With the recent release of her first live album, Live In Hollywood, taken from her 1980 HBO Concert Special, I thought this might be a good time for a thread to pay tribute to the career of arguably the most versatile female singer we've ever been privileged to hear. Linda had a voice that fit like a glove with Rock and Country. There are singers who will sing both styles but fall short of sounding authentic with one of them. I'm convinced there were all sorts of female country artists from the 80s and 90s that tried to emulate Linda's vocal style. To have such a powerful Rock voice and beautiful Country voice is very rare. Then for her to tackle standards with such elegance and class is amazing. I can't comment on her Latin recordings as I don't speak Spanish or know enough about the culture, but I've only read good things. Her current condition, though sad, hasn't ruined her humor and grace. She was always so articulate and insightful and I think her personality was mostly underappreciated due to her youth being at a time were interviews didn't reach the numbers they did in the years that followed.
I love that MoFi and Analogue Productions are re-issuing her stuff. But, it seems odd to me when I always find NM copies of those record for $3-$5 in the used bins. I think when she quit touring, it created a void the interest of her music. The unfortunate timing coincided with the sudden revival of vinyl. I've been on a bit of kick of her's lately. I bought the box set that collected her Nelson Riddle albums years ago when they released it. It's just another example of her versatility. For years, I had was that and beat up copy of Heart Like a Wheel. Picked up the MoFi issue to replace it. Sounds great, even without the Original Master Recording labeling. I also picked up the AP re-issues of Simple Dreams and What's New. Both AP re-issues are stellar. For fun, I just picked up the 2 trio albums. The live album is on pre-order.
She has been a favorite of mine since Different Drum. Just bought the autographed vinyl version of the Live in Hollywood 1980 LP.
I wouldn't take anything away from her abilities as a singer, which are significant, but it was an album cover that first caught my young-boy eye. Mercy...
Excited to hear the live record. Her records are part of my Dad's collection that I never touched... maybe it was the dated album covers (look she has on roller skates!).... but when I learned about her close relationship to Emmylou Harris I thought I should give her a listen... and really enjoyed some of her records - Heart Like a Wheel and Simple Dreams are the standouts for me.
That live album that had just been releaed from The April 1980 show in L.A. puts Linda in the same league as Bruce Springsteen, Tina Turner and Peter Gabriel in terms of sheer power . The energy and arrangements bring her to a wild blazing pitch that evening and the audience just went crazy. You can hear it all for yourself. I’m telling you that in terms of song selection, performance, arrangenents and energy, this is one of the best live concert albums I have ever heard ....I so wish I had’ve been there that night. Anyway, I adore Linda....been listening to her albums for 46 years now. In your noble fashion please send all your best hopes, vibes and energy to this lovely woman who is one of America’s most smart and brilliant stars.
Not best of quality as it’s a bootleg but some great snaps of Mick and Linda. Picked up a nice condition 45 picture sleeve of her take on the song for 50p in a charity shop.
I brought it up in a different thread that the first time I saw her perform was in 1973 when she opened for Neil Young. We had center seats three rows back from the stage. She was nervous at first, it was a large venue, but once she started singing she was in her element. She was stunningly beautiful, small in stature, but had a big voice.
I can’t believe there isn’t an appreciation thread already! I discovered Linda in 1978 when I bought the Simple Dreams album on a whim. She’d had very little success in the UK, but what records of hers I’d heard on the radio I liked. Suffice to say Simple Dreams became one of my favourite LPs of the decade and I quickly bought as much of her back catalogue I could find. My love of Linda continues to this day. I haven’t liked everything she’s done... Let’s not forget she’s tried a bit of everything. Still, I’ve bought every album since Simple Dreams. I think she actually peaked as a vocalist in the 80s and 90s. She just seemed to get better with age. It’s an odd thing, but for saying how popular she was in the 70s and 80s, she still seems to be underrated. That run of 70s and 80s albums (most of which she didn’t care for) was pretty great and I still play most of them regularly. I wish I could find a ‘new’ Linda Ronstadt now.
Linda Ronstadt makes rare public appearance to honor Dolly Parton at MusiCares Grammy gala 02 - 01 -19
Saw her open for Neil Young at the Inglewood Forum in 1973. Remember being mostly disappointed by Young but super impressed by her. Bought her album the next day and have been a longtime fan since.
Her looks certainly enhanced her record sales. Thankfully she had a voice that was even more beautiful than she was.
This might be her best vocal. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Her vibrato is a bit strong sometimes, but she controls it perfectly in this song. That key change is great too. And she actually enunciates clearly! Maybe we'll hear that again someday.
Took me a while to warm up to LR. When I was young I didn't cotton to female singers and Different Drum and You're No Good didn't really grab me, but when I heard When Will I Be Loved, that turned my head. Just a great arrangement and harmonies. After that it might have been the Warren Zevon cover Poor Poor Pitiful Me (I heard her's before Z's) that won me over. She started releasing albums at a quick clip and even though I considered it pop music re-treads, it worked perfect. Eventually I picked up a couple albums, fell in love with Emmy Lou and started giving Linda the attention she deserved. I probably don't need to own too much more of her work, but it sounds like her albums are very consistently good. She also started off the revitalization of doing standards by contemporary artists, much to her credit. It's been overdone since (Rod Stewart? yuck) but that's not her fault.
Get Closer ! I was fortunate to get this as a promo. Seems a little uneven with the selections, but it's still a very sweet record. I also have an old double retrospective of her early stuff, and it's great. A lot of folk and country-ish things on it, and some early rockers.
