Loretta Lynn - All Time Greatest Hits
During a time when radio is glutted with manufactured country stars who  never met a coal miner, wouldn't know a cow patty if they stepped in one, and  rely more on Pro Tools than professionalism, a spin through Loretta Lynn's  greatest hits is a refresher course on the bedrock of the genre. Lynn, now  hitting on 70 and still playing rural venues in between her network TV  appearances, may be the voice of female country, with her distinctive  hill-country accent, her boldness in tackling social issues, and her ability to  convey strong emotion in a storytelling style. This collection includes 16 No. 1  country hits while mixing in a few you might not immediately recognize, and lets  her be feisty in confronting the other woman ("You Ain't Woman Enough"),  tremulous in allowing a man to take her places she knows she shouldn't go ("Lead  Me On," one of five duets withConway Twitty), and  skillet-wielding mad when reading her husband the riot act ("Don't Come Home  a-Drinkin'"). In short, her sound is real, not gussied up or affected by  high-paid consultants, and when you listen to her sing, you feel as if you've  shared a conversation with her. Now that's something you won't hear on the radio  these days.--Alanna Nash