You don’t have to be a long-time fan to appreciate this flick (although that doesn’t hurt). What’s so impressive is how she challenged herself as an artist and took on all kinds of different and demanding genres. She sang Gilbert & Sullivan, she sang the Great American Songbook, even authentic Mexican music. And of course, not without constantly risking her career.
Linda Ronstadt truly did travel to the beat of a “Different Drum.”
This wasn’t the profile of a rock star; it was the profile of a pure singer. Let’s see Mariah Carey tackle PIRATES OF PENZANCE.
For those who grew up loving her music (and having a huge crush on her – like someone I know), the film was also a nostalgic trip back to the ‘70s It was fun to relive those days of the Troubadour in West Hollywood (which is still there) and concerts in stadiums where the performer just sang and was not the center of pyrotechnics and Orange Bowl Halftime gaudy productions.
My personal favorite era was when she sang standards arranged by the great Nelson Riddle. She pours such genuine emotion into each song that it gets you right in the kishkes.
The film is a celebration of her talent, music, and success, but it’s also very bittersweet. Linda Ronstadt today has Parkinson’s Disease and can no longer sing. What a cruel unfair turn of events. Linda is in her early 70’s and hopefully still will have many years – fulfilling years – to live.
Thank you for enriching my life with your music. From now on whenever I go to Lucy’s Adobe Café (her old hangout in Hollywood) I will lift a margarita to you.
I believe this documentary is on Amazon Prime. If not, find it. What a sweet, charming, inspiring, rocking little movie it is. Linda has topped the charts again.
And to not be nominated for a Best Documentary Oscar is a joke. Shame on the Academy!!
ReplyDeleteShe also did a great guest voice appearance in the Mr Plow episode of The Simpsons, singing Senor Plow.
ReplyDeleteWhat's your reaction to the Oscar nominations, particularly the writing ones? I'm surprised and pleased Rian Johnson has been nominated for Knives Out.
Perpetually underrated.
ReplyDeleteHad to wait 20 years to get into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Her Nelson Riddle stuff is the best solo stuff since the heyday of Ella and Frank.
One of my favorite authors, Philip K. Dick, was a big Ronstadt fan; here's an excerpt from the introduction to one of his story collections:
ReplyDeleteYou see, had I not become a writer I'd be somewhere in the music industry now, almost certainly the record industry. I remember back in the midsixties when I first heard Linda Ronstadt; she was a guest on Glen Campbell's TV show, and no one had ever heard of her. I went nuts listening to her and looking at her. I had been a buyer in retail records and it had been my job to spot new talent that was hot property, and, seeing and hearing Ronstadt, I knew I was hearing one of the great people in the business; I could see down the pipe of time into the future. Later, when she'd recorded a few records, none of them hits, all of which I faithfully bought, I calculated to the exact month when she'd make it big. I even wrote Capitol Records and told them; I said, the next record Ronstadt cuts will be the beginning of a career unparalleled in the record industry. Her next record was "Heart Like a Wheel." Capitol didn't answer my letter, but what the hell; I was right, and happy to be right. But, see, that's what I'd be into now, had I not gone into writing SF. My fantasy number that I run in my head is, I discover Linda Ronstadt, and am remembered as the scout for Capitol who signed her. I would have wanted that on my gravestone: HE DISCOVERED LINDA RONSTADT AND SIGNED HER UP!
Don't forget, she teamed up with Barney Gumble for the Mr. Plow jingle. In Spanish, too.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that you loved the documentary too.
ReplyDeleteCheers!
I really loved this documentary. Watching her sing with her family at the end really choked me up. What a voice!
ReplyDeleteSad that Andrew Gold and Kenny Edwards have passed. I'm sure they would have had some interesting stories.
ReplyDeleteI loved the movie watched it twice & the 14 hof induction performance by her friends were amazing,I grew up with Linda's music, but why Andrew gold wasnt mentioned in the doc I dont understand, he was sh ok in but not mentioned.?
DeleteI believe it was Willy Nelson who said that there were two kinds of men: The ones who had a crush on Linda Ronstadt and the ones who hadn't met her
ReplyDeleteLove when producer Peter Asher talks to her about the break in "You're No Good." This is a Beatles song she replies (Andrew Gold, a great fan of George Harrison) pretty much composed Harrison guitar riffs for this break and damn, if you didn't know you'd swear Harrison sat in and played on the piece. At first Ronstadt didn't like the idea, but Asher, who was a close colleague of Paul McCartney's, and who had a few hits of his own in the mid 60s, convinced her it would work, she relented, and the rest as they say is history. It's superb, along with the rest of the documentary.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget her backup band included Glenn Frey and Don Henley, who later on started that band, The Eagles.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely one of the best singers of all time male or female! She changed the world with her voice and did it humbly with class and kindness. I remember seeing her at the Universal Amphitheater when it was open roof under the stars.
ReplyDeleteDEFINITELY find this documentary!!
so how come so long to get into Hall of Fame?
ReplyDeleteI immediately ordered the Blu-ray of this documentary of my favorite all-time female singer. I would have gone to the theater months ago, but have mobility issues. It wouldn't have been enough for me to see it once on CNN.
ReplyDeleteI saw her perform live at the Capital Centre in Maryland with Andrew Gold and Kenny Edwards in the early 70s and have followed her since "Don't Cry Now" album. When she went big band, we rockers sort of felt left behind, but I bought all those records and gave them to my mother.
She has Supernuclear Palsy, btw, not Parkinson's as is often reported, but either way it's a tragedy not to have more musical performances from her. Lo Siento mi Vida.
I enjoyed the documentary but it somewhat played like a promotional piece. Her commercial status was falling by the time she switched to the Nelson Riddle music, but the movie makes it seem like she walked away from pop at her peak popularity. Also, her personal life isn't really touched on too much. You wouldn't know she adopted two kids from watching the doc.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ken. I am a fan too. I will definitely catch the doc.
ReplyDeleteThis is one of the movies we saw in theaters instead of all the CGI fests (agree, BTW, with the comment above about the Oscar Documentary nominations, which usually snub the best docs; but then, I'm baffled by a lot of this year's choices.) Since my wife is a singer herself of Great American Songbook material, she was especially interested in this film.
ReplyDeleteRonstadt had amazing versatility. I can't imagine how anyone could go from years of belting rock songs in hockey stadiums to singing "Poor Wand'ring One" without sounding like a road grader. The only things I ever heard her do that I didn't think she nailed were small jazz group vocals on the last album, "Hummin' to Myself" (some tracks are excellent, but on others, she lapses into inappropriate belting), and "Back in the USA," which was a rare case of her band sounding stiff and antiseptic. They should have listened to Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers to learn how to do a simple, low-fi, laughably poorly-recorded but incredibly loose, swinging and heartfelt rendition of that song.
Read a recent interview plugging the documentary. Ronstadt mentioned that people like Emmylou Harris drop in when they're in town. She said Harris brings her laundry -- that's life on the road.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the documentary as well. Last week a cable channel showed an old episode of The Johnny Cash Show,which featured Linda Ronstadt in an early television appearance. I saw her once in concert at Radio City Music Hall. Ronstadt's love of,and reverence for, music really comes through in the documentary. I remember a story from the time she was working with Nelson Riddle. They were recording a song that he'd done before with Sinatra. Riddle had the old sheet music.You could see Sinatra's name penciled on top. At one point Riddle uses an eraser to replace Frank's name with Linda's. She was ready to stop him because she viewed that sheet music ,with Frank's name on it, to be almost sacred. She brought attention to Warren Zevon and other songwriters.
ReplyDeleteAndrew Gold isn't mentioned, as far as I recall, which is absurd given his role in her career, not even when they discuss 'You're No Good', he co-produced it and I believe played lead guitar, drums, piano and percussion on it.
ReplyDeleteIf you go by what some radio station conglomerates play, you'd think she was only a one or two hit wonder, that disappeared off the face of the earth after her records fell off the charts.
ReplyDeleteGreat documentary. Not only did it take her 20 years after she should have been elected to the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, she wasn't nominated until 2014 when she finally went in. What a travesty.
ReplyDeleteRonstadt didn't quite introduce me to the Great American Songbook (I'd known a FEW of the songs she covered) but she certainly set the hook.
ReplyDelete(sorry to see that Big Wayne spit that out)
Later, having heard the likes of Billie, Ella, Carmen, I suspect that Ronstadt was aware of those tough acts to follow. She did a fine job, though, potting her own, not-imitative stamp on them.
Thanks for shining a spotlight on this documentary, Ken. I loved it. I saw it in the theater and again when broadcast on CNN. Ronstadt was a UNIQUE super talent. I think it was Dolly Parton who said in the film, "She could sing anything." And I'll add...whatever, whenever, wherever she decided to. Brava, Linda.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget her impersonation of Al Jolson singing "Don't Bother Me Now (I'm Having Fun)" on Albert Brooks' 'A Star is Bought."
ReplyDeleteJust noticed, this is available on CNN On Demand. Haven't watched it yet but have always been a fan. Look forward to it.
ReplyDeleteDisappointed in her American Songbook covers.Sat Nite Live nailed it..."Singing songs I don't understand." Toni Tenille did it much better. With no notice, of course.
ReplyDeleteIt was wonderful to see her at this year's Kennedy Center Honors.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Trisha Yearwood did right by her tribute you would think that they could have found someone with a bit more, well, oomph, than an AMERICAN IDOL winner like Carrie Underwood to kick off the tribute....
I saw it the day it opened in an Albany, NY theater. I LOVED IT.
ReplyDeleteKen,
ReplyDeleteMy late dad always loved her voice. She was one of his favorites.
John Alexander Hall