Karla Bonoff - Karla Bonoff

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Free Music Notes for Karla Bonoff

Free Music Review: Debut by Karla Bonoff does wonders
Hit: 5 Stars

What I also did learn was that Linda Ronstadt covered three songs from here on her Hasten Down The Wind album, the first of which is "Someone To Lay Down Beside Me," which features Karla on piano and Waddy Wachtel on guitar. It's a portrait of loneliness set in "a world that can be sort of heartless."

There's a light skipping beat in "I Can't Hold On" that reflects the Eagles and James Taylor-kind of sound prevalent at the time. Waddy's guitars enhances this song.

The sad piano-only ballad "Lose Again" is the second song covered by Ronstadt. Bonoff's voice is at its haunting best here, as she describes her ball-and-chain relationship. She likens it to missing the train and staying behind. The best song by far here, made all the more poignant with "But you're keepin' me goin'/I know it's insane/Because I love you and lose again."

Ronstadt does make an appearance here, as a backup singer on "Home", whose acoustic and steel guitars give this a country feel. Producer Kenny Edwards does the mandolin here as well. She describes home as a liberating influence: "My life there has it's own wings/To fly over the mountains/Though I'm standing still." "Faces In The Wind" is lullaby-type country ballad.

The electric piano and bass really forms the framework for the upbeat "Isn't It Always Love," which I can picture Carly Simon covering. In the course of a reflective walk, Karla sagely says of the two faces of love: "Isn't it always love that makes you hang your head/Isn't it always love that makes you cry/And isn't it always love that takes the tears away/And I wouldn't have it any other way."

The third song Ronstadt covered from here is the gentle acoustic ballad "If He's Ever Near", which gets backing vocal support from Glenn Frey and J.D. Souther. Yes, it is hard to find that someone who's the right one, isn't it?

"Flying High" is a mid-paced country-ish song that again tells of the ups and downs of love, told to her by a gypsy fortune teller. The story has a happy ending, so that's good.

Missing someone was never made so painful than in the acoustic ballad "Falling Star," where she realizes "that love can leave a scar." She does have a good high note when she sings how she's going down like the title object. It's so bad, that "when the birds fly south for a while/Oh, I wish that I could go/Someone there might warm this cold heart." One of the best songs here.

The final ballad displays an analogy between a rose and love. Like the "Rose In The Garden", "It will bloom if you're sure/That you pay close attention/but leave it room."
Linda Ronstadt helps out with backing vocals here, as does Waddy Wachtel with his guitar.

A wonderful debut, highlighted by Karla's melodic vocals. And a big-up to Alexandra for telling me about her.

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