The Linda Ronstadt Box Set [BOX SET]

Linda Ronstadt

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 16, 1999)
• Original Release Date: November 16, 1999
• Number of Discs: 4
• Format: Box set
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Elektra / Wea
• ASIN: B00002MZ30
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #65,623 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. When We Ran

2. Ruler of My Heart

3. Cry 'Til My Tears Run Dry

4. We Will Rock You

5. Winter Light

See all 22 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Blue Bayou

2. Try Me Again

3. (Love Is Like A) Heat Wave

4. Heart Like a Wheel

5. It Doesn't Matter Anymore

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. High Sierra - Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt

2. Lover's Return - Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt

3. Blue Train - Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt

4. Feels Like Home - Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt

5. Gentle Annie - Anna McGarrigle, Kate McGarrigle, Linda Ronstadt

See all 20 tracks on this disc

Disc: 4

1. Gainesville

2. Sandman's Coming

3. My Hero

4. All I Have to Do Is Dream

5. Dreams to Dream

See all 23 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Initially labeled a country-rock heartbreaker, Linda Ronstadt moved on to establish beachheads in everything from new wave to light opera, from pre-rock pop to traditional Mexican music. Such restlessness has been interpreted as flightiness among doubters, but Ronstadt's headstrong eclecticism has, with time, taken on weight, which is reflected in this suitably hefty four-disc career overview. Here is Ronstadt the musician, an erstwhile Cal-rock pinup girl who refused to sit still for the next photo shoot while churning out more rock-radio fare. Keep in mind that Ronstadt was the first female performer to chalk up seven consecutive platinum albums; she must have faced down considerable pressure to play it safe in the '80s. Indeed, some of the least interesting material found here is the post-Heart Like a Wheel rote rock culled from 1978's Living in the USA and 1980's Mad Love. Blessed with a starburst of a voice and the determination to put her gift to the test, she shines brightest when she's outside her familiar orbit. The Linda Ronstadt Box Set opens with two CDs that essentially serve as best-of sets. Disc three consists of duets with the likes of Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Aaron Neville, and Frank Sinatra. Disc four, the real windfall here, offers rarities, including her three excellent contributions to Randy Newman's Faust and a contribution to Carla Bley's ambitious jazz opera Escalator Over the Hill. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WHERE IS 'RAMBLER GAMBLER,' THE FLIP SIDE TO, November 17, 1999

By A Customer

the "How Do I Make You" single? And come to think of it, where is "Lago Azul," the Spanish language version of "Blue Bayou"? I already own most of this collection in one format or another -- LP, cassette, 8-track tapes. For me, as I suspect it will be for other die-hard Ronstadt fans, it is Disc #4 that is the most interesting, since this is the disc containing the most previously unreleased material. I imagine that that it is an enormously ambitious undertaking to put together a box set that does justice to such an eclectic career as Linda Ronstadt's, and this one pretty much does the job. It's all here: the hits, the forays into other genres & languages, the duets & the movie themes. Please don't retire, Linda!

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb collection with many rare recordings, April 8, 2001

By	Marchez Vite "marchezvite" (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews

Linda Ronstadt's career has spanned over 30 years, with 35 released albums in folk-rock, country, rock, pop, Latino, and classic ballads.

This box set provides a great compilation of her great hits across all years and genres. The last (of 4) CD in the set is titled "Rarities," and includes unreleased material as well as some pieces released but little known. Among these are recordings of Randy Newman's musical "Faust" - a duet with Kermit the Frog - a haunting Phillip Glass/Suzanne Vega piece recorded with the Kronos Quartet - and songs recorded with the bluegrass band The Seldom Scene.

The collaborations with Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and Aaron Neville are extraordinary numbers of perfectly blended voices. Some of her later solo pieces have a soft, almost new-age sound to them. Quite entrancing is her lullaby rendition of Queen's "We Will Rock You."

For baby boomer fans from the '70's and '80's like me, there are dozens of songs by the Ronstadt "posse": Andrew Gold, Waddy Wachtel, Wendy Waldman, Anna & Kate McGarrigle, and Nicolette Larson.

There are almost 5 hours of music in this set. Only her 2000 Christmas album is not represented.

Caution: the liner notes [box set booklet] are a serious disappointment. No lyrics are given. The artist biography is anorexic. The information on the songs (composer and musicians) is printed in microscopic typeface.

Despite the drawbacks of the printed material, I heartily recommend this set. Ronstadt is a performer of astonishing talent and range.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An imperfect but still potent tribute to her artistry, February 16, 2000

By A Customer

One can certainly quibble about the song selection in this box set. For my part, I would have liked to see "I Knew You When", "When Something is Wrong With My Baby", "Someone to Lay Down Beside Me", "The Tattler", anything from "Don't Cry Now", and another of the amazing vocals from "Canciones de Mi Padre". That's just for starters - the point is, with as richly diverse a career as Linda Ronstadt's, you're not going to be able to put out a 4 CD retrospective and include every fan's favorites. Something's going to get slighted.

What this collection does do is provide a broad perspective of all the facets of her career. I don't see how one could listen to the 4 CDs start to finish and not gain renewed respect for her considerable artistry. I'm not saying everything she ever touched is perfect, by any means, but she has shown consistent versatility, intelligence and taste, not to mention a vocal gift from the Gods.

I had not heard a lot of the rarities on side 4, and they show fresh dimensions of her talent. Particulary, the selections from Randy Newman's "Faust", Philip Glass & Suzanne Vega's "Freezing" and the acapella version of the traditional "The Blacksmith" are haunting. And "Honky Tonk Blues" and "Lightning Bar Blues" are terrific unreleased country rockers from the mid-70's that its great to hear.

I admit I'm prejudiced - I fell in love with Linda's voice the first time I heard it ("Different Drum"). I've followed her career faithfully from then and enjoyed every unpredictable step along the way. I certainly hope she stops all this foolish talk of retirement. "Western Wall" proves she can keep making quality music for many years to come, and its my fervent wish that she will!