Linda Ronstadt - Prisoner in Disguise

Heart Like a Wheel was Linda Ronstadt's big breakthrough, so let's hear what she did next. I know it's going to be country, maybe a little rock hiding in there, but the cover suggests i'm actually going to like it.

Here's the deal, that's a concept cover. It just screams showbiz vs. reality. She picked songs by her friends and got them to write the lyrics in their own handwriting for the fold. So, before we even start this is easy. It will either be awesome or absolute rubbish. There isn't any mediocre middle room to flounder in with a concept like that.

What are the criteria? Well, either she's a great singer, or she's not. Either the songs are cafefully chosen to be about that conflict between outward appearance and inner turmoil or they are pointless misogynistic drivel. Either she had a killer back up band, or she wanted to watch the can of thermite drop right through the engine block of her career. I think you can guess where this is going. Yeah, it's an amazing album. And the duet with Emmylou Harris is really fantastic.

But more importantly, the fiddle parts are just lovely. Now, who might be the fiddler? Does the name David Lindley ring a bell? It should. I've mentioned him. He does a mean Carol Channing impression. Yeah, the same David Lindley from Jackson Browne's "The Load Out/Stay," Mr. Muttenchops himself.

That's nothing. You might want to sit down for this next one. I don't expect David Campbell to mean anything to you. 450 gold/platinum records is impressive, but what casual listener really puts much thought into the arranger/conductor for these big albums? Hows 'bout i say it a different way? You remember how i told you David Paich was born inside the matrix? Well, a couple pods away this other guy was born in there too and he became pretty famous. Every once in a while he left the two turntables and a microphone at home and asked his dad to orchestrate some stuff for him. Yeah, don't let his mother's maiden name fool you, that's Beck's dad. Might i suggest drowning out that song from the ride at Disney World with a lovely album by Linda Ronstadt? Another actually good Country album in the Bibliography of Beef? Who'da thunk it?


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