Her Story: Scenes from a Lifetime

Contrary to what the title of Her Story: Scenes from a Lifetime suggests, this double-disc set is not an anthology, yet it is an overview of Wynonna Judd's career, finding her live in concert sifting through her back pages. To be exact, it captures her live at the Grand Ole Opry House on February 1, 2005, singing hits that she had as a member of the Judds and hits she had as a solo artist, covering a few songs along the way. All the songs follow roughly in chronological order, so the 27-track album functions as something like a musical autobiography. It's a clever idea and one that's well executed: the mood of her performances are appropriately warm, laid-back, and reflective. She's not rewriting her history; she's indulging in nostalgia, which means this isn't quite an essential record, but anybody who has followed her throughout her career will find it hard not to join Wynonna on her stroll down memory lane, since this has such relaxed, friendly vibe.