Linda Ronstadt - The Best of Linda Ronstadt: The Capitol Years
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Music CD Cover
Artist: Linda RonstadtEdition: Music CD
Format: Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2006-01-24
Music Label: Capitol
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
- Baby You've Been On My Mind
- Silver Threads & Golden Needles
- Bet No One Ever Hurt This Bad
- A Number And A Name
- The Only Mama That'll Walk The Line
- The Long Way Around
- Break My Mind
- I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
- It's About Time
- We Need A Whole Lot More Of Jesus (And A Lot Less Rock & Roll)
- The Dolphins
- It Won't Be Easy (outtake from session; previously unreleased)
- Lovesick Blues
- Are My Thoughts With You?
- Will You Love Me Tomorrow
- Nobody's
- Louise
- Long Long Time
- Mental Revenge
- I'm Leavin' It All Up To You
- He Darked The Sun
- Life Is Like A Mountain Railway
- He Darked The Sun (Nashville Version-outtake from session;previously unreleased)
- Rock Me On The Water
- Crazy Arms
- I Won't Be Hangin' Round
- I Still Miss Someone
- In My Reply
- I Fall To Pieces
- Ramblin' Round
- Birds
- I Ain't Always Been Faithful
- Rescue Me
- Can It Be True (b-side to "I Fall To Pieces" single-previously unreleased on CD)
- Long Long Time (Live @ The Troubadour 1971)
- Kate (Live @ The Troubadour 1971)
- You're No Good
- It Doesn't Matter Anymore
- Faithless Love
- The Dark End Of The Street
- Heart Is Like A Wheel
- When Will I Be Loved
- Willin'
- I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)
- Keep Me From Blowing Away
- You Can Close Your Eyes
Free Music Notes for The Best of Linda Ronstadt: The Capitol Years
Free Music Review: Wonderful early recordings!
Hit: 4 Stars
Without going on and on with my thoughts......let me just say, if you like LR at all, you will likely love this cd. I, like many other teen-aged boys in the 1970's liked LR as she was a "cool" young woman and a first-rate singer to boot! Today, let me say, I strongly dislike and disagree with some of her silly comments on politics, Christians, etc. But that makes her like many artists in the music, film, television and other media, who feel compelled to offer up their unsolicited pearls of wisdom. Suffice to say, I don't get my political advice from musicians, actors and the like.
Onto the music.....this cd is wonderful. Even as a fan of hers in the 1970's, I didn't care for her early Capitol recordings; I was a kid and musically naive and like most, preferred hit songs. However, looking back at her first recordings (including with the Stone Poneys, not included in this set), she made some real gems. I am one who feels she lost a little something as her star status became solidified; I think Peter Asher is much to blame for that; his production did become too safe, too routine as well as too low in volume!! I'll focus on her first two albums with this review.
Her first two solo albums, "Hand Sown, Home Grown" and "Silk Purse" feature some terrific songs, enthusiastic playing and singing, no question about it. It may be that an artist simply can't duplicate a sound, a feel, an emotion in their voice that they had when they were young. The young Linda here is irresistible on such tracks as the pure, innocent "Baby You've Been On My Mind", the rockin' "The Only Mama That'll Walk The Line", the heartfelt "Number and a Name", the sultry "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight".
"HS, HG" was produced by Chip Douglas, from The Turtles, who interestingly, also produced the two Monkees albums where the "pre-Fab Four" wrote and played on most of their recordings and are surely the two more interesting Monkee's albums to listen to - "Headquarters" and "PAC & J Ltd." Douglas contributes the composition "It's About Time" on this set and it's a nice tune indeed.
LR's second solo album, "Silk Purse" in one I always considered a failure but oh, how wrong I was as a youngster! This album is now one of my favorite of hers, all-time and I like "HS, HG" a lot too! "Lovesick Blues" is a wonderful, rockin' version of the old Hank Williams song. It's a real vocal exercise for Linda and she pulls it off in spades. The next tune, "Are My Thoughts With You" is a very nice, atmospheric heartbreak song, very effective. "Nobody's" is another sad one but coming after an interesting version of "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" which is given more of a rock n roll treatment, with "jingly-jangle" guitars, it comes off nicely. "Louise" is a very sad story of a young woman's death. The sound of this track is different and makes me think it was not recorded or mastered correctly as with the other tracks. Her classic "Long Long Time" is next and nothing more needs to be said. Just listen to it; it's impressive. "Mental Revenge" is a fun, up-tempo number with a nice raw feel. It leads nicely into "I'm Leaving It All Up To You", which to me, sounds very good. "He Darked The Sun" is written by Bernie Leadon, who was a member of LR's band back then, who went on with Henley, Fry, Meisner, etc. to form the Eagles. A very melancholy song which nonetheless, is very effective. "Life is Like A Montain Railway" ends the album as a traditional bluegrass style song, with gospel references aplenty.
LR's third album. self titled has an overall sadder feel, but there are some very fine performances on it as well, including some live recordings when the members of the Eagles were accompanying her.
"Heart Like A Wheel" is the final album included here and it doesn't need me to add anything to it. A very good album, period. But alas, in the polish, some of the raw emtion from her earlier recordings are lost in my humble opinion.
But alas, as I've hinted to before, I think LR lost a little something as she became a bigger and bigger star. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy "Simple Dreams", "Living in The USA" (too many remakes of famous songs though), "Mad Love", "Get Closer", "We Ran", etc. but her very early recordings were (and are) special. I have zero interest in her Big Band, Spanish language, smaltzy adult contempo type recordings, none at all. Her best albums from the 1990's are in my opinion, "Feels Like Home" and "We Ran" - both are quite good.
BTW - you can find a very young LR performing some of these early recordings on YouTube. Enjoy!
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