(Well, that first year was sort of blurry for me. My kid brother and I have had this pervasive and often subconscious back-and-forth influence on each other ever since he arrived on the scene. Linda did a lot of backup singing on projects of friends, including Warren Zevon, Neil Young, JD Souther, Nicolette Larson, Andrew Gold, and others, and it’s because her voice, while strong and distinctive, could meld so well with the voices of others.In a music-rich culture, how do you decide what (and whom) to listen to in the first place? And what keeps you listening to it, over time? The Louvin Brothers’ wistful song about going to the dance with someone you know won’t be going home with you gets a beautiful, direct reading by Jackson and Ronstadt. Jackson also produced the Grammy Award-winning tribute album which featured duets by many country and popular artists. New Partner Waltz This is a duet Linda performed with bluegrass musician and songwriter Carl Jackson on the Louvin Brothers tribute Livin’, Lovin’, Losin’. It doesn’t hurt that they are backed by musicians like Neil Young, Andy Fairweather Low, and the McGarrigle Sisters. Ronstadt’s opening lines–“The wind is a warning/these fields turn to sand” sets the tone for this collection of American music shared by two women who are superlative musical interpreters and trailblazers. Loving the Highway Man From the 1999 album of duets with Emmylou Harris Western Wall: The Tucson Sessions, which I can’t recommend highly enough. This spare, quirky song was written and originally recorded by Andy Prieboy, who was Wall of Voodoo’s post-Stan Ridgeway lead singer from 1983-88. She had recorded a decent version of the song on her 1978 album Livin’ In the USA, but the band and production didn’t rock as hard as this live version, which shows that Linda wasn’t merely a powerhouse in the studio, but truly had the goods live. Linda performed “All That You Dream,” a performance included on the Little Feat two-record release Hoy! Hoy! that included a lot of unfinished material, B-sides and other odds and ends from the band’s final years. The event sold out LA’s Forum and featured Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, JD Souther, Emmylou Harris, Nicolette Larson and many others from the Los Angeles rock community. When Lowell passed away in 1979 at the age of 34, his friends and fellow musicians organized a tribute concert to him. A Linda Ronstadt concert appearance was also featured in the film FM where she performed “Poor Poor Pitiful Me” and the Rolling Stones’ “Tumbling Dice.”Īll That You Dream Linda recorded a few Lowell George songs over her career and often as not George himself sat in on her recording sessions of his songs. Linda was at the height of her rock arena career at this time–she guested as a backup vocalist on Warren Zevon’s Excitable Boy album at the same time she enjoyed a huge hit with his “Poor Poor Pitiful Me” (also from Simple Dreams). The album Simple Dreams displaced Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors after it had spent 29 weeks at the top of the album charts. Incidentally, the concert was recorded for television and the music was never released separately until 2009.Ĭarmelita Ronstadt recorded several Warren Zevon songs over her career: “Hasten Down the Wind,” “Poor Poor Pitiful Me,” “Mohammed’s Radio,” and this lilting ballad about a heroin-addicted lover. Linda responds, growling and soaring through one of her best-known songs. Ronstadt is backed here by Cash’s own Tennessee Three band and they provide some roadhouse grit that is missing from the cool sheen of her studio version. The performances were recorded as part of a television special, and other performers include Roy Clark and Foster Brooks. You’re No Good–This hard-rocking 1974 live performance comes from the Johnny Cash recording A Concert Behind Prison Walls. Note: Spotify playlist contains the studio version, YouTube playlist has live 1977 performance. It’s a great song choice for Ronstadt, sounding like a traditional folk song–already the standard that it was to become. JD Souther, a songwriter who debuted in ’72 and recorded this song himself in 1976, plays acoustic guitar and lends harmony vocals. In 10 Tracks: Linda Ronstadt Spotify playlistįaithless Love This track comes from Heart Like a Wheel, Linda’s final Capitol recording, just as her brand of country-pop and Southern California rock was catching on.
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