The Styles of Linda Ronstadt - Rolling Stone - April 3, 1980

[Partridge]

link: Ronstadt - Photographs by Annie Liebovitz

My copy of this magazine had a nasty smudge on that pink outfit, so I went to the Rolling Stone Cover to Cover and their scan also had a similar stain. The original scan on the website was from Harold Wilkinson and his copy also had a bad stain. Maybe it was a problem with the printing press. Surely some clean copies were released. The official Rolling Stone scans were also from a torn disfigured copy of the magazine. Not so much care given to software that sold for quite a bit of money.

[Partridge]

As I have been going through these Rolling Stone articles, I have noticed something odd. I have the Rolling Stone Cover to Cover discs, which include every issue up to that time. On reviewing many of the Ronstadt issues, I notice smudges on the pages. So I decided to go to my personal copies. I am looking at the 1978 interview, and the pictures have smudges almost identical to the ones Rolling Stone had scanned for their software. Also the printed pages have smudges that match up to my issues. Does anyone know anything about publishing and the printing process or have an idea what is going on here? These old issues of Rolling Stone were printed on cheap newsprint type paper, not the glossy paper they use these days.

[Biff McFly]

Those were done in what is known as spot color. It is what it is. USA Today was the first newspaper to use the four color process for newspapers which was revolutionary in 1982.

[alyn]

aside from the technicalities of printing (and I am a printer...) I'd say the photo in the toilet / lavatory / bathroom / 'john'...whatever we want to call it is probably the worst of Linda I've ever seen, not based on the location, just the way she is...but maybe that was the idea, some kind of reverse thinking irony... but the horse / washing / carrot is the funniest. I'd have that as a blow-up on my shop wall :-)

[Biff McFly]

I worked in newspapers for years. I correct myself Rolling Stone started using a four-color press in 1973. I looked at the pictures again because they looked better than spot color. Still printing process color on that type of paper still presents a lot of problems and limitations vs the paper they use now.

[eddiejinnj]

I LOVE that pic of Linda in the bathroom. The one of her sitting on JD's lap is weird looking but it might have to do with the printing as were are discussing in this thread. Life is perception. eddiejinnj

[alyn]

I can see we're on a very different page there Eddie... I mean I do love the hard edged look Linda got down to in 79/80, but that photo just irritates me (i know, I know, "don't look at it then" :-) ) as being way too contrived railing against the 'beauty' photos... The Mamas and The Papas did bathroom better imo :-) :-)

[eddiejinnj]

I just think her hair look great slicked and her blouse was hot and so were the jeans a great faded color. Great shot. To each his own. Variety makes the world go round. Hope you are well, mate!!!! eddiejinnj

[alyn]

I can happily agree the diagreement there, as it's you Eddie :-)
In recent times one of my favourite photos of Linda has become the one on front cover of Retrospective LP which shamefully I wasn't aware of until quite recently... I love the attitude on that photo :-) Now have it framed on my wall.

[eddiejinnj]

Aw, TY, my friend. I like the cover of a Retrospective but I wasn't so into the brown/sepia-type tone color scheme of the album. The purple is a little too deep to recover it(lol) for me. Brown and purple has been popular in recent years but a little brighter purple looks nice with brown, imo. The double album, like "'Round Midnight" by newer recent cert rules would have been certified Platinum as it was a double album that went Gold. eddiejinnj