Album Review – Loretta Lynn’s “Still Woman Enough”

Let’s just level with ourselves. Loretta Lynn is such a legend, and her presence looms so large, we’re all relegated to just fawning rubes in her mere company, and it matters not what she does for us to be rendered enamored. She could walk into the studio, flip open the Yellow Pages (do they still make those?), and start an album off with a spirited belting of “AAA Automotive Repair, 1-800…” and we’d all probably shower it with plaudits. At 88-years-old (89 next month), she’s earned that latitude.
The fact that Loretta Lynn is still with us is grace enough, especially after the merciless culling of souls we experienced over the last year from the ranks of country music royalty. But without any hyperbole or bias, after listening to her latest album Still Woman Enough, even at her advanced age, Loretta Lynn still sounds excellent, seeming to be unscathed by a long and hard life, her protracted marriage to the dithering and dearly-departed Doolittle, and a stroke she suffered in 2017, however mild.
Still Woman Enough is less a deep contribution of new and original songs to her catalog, and more a living career retrospective of her esteemed legacy. You have new versions of old Loretta Lynn classics such as “You Ain’t Woman Enough,” “One on the Way,” and her first ever single, “Honky Tonk Girl.” You have renditions of standards from the American songbook such as “Keep on the Sunny Side,” “Old Kentucky Home,” and “I Saw The Light.”

But of the old material done new, the spoken recitation of “Coal Miner’s Daughter” might be the most resonant and memorable. With minimal accompaniment, the words seem to take on a completely different meaning—less celebratory or braggadocios, and more declarative. It brings out the pain behind the poetry of this iconic Loretta Lynn composition, and puts into perspective just what a treasure her life’s story is.
It’s not just Loretta Lynn’s singing (and speaking) that impresses. One of the selling points of the record is the collaborations it includes. Representing three generations of generational voices in country music, Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood combine with Loretta to perform the opening title track “Still Woman Enough,” which lets you know no matter how much time has passed, Loretta still has plenty of pluck, panache, and love to give.
Margo Price, who’s always paired well with Loretta, turns in a rousing performance of “One’s on the Way” for the new record, as does Tanya Tucker for the final track, a reprise of “You Ain’t Woman Enough.” But the piece of music from Still Woman Enough that might impress the most is the performance Loretta Lynn turns in for the challenging Gospel song “Where No One Stands Alone.” Done definitively by Elvis, it’s just as much an Olympic challenge as it is a song, and Loretta sticks the landing.
With the job Loretta does singing on the new record, you do wonder why her reluctance to record more new and original material, penned by herself or others. The song market out there for traditional country artists is still strong, and Loretta is said to continue to dabble in writing, with a catalog of songs still in her back pocket. Perhaps that’s on the way, but it would have been nice to hear Loretta sing some more stuff we haven’t heard her sing before, if she’s up for it of course.
But Still Woman Enough is still effective at swelling love in your heart, and nostalgia in your soul for this Queen of Country Music that future generations will marvel that we got to share our time on Earth with.
1 1/2 Guns Up (7.5/10)
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March 23, 2021 @ 8:52 am
I was waiting on this review. Great analysis. For me, it’s just a joy to hear Loretta sing at all, even if she favors re-doing older tunes. The recitation of Coal Miner’s Daughter is worth the price of admission alone. It’s genuine, and beautiful, while being a great reminder lyrics have the power to be emotive and thought-provoking. Plus, the rest of the album feels very organic as well.
March 23, 2021 @ 9:30 am
Loretta’s bass player is from around where I grew up in Ohio. He had a guitar shop and I still have a guitar I bought from him in 1983. She came and played our local fair one time probably just for him. They don’t make them like her no more.
March 23, 2021 @ 10:18 am
Recently a 20-something-year-old gal approached the stage at a guitar pull I attended, and wanted to know if someone could accompany her on a song that she wanted to sing. When asked what song she wanted to sing, thinking it might be one of those AWFUL “songs” that are played on most stations these days, she unhesitatingly said, “You Ain’t Woman Enough to Take My Man.”
She had no trouble having four guitarists accompany her.
March 23, 2021 @ 10:22 am
The recitation of Coal Miner’s Daughter is in my mind the most unique, well done remake of an original song by the original artist. The original is a brilliant upbeat tune and the recitation (especially with her video) is an elderly woman reflecting on her life. It is brilliant and it’s impossible to overstate that.
March 23, 2021 @ 11:52 am
Agreed. It’s incredible.
March 23, 2021 @ 10:36 am
Am I wrong to believe these were recorded pre-stroke?
March 23, 2021 @ 10:42 am
I honestly don’t know, and I have tried to get that question answered while asking respectfully. What I will say is I believe it’s likely a combination of some stuff recorded pre-stroke since Loretta has been participating in regular sessions at the Cash Cabin for years now, and probably some stuff recorded afterwards. But this is just a presumption.
March 23, 2021 @ 6:22 pm
Reba & Carrie recorded their parts last fall. John Carter Cash posted a picture of them in the studio on his Instagram. ????
March 24, 2021 @ 4:44 am
Bless lorrettie. COAL MINERS DAUGHTER is an aborbing, funny, beautiful film of such strength and character. Such a wonderful story. I hope she loves to 150.
March 24, 2021 @ 2:12 am
I read a couple years ago that Loretta had recorded a lot of music in these Cash Cabin sessions that has not been released yet, so I think a lot of this material and that on her last album came from those sessions. On certain tracks you can really tell a difference in her voice from others, not so much on this one but definitely on her last one. One of the most prominent effects of her stroke was how it affected her ability to sense rhythm and beat, and that was the main reason she could not sing live much, even after recovering.
March 30, 2021 @ 4:46 pm
Yes, I’m with you, Loretta has mentioned recording “hundreds” of songs with Cash or Patsy so I suspect all of these tracks are from these are some of those sessions. She hasn’t done much public singing in the last several years but she well deserves a break if she wishes with her unrivaled career at the top of country music, even Willie hasn’t been on the main scene as long as her, let her sit back and enjoy the affection and love from the public and she still can be a spitfire in interviews when she wants to be LOL. I agree with the comments that it would be nice to see her singing more new songs, especially those unrecorded ones that are in that song book of her lyrics from a few years ago but then Dolly has been recycling a lot of her older compositions for years on her albums so it’s ok if that’s what Loretta chooses to do as well. I do hope we will eventually hear her unedited, extremely long original lyrics to COAL MINER’S DAUGHTER from her some day.
March 23, 2021 @ 10:58 am
Amazing, just amazing. She can still sing the pants off most singers.
March 23, 2021 @ 11:00 am
I’ll listen, but it’s enough to watch old footage of this healthy beautiful Kentucky girl come into the city and conquer every heart by virtue of her just being herself, singing with full-throated ease, and smiling all the way.
It’s glorious to see that happen at any time, but to watch it happen in an America that had an elite east coast sneer is even better. Loretta did our country proud — with emphasis on country.
March 23, 2021 @ 11:46 am
Any word on Van Lear Rose?
March 23, 2021 @ 12:37 pm
I’ve poked around a bit about this, and nobody’s saying anything, which makes me think there’s some of legal fight with perhaps a gag order in place. If I run down any info, I’ll be sharing it.
March 23, 2021 @ 12:15 pm
DEFINITION- Country Music: * see Loretta Lynn.
Way to go Loretta! Well earned victory lap. Love it. Hats off to John Carter Cash as well.
March 23, 2021 @ 8:29 pm
“Where No One Standds Alone” was awesome.
March 24, 2021 @ 1:59 am
I realize that this material was recorded several years ago, and you can tell a difference between her voice on these recordings and on her previous album, which contained a few more recent recordings. But just getting a new album from this legend of a lady is pure joy and it has been in my music rotation since it came out last week. I have read that there is plenty more new recordings from her in the vault, so there will be lots more to come, perhaps even after she is gone, which I hope is a long time from now.
March 24, 2021 @ 10:05 am
The contrast of Loretta’s amazing, versatile voice and Margo’s voice couldn’t be more stark on their duet. Ultimately that’s why Margo ain’t going anywhere, at least in my opinion. Margo’s band and songs are perfectly good, but her voice, ouch.
March 24, 2021 @ 12:45 pm
you just do not beat the legends. keep on singing Loretta!