Your favourite era of Linda's

[musicaamator]

So what's your favourite period of Linda? I think I have an idea, but you never know due to the diversity of her career.

Just curious.

[the Scribe]

That's too difficult for me musically speaking. As a personality, thinking-feeling human being, social justice minded conscious entity, etc. I would choose today's Linda any day. She gets better every day in every way. When she's close to perfect it will be time for her to leave.

[erik]

Call me coward, but I chose the mid-to-late 70s period, since it was in 1978 that I discovered her. It's not a slap against the other eras whatsoever, though. It's just for me that this particular one that I chose is where it started.

[Partridge]

I voted for the late '80s, '90s period, because Linda did two near-perfect albums during
that time, Cry Like a Rainstorm Howl Like the Wind and Feels Like Home.

Also, a less than perfect but still great album Winter Light, and what is in many ways
Linda's farewell to pop/rock, We Ran.

[profstadt]

Its much too difficult to name just one period. There is something to recommend each of the periods. As a default, I voted for the Mid-70's to Late 70's period.

[Richard W]

As much as I love all of the music, and as much as I love some of the albums not included in my chosen era (one of them being my favorite album), I had to vote for the mid-late '70s Linda. Those albums and the music contained in them, they are what bonded me to her, they were the songs I came of age to, they contain the music that I would miss the most if it all were to disappear.

[MJH]

As much as I love her 70s Asylum records I really think her 90s output is her best: from "Winter Light" thru "We Ran", she showed her true musical colors. WL is my favorite record in her catalog followed by "Feels Like Home". For the 70s output I've always had a soft spot for HDTW.

[JasonKlose]

Jan 28, 2013 15:57:30 GMT -5 erik said:

Call me coward, but I chose the mid-to-late 70s period, since it was in 1978 that I discovered her. It's not a slap against the other eras whatsoever, though. It's just for me that this particular one that I chose is where it started.

I chose the same period Erik, for the same reason you did. I also first discovered Linda in 1978-79, when I first heard her voice on the radio. And like you said, not a knock against other eras. But the mid-late '70s is when Linda first became a huge singing star and made her the Queen of Rock. And "Hasten Down the Wind" is still to me a near perfect album; and love the cover as well.

I was actually debating on whether or not to choose the mid-late '70s. My choices were between that, the late '80s - '90s, and retired Linda. I also love "Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind," "Winter Light," and "Feels Like Home." I think they are three of the most perfect albums she has ever done.

I was also thinking of choosing retired Linda, because in my opinion, she seems to be the happiest she has ever been in her life, and that makes me feel happy for her. Also, if I have the good fortune of meeting her someday, it will no doubt be my favorite period because I will have the great memory of meeting a very sweet and wonderful lady.

[Dianna]

I guess it would be the late 70's for me, as I too first became familar with Linda during this time. She was at her height, and became a icon during this time. I was lucky to see Linda in concert for the first time in 1980 (Mad Love) Music/pop culture had changed so much from 1978 to 79-80's and she always kept current reinventing herself..

[the Scribe]

I suppose I would pick two favorite eras. The first would be the Stone Poneys days when I almost had her to myself and the other would be her retirement era where she seems her happiest. Musically I am all over the board with Eponymous, Feels Like Home and Frenesi being at the top of my LP heap although all of her albums are excellent and such different entities in their own right.

[Richard W]

Feb 13, 2013 15:08:29 GMT -5 Dianna said:

I guess it would be the late 70's for me, as I too first became familar with Linda during this time. She was at her height, and became a icon during this time. I was lucky to see Linda in concert for the first time in 1980 (Mad Love) Music/pop culture had changed so much from 1978 to 79-80's and she always kept current reinventing herself..

That's right, Dianna. (I had her to myself -- well, I guess I was sharing her with ronstadtfana but didn't know it -- for a time, having been hooked by 1973's Don't Cry Now.) She created her own brand of album in her heyday (and was imitated for doing so), but after awhile her own brand became something of a pattern for her. Mad Love was truly a shell-breaker for her and allowed Linda creative courage to expand the use of her voice

And yet, she never forgot where she came from, continuing to sing and record her own brand of, for lack of a better term, Americana, through her late period recordings right up to her last album, Adieu False Heart.

[FEDUPSTADT]

I love Linda's voice and all of her incarnations. My favorite period however, is her earliest Stone Poney years and pre-mid-70s era. When she sings songs like Different Drum, Long, Long Time, Louise, Rock Me On The Water, Love Has No Pride, Hobo, Just A Little Bit Of Rain, Up To My Neck In High Muddy Water, Baby You've Been On My Mind and The Long Way Around she is singing with freedom and abandon. Later years seem to be conforming to a formula. The incredible beauty of her voice really shines during this early period.

[jhar26]

The mid-70's, partly for sentimental reasons. It was the time I first got into music and Linda was a big part of that. And she was so impossibly cute. That wasn't the reason why I started out liking her though. I remember hearing "you're no good" from this girl singer I didn't know on the radio. I loved it and the next day I went to the record shop asking for the album from this Ronstadt chick with "you're no good," but they didn't have a copy of "heart like a wheel." So I settled for "prisoner in disguise." Looking at the back of the cover I couldn't believe my eyes...."Wow, she can sing like that and she looks like the cutest girl in history as well???"

[hotwater]

Feb 15, 2013 0:57:16 GMT -5 @FEDUPSTADT said:

I love Linda's voice and all of her incarnations. My favorite period however, is her earliest Stone Poney years and pre-mid-70s era. When she sings songs like Different Drum, Long, Long Time, Louise, Rock Me On The Water, Love Has No Pride, Hobo, Just A Little Bit Of Rain, Up To My Neck In High Muddy Water, Baby You've Been On My Mind and The Long Way Around she is singing with freedom and abandon. Later years seem to be conforming to a formula. The incredible beauty of her voice really shines during this early period.[/quote
I agree though a lot of songs after this time period had the same qualitys

[Biff McFly]

This reminds me of the fall of '73 or spring of '74. My manager ran a dance club. He would pickup acts when they would be going through the area. One day we says, "Hey, McFly, Linda Ronstadt and her band will be performing here I need you to be here to be take care of them." I said, "Whose Linda Ronstadt?" A bass player friend showed me an album cover. I said, "She's pretty. Ok, I remember now, she did Desperado and Long, Long Time." Unfortunately they decided not to perform so they went straight on to California. My favorite era would be her singing from Get Closer, What's New (and the Riddle Era) through and including Canciones de mi Padre ('82 through '88). Though things I like are peppered through her career.

[PoP80]

Jul 9, 2021 5:05:57 GMT -5 Biff McFly said:

This reminds me of the fall of '73 or spring of '74. My manager ran a dance club. He would pickup acts when they would be going through the area. One day we says, "Hey, McFly, Linda Ronstadt and her band will be performing here I need you to be here to be take care of them." I said, "Whose Linda Ronstadt?" A bass player friend showed me an album cover. I said, "She's pretty. Ok, I remember now, she did Desperado and Long, Long Time." Unfortunately they decided not to perform so they went straight on to California. My favorite era would be her singing from Get Closer, What's New (and the Riddle Era) through and including Canciones de mi Padre ('82 through '88). Though things I like are peppered through her career.

That's a wonderful story, McFly! I'm sure she made an impression on you even with a couple of songs. I fell totally in love with Linda from "Heart Like a Wheel," so in that respect I'm partial to the music from that era. Since I met Linda in 1980 when she was in Pirates and went to the most concerts during that decade, the 1980s were very special to me. It's hard for me to choose between the two, but it's all good...

[Deleted]

That long-dead poll has too many eras!

Unlike most here, I started with Trio original & went along, on & off. I am very fond of Merry Christmas album.

Pre-Trio Linda came later when I got into sets & compilations.

I have listened most overall to Linda's 70s albums, but her different types of genre provide music for most moods.

Apart from Merry Christmas, Heart Like A Wheel and Hasten Down The Wind are to me Linda's most perfect albums.

[sliderocker]

My favorite Linda eras were the 1960s, when she first came to the attention of the public, and the 1970s when she came into her own as a superstar vocalist. Linda deserved the success she earned, as she had worked long and hard for it. However, I think with the success Linda became very divaish and sometimes pretentious with her artistic endeavours. I know not everyone was enthused with her recordings of old standards or the Spanish language recordings. She lost fans as much as she gained new fans. Her return, so to speak, of her rock and country songs in the 90s did less well than what she had done in the 70s and early 80s with the same kind of material. And she seemed to have less interest in the music, as did her record company. And with Linda more interested in pleasing herself than her fans, it probably wouldn't have hurt if Linda had been aware of what fans wanted.

As singer-songwriter-musician Barry Gibb once said, "Every artist does tend to please themselves and think what pleases them will please the fans. But, the artist needs to be aware of what the fans want and to try and make the fans happy, as they will be the ones buying the music." And unsaid was the fans are the ones who pay their hard earned money on you and they make you a success. I loved Linda too much and I can overlook whatever divaish behavior and pretenses she had. I loved her music, pure and simple, from her first recordings to her last. Linda is the soundtrack of my life.

[PoP80]

Jul 9, 2021 14:10:44 GMT -5 sliderocker said:

My favorite Linda eras were the 1960s, when she first came to the attention of the public, and the 1970s when she came into her own as a superstar vocalist. Linda deserved the success she earned, as she had worked long and hard for it. However, I think with the success Linda became very divaish and sometimes pretentious with her artistic endeavours. I know not everyone was enthused with her recordings of old standards or the Spanish language recordings. She lost fans as much as she gained new fans. Her return, so to speak, of her rock and country songs in the 90s did less well than what she had done in the 70s and early 80s with the same kind of material. And she seemed to have less interest in the music, as did her record company. And with Linda more interested in pleasing herself than her fans, it probably wouldn't have hurt if Linda had been aware of what fans wanted.

As singer-songwriter-musician Barry Gibb once said, "Every artist does tend to please themselves and think what pleases them will please the fans. But, the artist needs to be aware of what the fans want and to try and make the fans happy, as they will be the ones buying the music." And unsaid was the fans are the ones who pay their hard earned money on you and they make you a success. I loved and Linda too much and I can overlook whatever divaish behavior and pretenses she had. I loved her music, pure and simple, from her first recordings to her last. Linda is the soundtrack of my life.

Very much on pointe here, Slide. I'm not sure if I would characterize Linda's evolution as "divaish" though. I think it was more of her not being a good compromiser and just doing what she wanted to do. Many of these choices weren't popular with her management either, but she was in a position where she could call the shots. I appreciate that quote by Barry Gibb and the BeeGees had their fair share of fan backlash. It's hard to say to what extent other artists try to make music that will please their fans. It's inevitable that there will be some missteps along the way, but staying true to yourself still speaks volumes. 

[erik]

Quote by PoP80:

I'm not sure if I would characterize Linda's evolution as "divaish" though. I think it was more of her not being a good compromiser and just doing what she wanted to do. Many of these choices weren't popular with her management either, but she was in a position where she could call the shots.

In defense of what sliderocker said, I would have to say that I share at least some of his views about Linda taking a somewhat "divaish" posture in the 1990's that could sometimes come across as pretentious. She was indeed in the position of being able to call the shots; but what she then had to realize is that an audience didn't necessarily have to go along with it, and also that the music audience was a far different force in the 1990's and beyond from what it was before.

[musedeva]

For me,,,,,as a listener and singer.....I just think its "Down So Low" from Hasten


to me she really set a standard....and it seems like she was really the first "Gospel-Pop"ster,,,EVER,,,,then came along Whitney and the rest is still tryin' to catch up!!!

outside of that "moment


I adore Mad Love/Get Closer

[Biff McFly]

I consider Mad Love to be a little mini era and Get Closer to be a little mini era. I call Mad Love "the Female Convert Album". I don't know how many girls have told me that they didn't like Linda Ronstadt (music) until Mad Love came out.

[Deleted]

Jul 10, 2021 21:54:52 GMT -5 musedeva said:

For me,,,,,as a listener and singer.....I just think its "Down So Low" from Hasten


to me she really set a standard....and it seems like she was really the first "Gospel-Pop"ster,,,EVER,,,,then came along Whitney and the rest is still tryin' to catch up!!!

outside of that "moment


I adore Mad Love/Get Closer

I prefer Linda's "Down So Low" to Tracy Nelson's own version. The most 50/50 is "Just One Look", Linda's singing let down by poor mixing (a sadly not infrequent aspect of her earlier albums). 

"Simple Dreams" slightly, & "Living in the USA" has more, if not a foot, then a few toes towards ML & GC, though GC has at least the same amount out & back to Linda's comfort zone.

[sliderocker]

Jul 10, 2021 21:54:52 GMT -5 musedeva said:

For me,,,,,as a listener and singer.....I just think its "Down So Low" from Hasten


to me she really set a standard....and it seems like she was really the first "Gospel-Pop"ster,,,EVER,,,,then came along Whitney and the rest is still tryin' to catch up!!!

outside of that "moment


I adore Mad Love/Get Closer

When I got the CD version of Hasten Down the Wind, I usually programmed my CD player to play Down So Low after Rivers of Babylon and Give One Heart, all at the beginning. I played what I liked least first and what I liked most last. Hasten Down the Wind was so close to perfection as an album, there wasn't really a bad cut on the album, save for maybe Give One Heart. Later on, I did a reversal of least to favorite and made it favorite to least, so that Give One Heart came before Rivers of Babylon. I will say however, I did like hearing Linda's count-in on Give One Heart.

And regarding Down So Low, I was totally in awe of Linda's live concert performances of the song from 1976-77. Made me wish her studio version had been released as a B-side minus the backing vocals. Linda just stunned your auditory senses with her live performance, and anyone at one of her concerts had to be impressed beyond belief at what they had just heard. I never got a chance to see Linda in concert but the concerts from Atlanta and Germany from around that time made me wish I had.