Stone Poneys & Friends Vol.3 [Import]

Linda Ronstadt, Stone Poneys | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• ASIN: B0000566AQ
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #920,959 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice Transitional Album for Linda Ronstadt!, July 17, 2003

By 

Barron Laycock "Labradorman" (Temple, New Hampshire United States) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stone Poneys & Friends Vol.3 (Audio CD)

When the group the Stone Ponies first hit the charts, it was as a trio that featured the captivating voice of a teenage Linda Ronstadt singing lead vocals for this Arizona-based folk-rock trio. And with a voice blazing like Pecos Pete on methadrine, her incredible melodic shout of a singing style led her and the group to quick fortune and early success. The fact that she was such an incredible talent quickly doomed the trio as an act, however, and by the time this third and final album was released, the group went by the name of "Linda Ronstadt and The Stone Ponies". But they left behind this very interesting and eclectic collection of songs to remember them by, songs both worth listening to and worth having in your CD library.

Included here is quite a collection of songs and styles, ranging from the ethereal "Fragments" to a more traditional folk effort, "By The Fruits Of Their Labors", from Tim Buckley's ironic "Hobo" (and only Linda could make it the soaring showcase she does here) to a cover of the wonderful "Let's Get Together". She tears out all the stops with another Tim Buckley song, "Wings", and walks all over Laura Nyro's hit "The Stoney End". Also included here is the groups final top ten hit, "Some Of Shelly's Blues", written by one-time Monkee's singer Mike Neismith. This is a very easy album to get to like, and several of the numbers you may finding yourself singing to yourself on the way to work. In my opinion, this is an essential album for anyone claiming to be a real Linda Ronstadt fan. Enjoy!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Weak, but getting stronger, July 19, 2010

By 

randysrodeo.com (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stone Poneys & Friends, Vol. 3 (Audio CD)

"Vol. 3" is arguably the weakest of the three Stone Poneys albums if only because the group broke up during the middle of the recording, leaving soon-to-be-superstar Linda Ronstadt to finish the project with a host of studio professionals and wannabes. (Look closely on the back cover - that's a young Rodney Bingenheimer trying to look cool near the top of the stairs.)

This makes for an inconsistent listening experience, but Ronstadt shines as usual, particularly when she sings in the full-throated, sensual manner she was only then perfecting. Musically, we can hear her style start to coalesce as she ventures into rock, country, and blues sounds largely absent from the first two Stone Poneys albums ("Different Drum" notwithstanding).

Like the albums Linda cut during her 70's heyday, this one features an interesting batch of up-and-coming songwriters (Tim Buckley, Laura Nyro, Mike Nesmith), a few choice covers ("Let's Get Together"), and some old chestnuts ("Up to My Neck in High Muddy Water"). Unlike those later albums, this one includes some gen-u-wine folk music - leftovers from the final Stone Poney sessions - which, frankly, sticks out like a sore thumb amidst the nascent country rock. (The opening cut, "Fragments," makes me want to smash Ken Edwards guitar like John Belushi did to Stephen Bishop's in "Animal House.")

So, this one is recommend only for the faithful, though it provides a fascinating glimpse of a butterfly emerging from her cocoon. Finally, note that as of this writing the 1995 Capitol CD reissue is long out-of-print. However, Raven Records includes four of the best tracks on their 2008 2-for-1 reissue of the first two Stone Poneys albums - great deal!