Garage-rock hero Jack White producing honky-tonk legend Loretta Lynn? Yes, we all know the world is rapidly shrinking, but now we've seen everything. Most stunning of all -- they nailed it. A decade ago, Johnny Cash turned to rock and rap producer Rick Rubin, and the move resuscitated Cash's career. Now, Jack White has done the same for Loretta Lynn. "Van Lear Rose" exceeds all expectations, a bold collaboration in which artists from two different musical universes forge a memorable work that neither could have created alone. From the Rhapsody mini-review: As the producer, Jack White makes Lynn's album sound like countrified White Stripes with better drumming, but that's just fine. This is the first time Lynn has recorded all her own songs on one record, and her music proves to be more haunting than any Nashville producer could have imagined. Oh, and the kids will dig it. |