A Good Sampler of a Great Talent

I was such a little completist in high school and college that I would never have considered buying ANYBODY'S "best of" or "greatest hits" package. It only became an issue when some marketing genius--sometime in the 70s--came up with th idea of bonus tracks. When it was released on vinyl,--LINDA RONDSTADT'S GREATEST HITS didn't have any such extras. It was plainly a package for the casual fan, and so I avoided it. After all, it wasn't as though her actual albums were full of throwaways. Linda, especially after she hit her stride in the early 70s, could usually be counted on to come up with a rewarding package of varied styles (something old, something new, something country and something blues) to make all releases worth the purchase price.



At least throughout the 70s. By the late 70s and early 80s, the critics--and even some fans--ere starting to grumble that things were getting too formulaic, and Linda herself was starting to get a little restless stylistically (and started dipping her toe a into New Wave, and then taking on the Great American Songbook, mariachi and light opera). But there was a special feel to the 70s era, and that period is well documented on this particular collection (along with a few choice tracks from her earliest 60s era recordings as well).



The 70s material--especially the albums produced by Peter Asher--were marked not only by intelligent song selections and quality vocals, but also by quality production. Those early Asylum albums (and of course, HEART LIKE A WHEEL, her contract-closing release for Capitol) had a kind of aural sheen to them that seemed to mark a new era in r'n'r production values. Late 60s hippie slapdash was suddenly replaced by slick, but still warm production values. Some saw it as a SF vs. LA thing. I just thought of it as recording technology marching on.



And of course, Linda was growing as a singer and interpreter. Her work with the Stone Poneys and her early Capitol solo albums showed a singer with real potential, but also one who had yet to completely grow into her voice. By the DON'T CRY NOW and HEART LIKE A WHEEL era, she was singing with newfound confidence and conviction. Compare the charming, but slight "Different Drum" to almost any other track on this collection and you'll see how much she grew as a vocalist within the span of four or five years.



I suppose that if I had to pick the definitive Ronstadt track of the era, it would have to be this collection's opener (as it was on HEART LIKE A WHEEL as well) "You're No Good." It is almost a perfect rock recording. Tasty guitar, great vocal with excellent backup (by Clydie King and Shirley Matthews), and those elegant strings at the end. If anything just screamed hit, it was that song.



Whether it was necessary to follow that particular single, which was a remake of an old Doris Troy r'n'b classic--with a string of other remakes of classics, was doubtful The Buddy Holly and Everly Brothers remakes always struck me as somewhat less successful. Unlike "You're No Good," they didn't seem to recast the song in any new or meaningful way. And her albums were full of excellent tracks, so just why the suits at the record company (or companies) felt that every single needed to be a remake of a golden oldie was unclear to me.



Songs like "Deperado" and "Love Is Rose" by (then) contemporary composers proved that Linda could do more than just remake the hits of the previous two decades. Her albums offered even more testimony to her versatility, of course. And for more serious fans or even the curious, those might be preferable to any "greatest hits" collection. So why am I the original completist recommending this.



It's this simple. When the CD revolution came about, I was one of those holdouts who refused to give up my vinyl. When I finally did accept the inevitability of CDs, I resolved not to play into the industry's hands by replacing every single vinyl album with its CD equivalent. Linda Ronstadt ranks pretty darn high in my pantheon, but I still chose to go with the "best of" collection rather than replace six or seven entire albums. I still have a turntable and will drag out the vinyl versions from time to time. But this is a good enough package to meet my present needs. If you're like me, this or any of the other available "best of's" may suffice. If you are either an old diehard fan or a brand new convert, you may want to consider the complete works, however. I doubt you'll feel cheated.

Sound spoils the Show

What should have been a wonderful overview of Linda Ronstadt's early career is ruined by poor quality mastering, which makes her gorgeous voice sound like she's singing through a brick wall. Looks like I'll have to fork out again for the Rhino records 2002 best of version which reportedly sounds much better. The same goes for Volume 2.

Woefully Incomplete

Linda Ronstadt is one of those singers who can manage to put a country flavor to just about anything she sings. However, she has sung songs in a wide variety of styles, so it is difficult to rate her as a singer of a particular type of music. Her ability to put a country twang into a song does make me wonder how she would handle a song like Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven."



Linda has a great talent and has had hits well beyond those on this collection. While this collection was fine in the days of vinyl, with the advent of CDs there is little need for this CD. There are bigger and better collections of music. The music included here is good, but the CD should be re-titled "Early Greatest Hits" or "Here's Our Way of Milking Fans for More Money Because You Still Need a More Comprehensive Collection."



Moving past my gripes about the CD, there is some really fun music on this CD. "Silver Threads" was a minor hit for the Springfields in the early 60s, after being sung by Wanda Jackson in the 50s. Linda's version is more rockabilly than the Springfield's version; a good cover of this song. "Desperado" is a cover of the Eagles song. Her clear voice brings a stronger country flavor to this song, but I prefer the Eagles version, which I believe has stronger feeling and power. Linda shows her flexibility in "You're No Good" as she manages a bit of soul.



Linda Ronstadt manages to sound as though she came right out of the hills on "Love Is a Rose." This heavily bluegrass flavored song still retains a rock influence, particularly with the percussion and a bass guitar. In the following song, "That'll Be the Day" she again manages yet another country-flavored song with a rock beat. Her voice is well matched to the requirements of this song and is an indication of how well she could have been a country music star had she remained in one genre.



"Long, Long Time" is one of those incredible songs that any singer with a good voice should have in their repertoire. Linda has both the range and ability to sing this song with the kind of emotion required to pull a listener into the words and music. This sumptuous ballad is one of the few songs on this CD that require substantial vocal talent to execute and Linda does it very well indeed.



"Different Drum" is yet another musical style, this time 60s pop. While the song has a standard pop beat and catchy lyrics, Linda's voice managed to flavor the song with a character that changes this song into a classic. One anachronistic touch is the use of a harpsichord. Many 60s songs used a variety of unusual instruments to achieve a different sound. This song was penned by Michael Nesmith of The Monkees. I like this song, but the fade at the end and my recollection makes me think that the end of the song may have been clipped. If the song was not clipped the fade was handled poorly.



Switching back to a country flavor is "When Will I Be Loved," a short, AM-friendly song. While the song is relatively simple Linda Ronstadt manages to take charge of the song with outstanding vocals. Another country styled song, "Love Has No Pride." While the style is familiar, the clear, powerful vocal is the focus of this soulful ballad. With the exception of the song discussed just below, the last two songs are also country style songs, a genre that Linda Ronstadt seems to favor.



This collection changes pace as she belts out a rocking versus of "Heat Wave." No fuzz on this song, this song is solid pop-rock.



To be a fan of Linda Ronstadt is to be a fan of power vocals. Her style is eclectic; her skill sublime.



This collection has some good music. However, as noted at the start of this review, this collection is woefully inadequate. Linda's career has spanned Spanish language recordings, numerous later hits including the phenomenal "Somewhere Out There" with James Ingram, and albums of classic standards with Nelson Riddle. Against the breadth of her ability is this relatively paltry album. If you are looking for just her earliest hits, you may stop here. But if you are out to appreciate Linda Ronstadt's career, pass this one by in favor of the bigger collection, or a future box set with much more scope.