Published on Aug 18, 2008
Way back in the ‘60s and ‘70s, one woman ruled the country music charts above all others: that woman is Loretta Lynn. After sixteen number-one hits in a little over ten years by the end of the ‘70s,
Jack White was a man with a plan, and what a plan it was. His muddy alt-rock grooves blend superbly with
“
Following this is “Trouble On The Line,” a ditty about falling out of love due to lack of communication.
“Family Tree” deals with her man’s mistress “burning down the family tree” and all the things that come with it: kids, bills, money or lack there of, and, of course resentment (“Their Daddy was a good man / ‘Til he ran into trash like you”). And what’s a classic country album without a fiddle? Making its first appearance here for great effect, Dirk Powell’s playing is sublime.
“Have Mercy” continues the theme of our heroine trying to win her man’s heart back from the “trash” that stole it. White’s flair for a damn good riff is present here, fueling the fire of
The mood is lifted with “High On The Mountain Top,” which is essentially a chorus chanted by Lynn and the band telling us that love and fresh mountain air are the only ingredients needed for ultimate happiness. “Little Red Shoes” has
“God Makes No Mistakes” is a reaffirmation of her faith and her reasoning behind life’s unfairness and hard truths: that’s just life, she says, and apparently none of it is God’s fault apparently. This is followed by “Women’s Prison,” a lament of life on death row for shooting her cheating man (“For love I’ve killed my darlin’ / And for love I’ll lose my life”). In spite of its content, this is the most radio friendly moment here. “This Old House” sounds like our songbird is starting over, leaving the chaos of what was her life behind — that is, of course, after she’s fixed up a few loose ends.
“Miss Being Mrs” tells of the loneliness still felt after having lost her Mister. More desperate singing you’ll never hear; it’s truly heartbreaking stuff. The album closes on a light note with “Story Of My Life,” a country rocker with a happy ending for once.
Who would have thought the pairing of Lynn and White would reap such rich rewards? Two Grammy awards and bucket loads of raving reviews helped cement this as
“