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Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
Van Lear Rose
Universal acclaim
Based on 27 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 92 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Interscope
Release Date: 27 April 2004
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Country
Summary
It's been over 40 years since she released her first album (and four since her last, 2000's 'Still Country'), but the coal miner's daughter returns to the spotlight with this 13-track effort (all Lynn-penned originals), produced by The White Stripes' Jack White.
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Blender
Some of the most gripping singing you're going to hear all year.... A brave, unrepeatable record that speaks to her whole life. [May 2004, p.123]
Mojo
Lynn's voice... is as strong as it was during her heyday, while her songwriting ability has only increased with age. [Jun 2004, p.98]
Under The Radar
It's just that damn good. [#7]
Entertainment Weekly
Crackling with a bristling immediacy, Van Lear Rose yanks Lynn into the present while never abandoning musical traditions that continue to define her, her voice, and her material. [30 Apr 2004, p.160]
E! Online
The duo's collaboration on Van Lear Rose is unexpectedly gripping, a raucous slice of vintage Nashville fuelled by Lynn's down-home wisdom, twangy gee-tars and White's inspired hand at production.
Read Full Review >Tiny Mix Tapes
The beauty of the album rests in Loretta Lynn's exceptional songwriting.
Read Full Review >New York Magazine
A darkly compelling masterpiece that taps into the pitch-black id of Johnny Cash’s best records.
Read Full Review >Spin
The toughest record ever made by a former mainstream country artist.... If all the songs don't rival her finest work, the arrangements pull them up. [May 2004, p.105]
Uncut
White's willfully basic approach is what gives Van Lear Rose its freshness.... If you thought Rick Rubin's Johnny Cash reinvention was impressive, wait 'til you grab a fistful of this. [Album of the Month, June 2004, p.84]
ShakingThrough.net
The most personally felt, universally inclusive record of her career.
Read Full Review >Pitchfork
Van Lear Rose is remarkably bold, celebratory and honest. It's a homecoming for a small-town musician gifted with poise, humor and compassion, but at its very heart, it's happy to be just a kick-ass country record.
Read Full Review >The Guardian
The result is genuine alt-country at a time when the term has come to signify little more than middling acoustic rock.
Read Full Review >All Music Guide
The brilliance of Van Lear Rose is not just how the two approaches complement each other, but how the record captures the essence of Loretta Lynn's music even as it has flourishes that are distinctly Jack.
Read Full Review >Delusions of Adequacy
A rich, rewarding showcase for a woman whose voice, spirit, and energy have not faded.
Read Full Review >PopMatters
The fact that a woman of Lynn's tenure can slide so easily into what is essentially an alt-country environment without losing any of her down-home authenticity simply underscores her versatility and timelessness.
Read Full Review >Stylus Magazine
Recast[s] her matchless mountain holler and ever-sturdy songwriting genius in the milieu of gut-bucket blues riffs and blistering rock guitar, making Lynn sound not so much reinvigorated as reimagined, given a raucously purposeful, wildly authoritative new playground for her still-terrific proto-feminist (even in 2004) tropes.
Read Full Review >Q Magazine
Nothing short of remarkable. [Jun 2004, p.102]
Drowned In Sound
Her voice sounds so goddamn fresh, spontaneous, uncompromised. There's an intensely visceral quality to these performances that is so utterly compelling.
Read Full Review >Amazon.com
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.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club)
Given a chance to be herself, Lynn responds with a powerful return to form. [28 Apr 2004]
Rolling Stone
Lynn and White weren't straining to make history, just a damn good Loretta Lynn album. But it sure sounds classic anyway.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle
Kudos to White's preservation of Lynn's loving, narrative songwriting even when paired with his own grittier sensibilities. In doing so, the two unlikely bedfellows have cut a classic.
Read Full Review >cokemachineglow
White’s arrangements and production are simple and effective, clear without gloss.
Read Full Review >Dot Music
It’s not as remarkable a transformation as the one Rick Rubin performed on Johnny Cash, but this is a fine collection and as pleasurable a listen as it undoubtedly was to record.
Read Full Review >Village Voice
Less rehearsal, less production, and fewer layers of sound let Loretta's Lorettaness shine through.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 9.0 (out of 10) based on 92 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Ixat A. gave it a10:
Loretta Lynn's Van Lear Rose surpasses all of my favorite artists' album(and that includes bjork and white's band)... miss being mrs and portland oregon are just exceptional.
Samantha B gave it a10:
great CD!!! I love it! I am 21 and this CD is awesome for any age.
RICK C gave it a10:
LORETTA LYNN RULES! She proved once again why she is THE "Queen of Country Music" The Grammy voters must agree as she won Country Album of the Year and Best Vocal Collobration with Vocals with Jack White. Long live the "Queen of COUNTRY"!
Chatto gave it a10:
An amazing album. Normally I can't stand country music, but this is just so impressive.
TheReverend gave it a10:
Comeback albums are not supposed to be this good.
Heather . gave it a10:
Loretta is simply the best and so is this CD.
BjF BjF gave it a6:
Average.
