Customer Reviews

Linda Ronstadt's Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 & 2

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Both of Linda's massive selling GREATEST HITS Lps have been released on one CD. This nice UK import is also nicely priced and contains some of Ronstadts best known songs. Like Connie Francis before her, Linda delved into reviving oldies and finding a formula that worked for her that would eventually lead her to branching out into other unexplored musical areas that make her a premier vocalist of her era and all time. Some of the more interesting cuts are the lesser known ones LOVE HAS NO PRIDE has the angst without resorting to cliche or soap opera. Her version of DESPERADO far exceeds the Eagles original cover. Then there are the great hits, YOU'RE NO GOOD, BLUE BAYOU and so many others.

A great 2 for 1 by the only female rocker of her era to "hold it together" as none equalled or surpassed her in her heyday.

Great nostalgia and a nice primer to search for her more adventurous works that she dabbled with on her Lps that listeners will be enticed to explore.

Terrific!

Beautiful and clear remastering (2007) of the classic 1976 and 1980 compilations that in the USA were released in the late 80's on CD and have never been remastered (until now on this import!). All the original tracks are here (with one change - Someone To Lay Down Beside Me is the 3:58 single edit, not the 4:28 album version that appeared on the original GH Vol 2). All the pictures from the two original Greatest Hits LP's and CD's are here, too (the original red and blue album covers are also shown on the back cover). The new green cover with a classic photo from the mid 70's is a brilliant touch. New liner notes by Silvie Simmons.

Amazingly, some of these classics were not included on either Ronstadt's "Box Set" OR her "Very Best Of" CD (which together were the only remasters of Linda's Asylum music in the last 20 years - and both were missing many hits), so Silver Threads And Golden Needles (1973 version), Desperado, Love Has No Pride, How Do I Make You, Tumbling Dice, and Someone To Lay Down Beside Me appear here remastered for the first time. Highly Recommended!

This is a great import CD that includes both of the famous Linda Ronstadt Greatest Hits albums, Volume One and Volume Two. If you want a Linda Ronstadt CD, this is the one to get in my opinion. Outstanding vocals on all 23 tracks, she is a unique and extremely talented singer. My favorites include Blue Bayou, Ooh Baby Baby, You're No Good, How Do I Make You, and It's So Easy.

It is nice to see both volumes of her greatest hits put on one disc.
A comparison of the new version with the old shows that the remastering job has put
a bit of fresh clarity on the tracks. Yeah!

The original Vol I and Vol II greatest hits Cd audio quality always sounded flat and lifeless and the subsequent collections released in the U.S. always seems to be missing some of the important songs on Gr hits I and II.

finally this IMPORT (re-mastered by RHINO- yah!) brings life to these wonderful songs, and they have consolidated the exact songs on I and II into a single disc.

Sound qualify is fantastic!!!

They're all here -- the hits that I enjoyed in the '60s and '70s. Ronstadt's voice is clear and strong, and she's a master at conveying emotion. From "You're No Good," with its strong guitar licks, to the plaintive "Desperado" and her cover of the Buddy Holly hit "That'll Be the Day," Ronstadt mines the lyrics for all they're worth. More than 30 years on, some of the songs are a little weepy for my taste -- "Love Has No Pride" and "Hurt So Bad" come to mind -- but at the time they were released, I found them relevant. The 23 songs in this collection span much of Ronstadt's career, and it's an impressive one. I recommend this album both to longtime Ronstadt fans and those who'd like to learn more about her musical style.

Was a nostalgic reminder of so many of her great hits and was pleased with the fidelity too.

Linda Ronstadt didn't need original material to have plenty of American hits during the seventies with her versions of mostly well known songs, although she also helped to gain recognition for Warren Zevon and for Kate and Anna McGarrigle via her recordings of their songs. This formula was markedly less successful for her in Britain, where none of her singles made the top 20, although that could be due first to Brits being slow to recognize her talents, then to changing fashions as punk took over for a while. Nevertheless, Linda's music found a market in Britain and I am part of that market.

Pairing the hits compilations originally released in 1976 and 1980, this set contains all her important solo hits in the American pop charts and four of her six top ten solo hits in the country charts. Linda's biggest hits thereafter were a duet with James Ingram (Somewhere out there) and two duets with Aaron Neville (Don't know much, All my life) and some country hits taken from the first Trio album that she recorded with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris. If you particularly want any of those later tracks, they are all available elsewhere. For the period up to 1980, this contains all the essentials although it most certainly does not contain everything worth hearing; you only get that by acquiring the individual albums from the period.

Among the pop hits, seven of the tracks here made the American top ten including You're no good, which made number one, having previously been an American hit for Betty Everett and a UK hit for the Swinging Blue Jeans, and When will I be loved (previously a hit for the Everly brothers), which made number two in the American pop charts and number one in the country charts. The only other single to do well for Linda in both pop and country charts was Blue bayou (a cover of the Roy Orbison classic), which made the top three in both charts.

The other country hits represented here are Love is a rose (a Neil Young song that became a minor pop hit) and I never will marry (a traditional song featuring Dolly Parton on backing vocals that didn't make the pop charts). Two other top ten country hits (Crazy, I can't help it if I'm still in love with you) are not featured. As some non-hits are included, their omission is curious, but those tracks are available elsewhere.

Two of the three minor UK hits (Tracks of my tears, Blue bayou) are here, but Alison is omitted; all of them did much better in America.

If you only want one collection of Linda's music and you are primarily interested in her seventies music, this is a good choice.

As noted, this is the original Volume 1 and Volume 2 released together on 1 CD. Together, this combined Greatest Hits collection spans Linda Ronstadt's best work from the 1970s (everything has a 1970s copyright date).

I don't know what happened to the other person who gave this only 3 stars, but my copy played loud and clear on my equipment, and I don't buy junk, and my ear can pick up flaws quite well.

If you've been looking for Linda's 1970s work, this is the best place to start.

Linda's previous vinyl releases and many of the CD's just didn't have the open intimate sound that this import provides. I was simply blown away when I heard these favorites after oh so many years. They were originally well recorded, but when released on Capitol and Elektra/Asylum vinyl they just didn't have the transparency they do on this release. Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to this fantastic compilation!