you must check this album out. If you want more emotion and feeling out of what you listen to, get this album. If you appreciate the human condition and love music, get it. If you enjoy great songwriting and great production, buy this album. If you want to sit cross-legged in front of a stereo and daydream about the lyrics, this album's for you.