Loretta Lynn: Wouldn't It Be Great (Sony Legacy)

About 14 years ago while traveling around the US for a few months we went to Loretta Lynn's estate at Hurricane Mills in Tennessee -- Loretta Lynn's Dude Ranch, the sign said. This was where she used to live in the antebellum mansion, had replicas of the crude home she grew up and her Daddy's coal mine, and a museum of dolls, gold discs and memorabilia.

Not long before she'd worked with Jack White on her album Van Lear Rose and I noted when I wrote about the strange adventure there that a couple of posters about the album were stacked in a corner.

They were just a footnote in her long career.

Well, she is 86 now, had a stroke last year and a fall in January . . . and has just released this album (her 41^ststudio album!) recorded with producers Patsy Lynn Russell (a daughter) and Johnny'n'June's son John Carter Cash.

She revisits half a dozen songs from her back-catalogue (including her classics Coal Miner's Daughter and Don't Come Home Drinkin' which seem a bit superflous, and God Makes No Mistakes from Van Lear Rose) alongside seven new originals or co-writes.

The title track appeared on her Just a Woman album with Dolly and Tammy.

The odd thing is that she certainly doesn't sound like a woman of her age and her songs still tell stories, have the occasional reference to the possibility of passing on (Ain't No Time to Go), heartbreak (Darkest Day), treacherous rivals (Ruby's Stool) and a religious sensibility (The Big Man). And they come with a vocal strength and emotional resilience (These Ole Blues, the sentimental My Angel Mother with just acoustic guitar backing).

These are songs and subjects which Lynn has always sung, and you can't help be somewhat amazed that not only is she still here and performing, but doing it so well.

She still has something to say, even if she's said it before.

A remarkable woman and a country legend. Still.