The album starts with “Shakin' All Over,” a blistering track that opens with a headbanging trash of surf-punkabilly. Jackson dances through the song with a bad girl growl, until the chorus when she slows to an artfully auto-tuned vibrato. This is the first sign that The Party Ain't Over is Jackson's first post-punk record of country rock and roll. “Rip It Up” is another searing swing that lets you picture one of Wanda's famous dresses doing its famous shimmy. “Busted” has been covered a number of time, but never has it been more appropriate than in this time of recession. White adds to the humor by adding an instrumental track that sounds like a 1930's circus. “Drinking Rum and Coke” is a twisted take on 1950's girl groups. “Thunder On the Mountain” opens with a Jerry Lee-esque piano riff that turns into pounding guitar solos that chase Jackson's voice as she snarls her way through lines line “I know one thing, I don't give a dang about your dreams.” Jackson turns in a rendition of “You Know I'm No Good” that makes Amy Winehouse sound like a wide-eyed third grader. She also manages to wrap her twang around “Run out to me ya, chips and pita” until it actually rhymes with “Cause you're not bitter,” a feat unmatched by Winehouse. Jackson turns up the heat, making “Like a Baby” almost hot enough to melt a MP3 player. The tone grown ominous with “Nervous Breakdown,” a song that finds Jackson finally unleashing her growl—a growl that makes all other growls roll over in submission. After a long eight tracks of sin, its time for a little bit of salvation. Jackson offers this with a slice of 1960's Gospel soul with “Dust on the Bible.” The most traditionally country song on the album is “Teach Me Tonight,” a sardonically sweet take on innocence. The album closes with “Blue Yodel #6,” a track which shows the full depth of roots that Jackson pulled from Rodgers.
Jack White has become, in his own way, a one man vigilante for the older women of country music. In an era when women in entertainment have an increasingly younger use by date, White delves into some of the best in the history of country music and helps them do something new and innovative. Wanda Jackson was the perfect artist for him to produce. She is a woman who has long been overdue for a resurgence. In 2009 a conference on Punk Rock at Austin's South By Southwest festival resulted in the tribute album Hard Headed Woman. Duffy, Amy Winehouse and Adele prove that there is a generation of women out there who were influenced by Wanda Jackson, even if they do not know who she is. It was time for Wanda to come back. And, The Party Ain't Over is the perfect album for her come back.
You can support Wanda Jackson by purchasing this album at Amazon | iTunes.
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