Customer Reviews

Mad Love

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Linda Ronstadt is a genius. Few other artists have successfully explored as many genres as she, from here very popular though perhaps slightly pedestrian rock hits in the '70s and early '802, through bluegrass, Mexican, Cajun and Latin jazz, kids lullabies, big ballads, bid band, the woman can not only master anything but - although she chooses to record very infrequently these days, she also improves indisputably with age.

So, my bias is, I am a fan.

That aside, this 1980 album was a major change of pace for Linda and one which still sounds incredibly fresh today. I really like her working of Neil Young's "Look Out For My Love", and the songs "Cost of Love" and "Can't Let Go". You don't need to be a student or even particularly a fan of New Wave to enjoy this great little album.

I know Linda has definitely moved away from this type of music now, and who can begrude such a talented lady wanting to constantly progress and evolve artistically (particularly when that evolution includes gems such as the uptempo "Frenesi" album, the first of the two Trio albums, and the wonderfully moving '99 duo album with Emmylou Harris), but still it seems a shame that she didn't make at least one more New Wave album like "Mad Love".

Linda Ronstadt caught a lot of flack with this album for daring to jump on the punk/new wave bandwagon in the 80's, but for all that, this album stands up better than many others from that era. For one thing, Ronstadt has talent, something most of the other acts from that time were lacking. Granted, the title song is bombastic overkill and Elvis Costello's "Talking in the Dark" is a throwaway. But her take on his "Party Girl" is powerful and "Girls Talk" is as terrific as Dave Edmonds version. "How Do I Make You" is awesome: a very convincingly hard-edged rocker. She also puts an edgy spin on her remakes of The Hollies "Can't Let Go" and Little Anthony and the Imperials "Hurts So Bad" that, in my opinion, top the originals. It probably was wrong for this album to get tagged as punk when really its your basic power pop, done with the same taste and professionalism Ronstadt has shown thoughout her career.

In a long career filled with many styles and many CDs, this is her hardest rocking album. It was 1980 and new wave was popular and for this album, they tried a harder rocking peppier style. Linda even covered Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk" (very well).. The style fits like a glove on the title track, "How Do I Make You" , and the other songs. She would soon be off into standards and Mexican songs and this is the ONLY one of its kind. Wish she had made more like this! I'd buy a "Mad Love 2".

She got some fairly bad reviews for Mad Love as I recall. It doesn't matter. This is a great CD to take in Ronstadt's immense range. She does a beautiful job with all the material, much of it ear candy. My faves: "Girl Talk", "Look Out For My Love" and "I Can't Let Go". If you enjoy the writing of Elvis Costello and Neil Young, the backing vocals of Nicollette Larson and the genius of Peter Asher, this is your kind of music.

With apologies to the reviewer who apparently woke up to find a lump of coal in his/her stocking one Xmas morning and decided to take it out on Linda, the girl rocks the house with this effort. I was in high school when this came out and I really only knew Linda from "When Will I Be Loved?" back when it was repeatedly blaring out over the beach a few summers earlier. Flash forward a few years and I can hear her saying, "hey that New Wave sounds fun, let's make that the next album." In terms of the Mad Love cd, I remember one reviewer writing something like "As frustrating as it may be to Pat Benatar as pretender to the throne, it's Linda Ronstadt who has the chops to be the Queen of Rock." No, not Courtney Love rocks, not Sleater Kinney rocks, but a great shimmy-shimmy-cocoa-puff-power-pop-with-an edge rocks here. I love the infectious energy in most of the up-tempo tracks like "How Do I Make You?" and "Justine" and "I Can't Let Go" and yet they contrast so well with the aching ballads like "Hurt So Bad" and the Elvis Costello cover "Party Girl". We are blessed in that Linda's love of many different types of music, coupled with that amazing VOICE, have allowed us all to reap the rewards, year after year.

What I adore about this CD is its well-executed blending of rock rifts and singing. Linda Ronstadt together with producer Peter Asher are able to blend hard edged pumping rockin sounds with cool soulful jams. Top notch blend of musician and singer, which is evident in the way many of these songs rifts can be heard long after linda completes her singing. (check out the ending to "hurt so bad" or beginning of "look out for my love" or "how do I make you" These rifts are catchy. Great from start to finish.
*Party Girl, is a great track and one of Elvis Costello better written songs. would like to hear a live version of this on one of Linda Ronstadt's future CD's.
*How do I make You, starts out with some hard sounding and progressive drum action. Linda Ronstadt just lets it rip and doesn't let go. another top ten hit for her.
*Look out for my love, this is a chestnut of a song and worth the price of the CD alone. will not be found on any of her greatest hits or performances cd's.
*Hurt So Bad, probably my favorite song because it really is sooo soulful yet rock too. probably a good indication of what linda was capable of doing later in "cry like a rainstorm" album. glad it was a top ten hit for her.
The remaining songs like, "justine", "mad love" "i can't let go" are good to listen to. I liked every song on this CD.

Linda Ronstadt's first album of the 1980s was this incredible foray into new wave rock and pop; and despite the obvious differences between it and her classic 1970s country-rock albums, one similarity remains steadfast--it is a GREAT album, superbly produced by Peter Asher and, above all else, demonstrating Linda's ability to rock out and show all other comers a thing or two.

Linda got three Top 40 hits from the album--"How Do I Make You?", "I Can't Let Go", and "Hurt So Bad"--and they are incredible pieces. She also lays down a line in the sand between her and her harshest critics by daring to cover Elvis Costello three, count 'em, three times here. The unusual cover song on the album is Neil Young's "Look Out For My Love" which maintains the power-pop sound but also includes some twangy dobro licks from Mike Auldridge.

Critics all too easily dismissed this as an artistic folly. I don't think it is. MAD LOVE is simply another great album from one of rock's premiere vocalists.

I've always appreciated Linda Ronstadt for having a great voice, but I've also had some reservations about her sound being a little too stiff and over-produced. In this 1980 release, Ronstadt tried to let her hair down a little and perform in a more stripped down New Wave style. It would be an insult to true New Wave artists to say that this qualifies as a New Wave album, but I do think this is perhaps Ronstadt's most hard rocking effort.

Album highlights include moody renditions of Elvis Costello's Party Girls, Neil Young's Look Out for My Love, and the great soul ballad Hurt So Bad. How Do I Make You is a catchy and authentically New Wave number. If you like Ronstadt's voice but wish she would rock a little more than in most of her albums, this is probably the CD for you.

Since the 1960s, Linda Ronstadt has gone down many different musical paths in her career, but with MAD LOVE it's quite clear she was in a rockin' state of mind. Kicking off with the title track (written by new wave band the Cretones, who back here on this album), Linda shows that rock can also mean pop, as this is as catchy as they come. "Party Girl" is the first of three Elvis Costello covers, and this version should have made Elvis proud. The Blondie-ish hit "How Do I make You" features Nicolette Larson on background vocals.

"I Can't Let Go", shows that a beautiful voice can also be a rock & roll one. "Hurt So Bad" is the sole ballad on the album and is a soulful cover of Little Anthony & The Imperial's hit. The covers continue with an excellent version of Neil Young's "Look Out For My Love." The album concludes with Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk" and "Talking In The Dark." Linda had covered Elvis' "Alison" on her LIVING IN THE USA album and continues the tradition here. MAD LOVE is a high energy, rousing record with catchy riffs, fantastic vocals and solid production.

The moment I heard the drum roll that kicks of HOW DO I MAKE YOU, my heart began to beat a bit faster. It's now 28 years later, and my 45 year-old heart has not slowed down a bit!

This is my very favorite Linda album. It seems that some folks do not agree with me. That's OK, I know I am right.

For those of you who lost touch w/Linda's music:

Do yourself a favor- revisit her classic stuff and explore her criminally overlooked newer material. Goosebumps will arrive exponentially!