Loretta Lynn
Full Circle

I finally confront Loretta Lynn, and it's never easy to talk about artists like her without falling into clichés, without engaging in unnecessary pedantry. Fortunately, she herself comes to my aid, saving me a good deal of needless verbiage: anyone who has not yet had the pleasure of knowing her need only listen to this, and will already know all (or almost) there is to know about her: who she is, where she comes from, what her ideas and vision might be; All concentrated in one of the most iconic, beautiful, sincere, and touching songs of its genre. Strong character, frankness, a certain rural roughness that has never gone away, preventing her from becoming a glamorous character, although I don't think she ever cared about that.

Loretta Lynn may seem (and partly is) a somewhat old-fashioned character; her picturesque outfits, tragically out of fashion, with which she still appears on stage today, are there to prove it, but, as I see it, she also seems to be an intelligent, independent woman, endowed with common sense and even a certain “authority.” What I mean is that we are used to seeing pop stars, rock stars, superstars, and similar people pontificate on political and current issues from the heights of their golden towers; Loretta is one of the very few who can do so with a reasoned understanding, due to her origins and her personal history, if nothing else.

Anyway, today Loretta is 84 years old, and this is her latest album, released in March of this year. It's incredible how her voice sounds so clear and expressive, and it's also incredible how this album sounds clean, simple, and absolutely timeless. "Full Circle" puts together some of her old songs mixed with interpretations of great classics; all so old-style, so perfect. The most brilliant example, in my opinion, is "Secret Love", a flagship song of Doris Day: listening to the original today, in 2016 almost 2017, it's really difficult (even for me, imagine that) to establish an emotional connection, but Loretta's version completely changes the perspective: Loretta takes ownership of it, makes it resonate, with her voice and the right arrangement, "Secret Love" rejuvenates, is reborn to a new life, becoming a gem of rare beauty.

But it's not the only example, this daughter of the Appalachians is also an author who definitely knows her stuff, capable of writing classics like "Whispering Sea" and "Fist City", two very different songs, but both short, immediate, perfect examples of a classic, popular, and above all genuine country. And songs like these, Loretta delivers one after the other, without ever lowering the level, without ever "succumbing" to some overrated modernity that doesn’t belong to her; a heartbreaking ballad like "Always On My Mind", the bluegrass (with a perfectly perceivable British-folk root) of "Black Jack David", the spiritual of "Water Into Wine", "In The Pines", belonging to the ancient and rich tradition of Appalachian ballads.

In any case, they are always timeless melodies interpreted with sublime class. And here we return once again to the discourse of authority: Loretta Lynn has that type of authority that inspires respect, that inspires admiration, and if one manages to understand her and enter her world without preconceptions, it’s impossible not to love her. I think I would really like to spend an afternoon with Loretta Lynn, at her estate in the Kentucky countryside, in the company of an apple pie and whatever is customary to sip in her parts while conversing among gentlemen. I would have many curiosities, many questions, maybe I would even ask her for an autograph. Anyway, a five is the least I could give, to the album and the career.