Linda Ronstadt Albums (24)
What The Critics Say
Few artists in popular music have roamed as restlessly as Linda Ronstadt. Since the mid-'80s, when she broke away from her sure-fire SoCal pop/rock formula long enough to team with the legendary arranger Nelson Riddle for a trio of pop standards albums, Ronstadt has continued to diversify: a couple of Spanish-language albums here, a kids' set there, a Christmas album, an outing with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris. Adieu False Heart is yet another detour down a side road for Ronstadt: a full-fledged collaboration with Ann Savoy, a mainstay of the Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band, one of the most respected bands within that genre. Ronstadt and Savoy first worked together on the 2002 compilation album Evangeline Made: A Tribute to Cajun Music, and Adieu False Heart is, in its own way, a tribute as well. Although its soul resides squarely in Cajun country, it's not as purist a Cajun recording as those Savoy makes with Savoy-Doucet, a band that also includes her husband, accordionist Marc Savoy, and the ace fiddler Michael Doucet. Yet it's as different from Ronstadt's radio hits as the Riddle and mariachi recordings were, and rendered as honestly and confidently: Ronstadt clearly enjoys visiting Savoy's musical territory and honoring this particular pocket of Americana. The pair, switching off on lead vocals and/or harmonizing tightly, take two from the British songsmith Richard Thompson, "Burns' Supper" and "King of Bohemia," alongside largely languid material from Bill Monroe, Julie Miller, and others. But the big ear-opener of the album is the duo's cover of "Walk Away Renee," the Left Banke's 1966 Top Five hit, here recast as an acoustic weeper. That Ronstadt would give the song such a heartfelt reading does not surprise -- it's a natural for her songbook. That she and Savoy so effortlessly transform it into a Cajun-style ballad does. With top pickers like mandolinist Sam Bush and bassist Byron House onboard, and the two versatile vocalists clearly enjoying their moment together, Adieu False Heart captures the Cajun flavor naturally, without pretending to be something it's not. ~ Jeff Tamarkin, All Music Guide
'Cry Like a Rainstorm - Howl Like the Wind'
Release Date 1/1/2006
Tracks 12
Label Rhino/Elektra
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
On the strength of the hit duet with Aaron Neville, "Don't Know Much," Cry Like a Rainstorm -- Howl Like the Wind returned Linda Ronstadt to the top of the charts. The album was a collection of well-constructed adult contemporary pop, which suits her voice better than the traditional pop she recorded during the mid-'80s. Musically, Cry Like a Rainstorm isn't as adventurous as Canciones de Mi Padre, nor is it as consistent as Trio, the album she recorded with Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton, but it is her most satisfying mainstream pop album she has made since the late '70s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Beginning with her 1983 album What's New, Linda Ronstadt broke away from the pop/rock world and collaborated with Nelson Riddle on a trilogy of traditional pop standards that were confidently performed and well-received. Riddle's satiny arrangements swirled around Ronstadt's rich voice as she played the kind of demure chanteuse who might have been headlining at a fashionable nightclub back in the day. The albums were lush and beautifully crafted but by the third album the formula had become tired and the novelty had worn thin. Twenty years later another fading rocker, Rod Stewart, recorded his own highly successful standards trilogy and perhaps it was his success that spurred Ronstadt to revisit the traditional pop catalog once again. Hummin' to Myself is basically a throwback to her albums that were throwbacks when first recorded. This time around Ronstadt and arranger Alan Broadbent dispense with the full orchestra in favor of a smaller big band-style combo and this setting actually works in her favor. As a rock vocalist, Ronstadt could growl with the best and there was a certain spark in songs like "Get Closer" that let a listener know that this pretty woman had a slightly naughty side. That spark was appropriately missing from the Riddle albums and with Hummin' she has a chance to incorporate a little of her rock bawdiness into her selection of standards. She does this to perfection on "Never Will I Marry," as Frank Loesser's jazzy tune showcases a performance that is sassy and one of Ronstadt's best covers. To a lesser extent, the title track and "Get Out of Town" have some zest to them, but even with the lighter arrangements, her reliance on ballads like "Cry Me a River" and "I'll Be Seeing You" take up the majority of space and bog down the disc. Even her down-tempo version of "Miss Otis Regrets" completely stifles the song's comedic, yet tragic, story line. Ronstadt was on to something when she dispensed with Riddle's orchestrations in favor of Broadbent's big-band arrangements, but the spunk shown in a few tunes isn't enough to fully carry the disc. However, with its different approach Hummin' to Myself is quite possibly Linda Ronstadt's most successful standards outing. ~ Aaron Latham, All Music Guide
'A Merry Little Christmas'
Release Date 10/10/2000
Tracks 14
Label Elektra/Asylum
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
A surprising holiday album from Linda Ronstadt, who has chosen to include just a handful of standards and only one song in Spanish. The remainder of the tracks are traditional old English and Welsh Christmas songs, sung in Ronstadt's familiar warm voice. Highlights include a brassy duet with Rosemary Clooney on "White Christmas" and the contemporary "River," which sounds almost like the singer has been listening to a lot of Sarah McLachlan. On the whole, A Merry Little Christmas is a warm window into what Linda Ronstadt considers to be her favorite songs of the season. ~ Zac Johnson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
For much of the '90s, it seemed as if Linda Ronstadt was avoiding pop music. She recorded only two pop albums, 1994's Winter Light and 1995's Feels Like Home, which seemed like diversions from the Latin and children's records that were occupying her time. In 1998, she returned with We Ran, a full-fledged pop comeback produced by Glyn Johns (George Massenberg, Peter Asher, and Waddy Wachtel also produced a handful of songs) and featuring support from such '70s soft rock stalwarts as Waddy Wachtel and Bernie Leadon, as well as Heartbreakers Mike Campbell, Howie Epstein, and Benmont Tench. The pedigree is in place, leaving it up to Ronstadt and her songs to deliver the goods, which, more often than not, she does. Her voice remains strong and surprisingly robust, and her choice of songs, while not surprising, is quite satisfying. There are a couple of cuts that are a little bland and others, such as Dylan's "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues," aren't suited for her polished delivery, but most of the album is quite enjoyable. It's nice to hear Ronstadt tackle classics like "Ruler of My Heart," but the moments of We Ran that truly capture the spirit of Heart Like a Wheel are when she tries contemporary songs like John Hiatt's "Icy Blue Heart"and Bruce Springsteen's "If I Should Fall Behind." Granted, Hiatt and Springsteen are predictable choices -- she could have been more adventurous and sought out songs by such '90s songwriters as Ron Sexsmith or Aimee Mann -- but they are just contemporary enough to help make We Ran a successful update of her classic '70s sound. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Dedicated to the One I Love'
Release Date 1/1/1996
Tracks 11
Label Elektra
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
Throughout her career, Linda Ronstadt has always interpreted rock and pop classics, but Dedicated to the One I Love is different from the rest of her albums -- this time around, she reinterprets the oldies as children's lullabies. All of the songs are given lush, sweet, and soft arrangements, even when that approach is ludicrous; it might be a cute idea to deliver Queen's "We Will Rock You" as a rock-a-bye chant, but in practice it is simply ridiculous. Fortunately, most of the album relies on songs -- "Be My Baby," "In My Room" -- that can be sung as lullabies, and she sings them very well. Of course, the appeal of Dedicated to the One I Love is limited -- only baby boomer parents will really find this interesting -- but fans that find the concept intriguing won't be disappointed by the results. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Linda Ronstadt's 1995 album, Feels Like Home, was a return to her country-rock roots, resulting in an album much more "down-home" and less glossy than her previous pop albums, Winter Light and Cry Like the Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind. Less glossy production isn't necessarily a bad thing, except that the final result is an album that is top-quality but a little bland. Ronstadt's voice is nothing short of stellar, and the songs are fine, but there is a certain immediacy that is lacking in this album, especially toward the end, when it just seems to drift. Then again, with a "down-home" album, that may have been the point. Regardless, this album boasts her usual array of stellar covers, including her fine, mandolin-accompanied take on Tom Petty's "The Waiting," in which Ronstadt's enunciations are highly reminiscent of Petty's. Her rendition of Matraca Berg's "Walk On," complete with Alison Krauss on fiddle, is nothing short of an out-and-out hoedown, and her version of Neil Young's "After the Gold Rush" is quite enjoyable. Five of these songs -- "High Sierra," "The Blue Train" (the album's first single, which is pure AC), "Feels Like Home," "After the Gold Rush," and "Lover's Return," most of which feature Emmylou Harris -- all resurfaced on the Trio II album. Just like any other Ronstadt set, this is top-quality material, but one can't help but pine for the punch and perfect production of her previous pop packages. ~ Jose F. Promis, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Winter Light could arguably be classified as Linda Ronstadt's best pop album of the 1990s. She followed up 1989's hugely successful Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind with two Spanish language albums (Mas Canciones and Frenesi), then returned with the beautiful light-pop collection that is Winter Light. This set finds Ronstadt interpreting such classics as the Bacharach/David compositions "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and "I Just Don't Know What to Do With Myself" with enough torchy bravado to make them her own. Her cover of the Beach Boys' "Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)" is an ethereal, gorgeous, and breathy interpretation, and other covers, such as "Oh No, Not My Baby" and "It's Too Soon to Know" shine just as brightly. In fact, there is not a single dud on this impeccably produced album, which, in fact, gets better and better with each listening. Also included is the gutsy, dramatic Spanish language mini-epic "Adonde Voy" and, as the icing on the cake, her own co-written contribution, "Winter Light," a shimmering and heartbreaking lullaby that would fit perfectly in a holiday music collection. This sadly overlooked album is nothing short of a shining gem, and an absolute must for fans of this amazing singer. ~ Jose F. Promis, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Mas Canciones is a thoroughly enjoyable collection of Spanish and Mexican songs that is arguably stronger than its predecessor, since Ronstadt sounds more comfortable with the material than ever before. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
