GOLD

Personnel: Loretta Lynn (vocals); Conway Twitty, Dolly Parton, Ernest Tubb, Tammy Wynette (vocals). Liner Note Author: Rich Kienzle. Recording information: 02/1960-??/1995. Photographers: Les Leverett; David Redfern. The two-disc Lorretta Lynn set GOLD rivals 2005's THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION as the best one-stop introduction to Lynn's groundbreaking work. The truth is, it's very hard to go wrong with these classic recordings. After Patsy Cline, Lynn did more than anyone else to establish the notion of a strong female presence in country music, but that wouldn't mean nearly as much if she hadn't recorded some of the best songs in the country canon. If only for the inclusion of "You Ain't Woman Enough (To Take My Man)," "Fist City," and the controversial "The Pill," GOLD is a sure bet for the uninitiated, but nearly every track here is a winner, including many of Lynn's lesser-known tracks from the 1970s. So GOLD is both a great listen, and a historical document, a fact suggested by Lynn's 1993 collaborative take on "Silver Threads and Golden Needles" with Dolly Parton and Tammy Wynette, two other key figures in the early wave of women's country.

• Genre: Pop
• Format: CD
• Released: 3/7/2006