Patty Loveless

Long Stretch Of Lonesome

A best-of-career-so-far LP

Review Score:

(10/10)
Perhaps the most amazing thing about Patty Loveless is that, together with producer/husband Emory Gordy Jr., she is able to record music that is "radio-friendly" without homogenizing away its emotion or artistry. Their latest collaboration is a textbook of beautifully picked songs, inventive arrangements, and, of course, Loveless' flawless vocal interpretations.

Gordy's production uses most of the same elements and instruments as the imitative hacks that populate Nashville, but his results are wholly his own. From rave ups like "High on Love" to comtemplative pieces like "I Don't Want to Feel Like That" and the title track, the musical surrounding is a fascinating and brilliant bed for Loveless' singing.

And what singing it is! I can't think of another current country hitmaker that has Loveless' abilities for interpretation. She inhabits the emotions and characters of a song along with the greatest singers the genre has ever offered. Her duet with George Jones, "You Don't Seem to Miss Me," is a textbook of country singing, with a blue anguish in her tone that transcends the lyrics themselves.

Given the trajectory Loveless & Gordy have ridden, it's possible they'll top this LP with future productions, but it will hardly dim the brilliant shine of this one.

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