We Ran

Linda Ronstadt

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 23, 1998)
• Original Release Date: June 23, 1998
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Elektra / Wea
• ASIN: B000007NC2
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #38,608 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Thirty albums into her career, not much uncharted territory remains for Linda Ronstadt, who has shown herself willing, if not always able, to work in any genre. We Ran is a lush but earthy reexamination of material by Bruce Springsteen, John Hiatt, and Doc Pomus. If matching her with Dylan's "Tom Thumb's Blues" sounds like an exercise in futility, Waddy Wachtel's tremolo guitar, the Booker T.-like soulfulness of the band, and Ronstadt's sweetly weary voice suggest otherwise. Primary producer Glyn Johns (the Rolling Stones, the Who) makes smart choices--though George Massenburg and Wachtel turn "I Go to Pieces" into a breath-fest--and the musicianship of Bernie Leadon and the Heartbreakers keeps pace with Ronstadt's serene vocal ease. --Roy Kasten

Entertainment Weekly
[T]he wayward fold-rock daughter returns to the '70s-era fold.... [She] backs herself with familiar West Coast faces ... who add heat to the impressive arsenal of songs.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have...great timing..., October 8, 2002

By A Customer

What can you say about a CD that has the best female voice for a rock ballad (Winger, Bon Jovi, and Whitesnake take note) paired with Tom Petty and Eagles band members and produced by Glyns Johns, whose produced The Who, Rolling Stones, Stevie Nicks, etc.)

It is often said that Linda Ronstadt, whose mammoth popularity in the 70's and 80's made her a pop icon and put her up there as THE bestselling female artist of her time, took a musical detour in 1983 because the times were changing and her "Get Closer" album went gold but failed to go platinum, as her previous 8 albums had and her subsequent genre albums remarkably were able to do.

Let's face it. Linda Ronstadt has the best female voice for Rock & Roll. It goes so well with that sliding guitar, and drums. She was just restless. She could have gone the way of Pat Benatar or Debbie Harry in the early 80's, because she more than likely had the first choice to songs and musicians but she chose to remain true still restless she half heartedly put out "Mad Love" and "Get Closer" before moving to big band. It was not her time to go the way of the 80's rock chicks (been there done that) Time to move on.

This being said, I think that this "We Ran" album represents a "mature" rock singer moving on; singing about faded love, damage, addiction as opposed to a younger Linda Ronstadt singing about all these emotions in her ""Simple Dreams" album. It was about time Linda recorded this type of cd BUT IT WAS THE RIGHT TIME.

This cd contains very gritty rock-soul oriented songs with a dry almost garage band feel to it.

*Damage - a very contemporary song. Could play on radio.
*Ruler of My Heart - very good r&b sounding song.
*Tom Thumbs Blues - good cover of a dylan classic.
*Tears run Dry - One of my favorites. Harkens to the 60's motown sound. Aretha would be proud.
*We Ran - the opening song to the cd. it's not country nor folk sounding. Its Adult Rock.

This really is a good CD that has held up over time.

Two words describe it: Gritty and Hard.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Underrated, August 23, 2001

By	"gemini_j" (Canada) - See all my reviews

Linda Ronstadt's 1998 release is a snugly wrapped package of well-chosen rootsy material--Dylan, Alan Toussaint, Doc Pomus, two by John Hiatt--well-sung by Linda, who shows no diminution of powers after all her musical peregrinations of the last 2 decades. This is simply the kind of music she sings best and producer Glyn Johns has expertly captured her in a no-frills setting. One might say with some justification that this is just another L.A. session, but at the same time this is Ronstadt's domain, and what impresses is the sympathetic, punchy support she receives from ace guitarists Bernie Leadon and especially Waddy Watchel, who even contributes two originals, "Damage" and the lovely "I Go To Pieces." This last is the album's highlight--a delicate, hushed performance of great musicality. WE RAN ends sweetly with the large Rondstadt clan singing and swaying together to the gentle Mexican strains of "Dreams Of The San Joaquin".

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ronstadt is once again the queen of "torch & twang", July 28, 1998

By	[e-mail] (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

"We Ran" is not just a return to Linda Ronstadt's classic LA-flavored country-folk rock but a terrific album with great songs and superb musicianship centered around her brilliant vocals. Producer Glyn Johns - plus collaborators Waddy Wachtel, George Massenburg and Peter Asher - have wisely relied on great songwriters (John Hiatt, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen) and a production which updates the "Heart Like A Wheel" sound (virtually copied by most Nashville female singers) but gives the disc a classic feel. The cream of LA musicians are on this album, including Russ Kunkel, Leland Sklar, Don Grolnick, Carlos Vega, Waddy Wachtel (who contributes two wonderful songs), Bernie Leadon and Mike Campbell but the spotlight is on La Ronstadt. Its been a long time since her voice gave me goosebumps and made me run across the room to turn up the volume. But listen to how she holds her notes on the title track or the full-tilt gospel wail on "Ruler of! My Heart" (produced by Asher in the stytle of "Dark Side of the Street" from "Wheel") or the passionate heartbreak of "Cry "Til My Tears Run Dry." Although I skip over "Give Me A Reason" (too light for this otherwise first-rate collection) and she stumbles a bit over the thick syllables of "Tom Thumb's Blues" (but so does Dylan), this CD offers additional rewards on further playing (pay attention to the way her voice slides effortlessly to the top of her range, to the maturity in her phrasings or the shimmering acoustic guitar sounds) In the lovely final track, "Dreams of the San Joaquin," Ronstadt is backed up by (count 'em) six members of her family and family. It's obvious she's comfortable with her musical roots and with herself and "We Ran" is superb proof.