Linda Ronstadt - The '80s Collection (2014) [Official Digital Download 24bit/192kHz]

With roots in the Los Angeles country and folk-rock scenes, Linda Ronstadt became one of the most popular interpretive singers of the '70s, earning a string of platinum-selling albums and Top 40 singles. Throughout the '70s, her laid-back pop never lost sight of her folky roots, yet as she moved into the '80s, she began to change her sound with the times, adding new wave influences. After a brief flirtation with pre-rock pop, Ronstadt settled into a pattern of adult contemporary pop and Latin albums, sustaining her popularity in both fields. This collection features seven of Linda Ronstadt's albums from the 1980s.

Released in 1980, Mad Love featured Linda Ronstadt taking on new wave with mixed results. At this point, her albums with producer Peter Asher became routine and repetitive. This album's predecessor, Living in the U.S.A., hit the cutout bins, so a change was in order. While many may miss the customary Ronstadt here, most of Mad Love does indeed work. The insinuating "I Can't Let Go" and the playful "How Do I Make You" do help Ronstadt attain a certain cuteness and freshness. The biggest hit, the cover of Little Anthony & the Imperials' "Hurts So Bad," has a great vocal and is made even better by Danny Kortchmar's emotive guitar solos. While the originals and style of guitarist Mark Goldenberg did predominate, Mad Love is mostly known for its three Elvis Costello covers. Although the often pitch-perfect Ronstadt is more than antithetical to Costello's angst, she more than connects with "Party Girl." Costello's "Talking in the Dark" closes the album on an oddly sweet note. The strange thing about Mad Love is that it did include a lot of players from Ronstadt's previous albums. Kortchmar, Russ Kunkel, Andrew Gold, and Nicolette Larson's great backing vocals all appear here. For the most part, Mad Love stood the test of time and is certainly different from the Ronstadt albums that preceded and followed it.

Tracklist:

01 - Mad Love
02 - Party Girl
03 - How Do I Make You
04 - I Can't Let Go
05 - Hurt So Bad
06 - Look Out For My Love
07 - Cost Of Love
08 - Justine
09 - Girls Talk
10 - Talking In The Dark

Get Closer was another successful album for Ronstadt, even though it didn't perform up to her platinum standards. Part of the reason for the relative lack of success was the lackluster material, which again signals that Ronstadt had lost touch with the mainstream pop scene.

Tracklist:

01 - Get Closer
02 - The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
03 - I Knew You When
04 - Easy For You To Say
05 - People Gonna Talk
06 - Talk To Me Of Mendocino
07 - I Think It's Gonna Work Out Fine (with James Taylor)
08 - Mr Radio
09 - Lies
10 - Tell Him
11 - Sometimes You Just Can't Win
12 - My Blue Tears

Instead of trying to compete with a newer, fashion-conscious pop marketplace, Linda Ronstadt removed herself from the rat race, recording an album of traditional pop standards with Nelson Riddle. Ronstadt's voice isn't always showcased to a fine effect on these songs, but the record is an interesting change of pace. And it would have been more interesting if she hadn't repeated its formula on her next two records.

Tracklist:

01 - What's New?
02 - I've Got A Crush On You
03 - Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry
04 - Crazy He Calls Me
05 - Someone To Watch Over Me
06 - I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You
07 - What'll I Do?
08 - Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be?)
09 - Good - Bye

What's New illustrated that Linda Ronstadt was no longer interested in contemporary pop, and since it was a surprise success, there was no reason not to repeat the formula on Lush Life. Working again with Nelson Riddle, Ronstadt runs through several pop standards – "When I Fall in Love," "Sophisticated Lady," "Falling in Love Again," "It Never Entered My Mind" – which are given lush, even syrupy, arrangements. Ronstadt's voice isn't entirely suited to this material, but she sings it professionally, and Lush Life is just as effective as What's New, which means it's fine, but not as good as the real thing.

Tracklist:

01 - When I Fall In Love
02 - Skylark
03 - It Never Entered My Mind
04 - Mean To Me
05 - When Your Lover Has Gone
06 - I'm A Fool To Want You
07 - You Took Advantage Of Me
08 - Sophisticated Lady
09 - Can't We Be Friends
10 - My Old Flame
11 - Falling In Love Again
12 - Lush Life

For Sentimental Reasons was the last traditional pop album Linda Ronstadt recorded with Nelson Riddle, and it's virtually indistinguishable from its two predecessors – it has the same sweeping arrangements, and her voice remains adequate, not spectacular. That said, For Sentimental Reasons is notable since it contains a high percentage of familiar – some might say overly familiar – standards like "When You Wish Upon a Star," "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered," "My Funny Valentine," "Am I Blue," and "'Round Midnight," which might make the album more appealing to casual fans who want to hear Ronstadt sing songs they know if they're going to hear her in this setting.

Tracklist:

01 - When You Wish Upon A Star
02 - Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered
03 - You Go To My Head
04 - But Not For Me
05 - My Funny Valentine
06 - I Get Along Without You Very Well
07 - Am I Blue
08 - (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
09 - Straighten Up And Fly Right
10 - Little Girl Blue
11 - 'Round Midnight

Linda Ronstadt abandoned the pop audience in 1983, turning toward traditional pop music. She recorded three albums with Nelson Riddle before changing direction yet again, this time recording a set of traditional Mexican songs titled Canciones de Mi Padre. As the title suggests, the record is a fairly sentimental collection, since these are songs from her childhood and her heritage. Occasionally, Ronstadt oversells the songs but overall, the album is charming, affectionate, entertaining, and more successful than her stilted Nelson Riddle collaborations.

Tracklist:

01 - Por Un Amor (For A Love)
02 - Los Laureles (The Laurels)
03 - Hay Unos Ojos (There Are Some Eyes)
04 - La Cigarra (The Cicada)
05 - Tu Solo Tu (You Only You)
06 - Y Andale (Get On With It)
07 - Rogaciano El Huapanguero (Rogiciano)
08 - La Charreada (The Charreada)
09 - Dos Arbolitos (Two Little Trees)
10 - Corrido De Canenea (Ballad of Cananea)
11 - La Barca De Guaymas (The Boat From Guaymas)
12 - La Calandria (The Lark)
13 - El Sol Que Tu Eres (The Sun That You Are)

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.

Tracklist:

01 - Still Within The Sound Of My Voice
02 - Cry Like A Rainstorm
03 - All My Life (with Aaron Neville)
04 - I Need You
05 - Don't Know Much (with Aaron Neville)
06 - Adios
07 - Trouble Again
08 - I Keep It Hid
09 - So Right, So Wrong
10 - Shattered
11 - When Something Is Wrong With My Baby
12 - Goodbye My Friend


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