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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2022 13:32:03 GMT -5
 "Prisoner in Disguise" has always been an in-between album for me, between my equally hallowed "Heart Like A Wheel" and "Hasten Down The Wind". Time for its own spotlight. PID is a great album. Linda still has that young voice, in 1975, that had lasted her from The Stone Poneys onward. Listening to PID, its more on the same, but also more refined, than "Don't Cry Now", her first album for Asylum. Indeed there are similarities, which is a good thing. PID may lack some of the sublimeness of HLAW overall, but Linda sings prettier and more feelingly in some songs, yet others reflect and project the same tortured spirit that makes my heart ache in sympathy with the feelings being sung.... |
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2022 14:02:58 GMT -5
... "Love is a Rose" is a cheerful, jangly, foot-stompy song, and very Neil Young (who wrote it), or John Denver 1970s with a hillbilly barn dance vibe.
"Hey Mister..." by James Taylor is a song well-suited for Linda, who sings it in a semi-melancholic style, but not too depressingly, sort of "this is my lot" feel. I wonder if Linda is relating to her earliest career experiences in the song. Matching with DCN's "I Can Almost See It", both songs have a similar panache.
"Roll um Easy" written by Lowell George, like "Willin" (on HLAW), is really a macho-man song. That Linda sings both so well, shows her understanding of how to convey the rough & ready feel both songs portray.
"Tracks of My Tears", Smokey Robinson's hit, on PID album, is the version I like both. I think that's because Linda's younger 1975 voice is closer, being higher, to how Smokey sounded back when TOMT first hit the air. As both singers aged and sang more, their voices mellowed and smoothed.
"Prisoner in Disguise" written by JD Souther, who duets singing with Linda, is one of the albums finest songs. Equal at least to "Faithless Love" on HLAW, the poignancy of both their singing, the lyrics and tender despair is an oral and instrumental work of art.
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2022 14:20:55 GMT -5
Side 2, 2nd half, starts with "Heatwave". I never cared for the Motown original, but prefer Linda's cover to "You're No Good". There is a more uplifting, sunnier feel to how Linda sings "Heatwave", and her ending high note little Mabel-like hum is delightful.
"Many Rivers to Cross" reminds me of "Colorado" on DCN, with its travel-weary homesick sentiment. Linda's singing brings out the full feelings, that making me think of her tour-weariness and loneliness.
"The Sweetest Gift" was Linda's 2nd duet with Emmylou Harris. I had not listened to this track for awhile, as Linda, Emmylou & Dolly Parton are so great singing it together on Dolly's TV show. TSG album track on PID, is not quite as good, sorry. After "I Can't Help It.." on HLAW, TSG also was a little disappointing. All that being said, Linda & Emmylou's duet is very listenable to.
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2022 15:33:23 GMT -5
"You Tell That I'm Falling Down", a McGarrigle song. It must have been Linda's personal anthem for awhile! Linda sings this so sincerely, so seriously, I hope anyone feeling guilty on hearing it, was nice to her afterwards!
Aah "I Will Always Love You". Linda's cover is my favourite. Only Dolly's original version stands up to Linda. Not Dolly's movie version, not Whitney's any version, or anyone else's. Linda sings this song very naturally, not theatrically, again there could be a personal statement to someone on the heels of "You Tell Me.."
Then "Silver Blue", another JD Souther penned song. This is the last of what I see & hear as a musical trilogy, with the 2 above, telling the sad story of a woman's deteriorating relationship with her man. SB's lyrics are startling, implying violence, desperation but also acceptance. Songs from "Don't Cry Now" can be woven in, or form a separate story ("Desperado", "The Fast One", "Everyone Loves A Winner", "I Believe In You").
Listening to PID, is an emotional experience. Not as soulful as "Hasten Down The Wind", but PID has moved up in my estimation, and admiration of Linda's tenderly increasing and expanding singing, at just 29 years of age.
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2022 20:15:23 GMT -5
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Post by erik on May 28, 2022 22:27:45 GMT -5
My take on four songs on Prisoner In Disguise"
'Love Is A Rose": This is pretty much as close as Linda got to actual bluegrass, and also with something of a Western film vibe as well ("I wanna go to an old hoedown/Long ago in a Western town"). It's fairly amazing to me, given her background growing up in the West, that she never did all that many Western-themed songs, though she did a fair amount ("Colorado"; "Old Paint"; "Willing"; "Desperado")
"The Tracks Of My Tears": This is where I think too many critics got on her case because she was covering a song that was already considered kind of sacred, being from the Motown staple, and that she was too "White" for this song. I've always kind of found that to be a form of reverse racial bigotry. Hers is obviously more in the L.A. country-rock vein than Smokey's 1965 version, but valid in its own way, with Linda's elemental "cry" very much in evidence.
"Heat Wave": This should be played when the temperature outside is at or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (LOL). It is also, to my mind, one of Linda's most classically rocking performances.
"I Will Always Love You": Obviously, Linda's is different from any version Dolly recorded, and in a different universe from Whitney's famous (or infamous, depending on how you feel about what seem to be her vocal histrionics). Apart from the R&B-influenced backing vocals and Dan Dugmore's pedal steel playing, which give the song a typically Ronstadtian country-rock vibe, this version reminds me of the Beatles' final #1 U.S. hit "The Long And Winding Road" in its nearly unbearable poignancy.
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Post by Deleted on May 29, 2022 6:13:40 GMT -5
My take on four songs on Prisoner In Disguise" ' Love Is A Rose": This is pretty much as close as Linda got to actual bluegrass, and also with something of a Western film vibe as well ("I wanna go to an old hoedown/Long ago in a Western town"). It's fairly amazing to me, given her background growing up in the West, that she never did all that many Western-themed songs, though she did a fair amount ("Colorado"; "Old Paint"; "Willing"; "Desperado") " The Tracks Of My Tears": This is where I think too many critics got on her case because she was covering a song that was already considered kind of sacred, being from the Motown staple, and that she was too "White" for this song. I've always kind of found that to be a form of reverse racial bigotry. Hers is obviously more in the L.A. country-rock vein than Smokey's 1965 version, but valid in its own way, with Linda's elemental "cry" very much in evidence. " Heat Wave": This should be played when the temperature outside is at or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (LOL). It is also, to my mind, one of Linda's most classically rocking performances. " I Will Always Love You": Obviously, Linda's is different from any version Dolly recorded, and in a different universe from Whitney's famous (or infamous, depending on how you feel about what seem to be her vocal histrionics). Apart from the R&B-influenced backing vocals and Dan Dugmore's pedal steel playing, which give the song a typically Ronstadtian country-rock vibe, this version reminds me of the Beatles' final #1 U.S. hit "The Long And Winding Road" in its nearly unbearable poignancy. Linda's McCabe Guitar Shop sessions are the only other pure bluegrass I have heard her sing, though maybe duets with Emmylou come close. Linda's cry in "Tracks of My Tears", is as good as Smokey's. Smokey's of course had a revival in "Platoon" for the pot smoking bar scene? "Heat Wave" performed in Santa Monica in 1975 is great! Linda puts more feeling into ITALY than Whitney. Its ironic Linda being accused of appropriating a black song in TOMT then Whitney appropriates a white song... |
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Post by ukfan on May 29, 2022 10:26:49 GMT -5
For more Linda bluegrass concerts look up The 12th edition of Wintergrass ,Tacoma’s annual celebration of bluegrass & acoustic music when singing as The Bluebirds,Linda was joined by Maria Muldaur & bluegrass great Laurie Lewis in 2005.There is a selection of songs from the concert on YouTube.Linda sings harmonies on Laurie Lewis & Right Hands 2006 album The Golden West on Rank Stranger & Hand to Hold.
Linda also sang back up on many Seldom Scene albums & live at their 15th Anniversary Celebration at The Kennedy Centre 1986 tracks also on YouTube.
Good 2 part article on The Bluegrass Situation entitled Linda Ronstadt Talks Bluegrass October 10th 2019.
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Post by Demitrios Jimmy on Aug 9, 2023 13:28:43 GMT -5
Roll um easy
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Post by Janavaris on Aug 9, 2023 13:30:57 GMT -5
Linda Ronstadt singing role em easy
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Post by eddiejinnj on Aug 9, 2023 18:35:50 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum, Demitrios and Janavaris. I love that song , myself. eddiejinnj
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Post by PoP80 on Aug 12, 2023 8:17:22 GMT -5
Personally, "You Tell Me That I'm Fallen' Down" tugs at my heartstrings. It's a combination of vulnerability and empowerment which comes across beautifully in the lyrics and Linda's interpretation.
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Post by eddiejinnj on Aug 12, 2023 8:42:38 GMT -5
That song was my mini-anthem when I was growing up. I think it is the combination you discuss, Pop, that does it for me in that respect. eddiejinnj
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