I was just checking out Launchcast internet radio from Yahoo. In the Garage Rock category, one of the featured artists is Loretta Lynn, the country music star and the most popular song is one by her called Portland Oregon. My step father was a huge country music fan and I was forced to listen to it growing up. I heard a lot of Loretta Lynn and none of her music could remotely be consider rock. The 30 second clip from CDNow isn’t much to go on. Is this another Pat Booneish attempt at the rock genre or did Ms. Lynn really make something that could be considered rock? Maybe something along the lines of what Johnny Cash did a few years ago, I really like his version of Rusty Cage.
She did recently record an album with Jack White, of all people. My parents, who are much hipper than I am when it comes to music, loooooove it. They played it for me when I visited for Thanksgiving, it’s definitely pretty rock-ish, with a strong country influence.
Loretty Lynn?? Whoops, I meant Loretta.
Yeah, Jack White produced Loretta Lynn’s latest album, Van Lear Rose. Jack has actually been a Loretta Lynn fan for quite a while, and dedicated one of his albums (White Blood Cells, I believe) to her. Loretta got wind of that, and they developed a friendship, and she asked him to produce an album.
Jack pulled in a few other Detroit musicians to back Loretta (most notably from alt.country group Blanche) and put together a pretty good album. I think that if you did like the recent Cash recordings, you’d like this. YMMV, of course.
Van Lear Rose is one of the highest rated CD’s Metacritic has ever measured. It’s one of the best, if not the best, CD from last year. Seriously. It’s going to clean up at the Grammys this year.
It’s not all Rock N’ Roll. There are a couple of songs that sound like they could come off of a White Stripes CD, a couple that sound like classic country stuff from her early years, and a few that just defy genres. It’s all excellent - not a weak song in the bunch.
I don’t know anyone who didn’t like Van Lear Rose.
Loretta Lynn is one of the many country artists of her era whose wonderful songs and voice were completely betrayed by the soulless Nashville production style of the time. Jack White really gave her the production she deserves.
“Portland Oregon” is by far the standout track on the album, IMO.
Oh, and I don’t think any of it is really “rock”, and I don’t think any of it sounds the least bit like the White Stripes. (Jack’s voice on “Portland Oregon” doesn’t even sound the same.)
Near as I can tell, to be classified as “country” these days and not thrown over into “alternative country”, it is necessary to suck. If this album defies classification, it is simply because it fails to suck. What it is, in reality, is a great example of what country music should, and can, be.
Listen again to Have Mercy. It ends in a screaming wail. Listen to the ending half of “Women’s Prison”. That could be on any White Stripes album. It’s great music.
I don’t know about this CD, but in 1992 she guested on The KLF’s “Justified And Ancient.” She still had a country twang, but it was a rappish song, kinda funky, and I always pull it out at parties.
Actually, that was Tammy Wynette (of “Stand By Your Man” fame).
Jack White and Loretta Lynn together is inspired and freaking brilliant. Parts of Van Lear Rose remind of the work Lucinda Williams has been producing, like her Can’t Let Go on the *Car Wheels on a Gravel Road * album.
I hope the mods don’t fix the title. I keep hearing the mice singing Cinderelly, Cinderelly from the old Disney movie, and it makes me smile.
I don’t think Loretta would mind. 
I’d like to thank the starter of the thread for bringing this cd to my attention. I went out and bought it based upon the praise it recieved on here. It’s greatness.
I don’t know that I’d call it rock, exactly. More like rock-country fusion. This is not to be confused with rockabilly, mind you. It’s…well, it’s Loretta Lynn meets Jack White, and it’s absolutely wonderful. People who hate country music with a burning passion like this album. People who love contemporary country but hate classic country like this album. People who love classic country but despise contemporary country like this album. It’s just that good.
Nothing much to add except an agreement with those professing it’s excellence.
Now if we can just get Jon Spencer to produce a new Wanda Jackson album.
Or maybe Joey Burns producing a new Bobby Gentry album.
Add my voice to the choir already singing its praises. Van Lear Rose is probably my favourite CD of 2004 (with Wilco’s A Ghost is Born a close runner-up).
I remember reading a rumour that Jack and Loretta were planning a follow-up CD. Anybody know if there’s any substance to this? If it’s even half as good as the first, it will be well worthwhile.
Previous thread on Van Lear Rose:
Van Lear Rose received five Grammy nominations today, including Country album of the year (should have been up for record of the year too, but that’s too much to expect from the trendy Grammy folks).
If it doesn’t win country album of the year, there is no God.
I still want it to win Country Album of the Year.