Loretta Lynn – The Best Of Loretta Lynn – 20th Century Masters – The Christmas Collection

Loretta Lynn, the Queen of Country Music of the 1960’s.  That should tell you everything you need to know about Loretta Lynn, if you’re not already familiar with her.  Loretta Lynn was born in Butcher Hollow in eastern Kentucky in 1932.  She grew up poor in a region of Kentucky where everyone’s livelihood rested on the coal mining industry.  She married at 15 and had 4 children by the time she was 20.  Loretta didn’t learn to play guitar until she was 21.  She signed her first record contract in 1960, and by the end of the year she was considered the 4^th Most Promising Country Female Artist according to Billboard.

Loretta Lynn was the biggest draw in Country music throughout the 1960’s.  Her career was still going very strong in the 70’s as well, appearing on Hee Haw and many other variety shows of the time.  She was reintroduced to a new audience in the 1980’s with the blockbuster movie release ‘Coal Miner’s Daughter’, which tells the story of her life.  She was always a huge draw even when new artists such as Dolly Parton (1970’s), Reba McEntire (1980’s) and Faith Hill (1990’s) came along.

The best thing about this CD of Christmas songs by Loretta Lynn, is, although it is titled differently than her original Christmas album from 1966, it is that same album in its entirety, and all songs are presented in the original order.

The cover of the CD reissue uses the same photo from the original LP but does not include the graphics that surround the original photo.  The artwork on the back of the CD features a numerical track listing, different than what appeared on the back of the 1966 release.

The CD cover opens to a two-page fold-out that features the original liner notes from the back of the LP on the left side but in a different font and layout, but all the same wording is there.  The right side features a numerical track listing with the writers listed under each song.  On the far right are original album credits and reissue credits.  On the back of the fold-out is a close-up picture of pinecones on an evergreen wreath with red ribbons.

The CD contains all 12 songs from the original LP and in the same order.  There are 6 songs most listeners will be familiar with, with a mix of 1 traditional carol and more modern secular Christmas songs.  The other 6 songs, I believe, are original to this album, 4 of which Loretta wrote herself.  (Country Christmas, It Won’t Seem Like Christmas (Without You), To Heck With Ole Santa Claus and I Won’t Decorate Your Christmas Tree).  All songs feature The Jordanaires as background singers.

All songs feature a terrific Classic Country flavor.  In 1966, there was no mistaking Country music.  Pedal steel and electric guitars, Loretta’s thick Country accent and The Jordanaires present a Classic Country Christmas from 1966!

I personally like the original songs written by Loretta Lynn the best and think they are the standout songs presented here.  Familiar Christmas songs are great, but I think the unique, original songs you find in some collections are more interesting.

In fact, the CD starts out with a Loretta Lynn original, the title from the original album, Country Christmas.  Just hearing this song as the first song on this CD tells you what you are in store for.  Wonderful steel guitar and Loretta’s twang set you up for what is yet to come.

Loretta does a fine job with the more common Christmas songs most people will be familiar with.  And of those, I think Away In A Manger is the best of this group.  Most earlier Country artists grew up in church singing hymns and so already have a strong familiarity with traditional hymns and the way to sing them.  You can hear her conviction in her delivery of this somber Christmas hymn.

Some of the standout secular Christmas songs on here are Silver Bells, Blue Christmas and Frosty The Snow Man.

Country music in the 1960’s was far different than it is in the 21st century.  If you prefer your Country music from 50 years ago to what is presented as Country today, then you will find this CD reissue a treat.  If you like Christmas songs with a strong Classic Country feel to them, then this CD is a must have for your collection.  And as I stated earlier, this is the same album as released in 1966.  No more, and definitely, no less.  (Loretta Lynn did another Christmas CD in 2006.  Look for a review of that later in this blog’s future).

I give this CD :

****