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Thursday, April 29, 2004

All Music Guide: Van Lear Rose

All Music Guide: Van Lear Rose

This is the latest CD by country legend Loretta Lynn and I've heard nothing but fantastic things about it. It's produced by White Stripes guitarist/singer Jack White and when I heard about the pairing of aging country legend with upstart young rocker I just had to laugh. So I queued it up on Rhapsody and wow, it's good stuff! Not exactly the stuff you tap your toes to, but I just might have to go out and buy the CD. It reminds me a lot of Dolly Parton's return to her roots with her bluegrass albums although it has a much different sound than that--it's earthier and grittier, more like Bonnie Raitt-ish type. And there's no beating Dolly's glorious soprano either so there's that.

It's been a good week for CD releases. Diana Krall's The Girl In The Other Room has been getting decent reviews and it is excellent. It sure beats The Look Of Love and it's so good to hear her playing piano again--thank goodness the orchestra is gone. It's invigorating to not hear her singing old standards this time around (at least not as many standards as are usually on her albums.) I also picked up a copy of Mary Chapin Carpenter's Between Here & Gone which is not Come On Come On or State Of The Heart, but is definitely her strongest recording in years.

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