Linda Ronstadt - The Very Best of Linda Ronstadt

YOURZ

Oh boy, does hearing some of the tracks on this take me back.  I wish I could say it's with fond memories but it plain isn't.  In fact, I have distinct memories of my brother and I groaning when, for what seemed like the millionth week in a row, Blue Bayou ended our Sunday night Countdown session as the number one song for the week.  Just hearing it now makes me twitch like an epileptic at a strobe convention - we wanted rock, damn it!

As Mine is such a big fan and I value my testicles highly (though for some reason, no insurance company will value them as highly as I do) I won't say another word in case it's disparaging.

VERDICT: TURN IT DOWN

MINE

Linda and I go way, way back.  Simple Dreams was one of the first albums I ever bought with my own money, because I loved Blue Bayou.  Not that I knew what a bayou was at age 15, but I played that album to death, for years.  It features two songs written by Warren Zevon (whom I hope we'll review one day) and harmonies from one Dolly Parton, of all people.

The year afterwards I sang one of her earlier songs - You're No Good, the first on this album - in the school play.  And in a strange coincidence, one of my friends recently posted a shot of herself in costume for that play on Facebook (hi, Kathy!)

I think the best thing about Linda, for me, is that she generally sings in a register I can reach.  I can sing, kind of, but my range is less than an octave, so folky-country music generally suits me the best.  This album's now destined for the kitchen, so I can sing along to my heart's content.  But I'll be skipping those mushy love-song duets she also did, because they set my teeth on edge.

VERDICT: TURN IT UP gonna take away that hurtin' inside

For more information: http://ronstadt-linda.com/