I want to buy just one CD - Which would you recommend? Some kind of ‘Best of…’ or Greatest Hits, maybe?
There are plenty of open research instant solutions to your question.
You tell us what should be first contact.
Anyway here is a picture of the lovely young Linda to help you out.
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I always liked “hasten down the wind”
That first greatest hits album was among the group of five CDs with which my collection began. I have since replaced it with the Steve Hoffman mastered DCC.
That’s a fine album. The title track was written by Warren Zevon, as I’m sure you know. What a fine songwriter.
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You could try the Linda Ronstadt Original Album Series CD Box Set currently available on Amazon for £11.89.
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I’ve gone for the ‘green’ greatest hits compilation - 7.50 eur on amazon.
Thanks.
I’ve got a copy of Canciones de mi Padre somewhere 
- where did I put it?!
Never been a fan of Greatest Hits as a way in. They give you no idea really. There are loads of examples of why not but I always choose R.E.M. for as good an example as any. Few R.E.M. fans would be without Murmur, Reckoning or Fables but if you bought their Greatest Hits none 0f those would be represented which would be why we’ve largely ended up with a Best Ofs. Their first Best Of gives you no Losing My Religion. Amusingly nor does the last one. Then they break up into stuff like “Best Of The IRS Years” which is superb but not representative and “Best Of The Warner Brothers Years” which gives a heavy dose of hot singles along with album tracks best described as a mixed bag and an attempt to push sales on later stuff which just wasn’t as good.
In the case of Linda there are 3 or 4 top notch albums but if I had to pick one it would be Heart Like A Wheel. The Greatest Hits is lovely but her productions are all over the place so it’s not necessarily an easy listen on a decent system.
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Ha ha……no i did not, thankyou……Linda is a great singer and Warren Zevon a great singer song writer. She had the ability to make other peoples song’s her own, sadly ill health has taken her ability to sing.
I got to see her live several times - but never singing rock/pop.
I saw her with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra at Radio City.
And I saw her twice - once in Central Park and once on Broadway - in “The Pirates of Penzance.”
But this is my favorite performance by her.
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I can’t help as I don’t know her catalogue well, but this is a beautiful album. Linda, Emmylou and Dolly on ‘Trio’. Very lovely!
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That looks excellent I’ll have to look it up.
A couple other of her albums I’d recommend are:
Simple Dreams and Heart Like a Wheel.
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Ahh! A Linda Ronstadt thread on the Naim forum, seems perfect to coincide with her 78th Birthday today.
My first Linda Album was Hasten Down the Wind and still I think my favourite, however Prisoner in Disguise is a close second. I have an awful lot of Linda records, CDs and downloads and love pretty much everything she has done. I also saw her live in 2006 at the Edmonton Folk Festival and I was front row centre!
Not only do you have a wide choice of genres with Linda, some of her collaborations are pretty good, my highlight being The Water is Wide with the late David Sanbourn. I understand she sang this at Dan Dugmore’s wedding, would have loved to have been there to hear it.
Happy listening.
Tim
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Great singers/great song selection. But production suffers from the loudness wars.
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Interesting. It’s been quite awhile since I played it so I don’t offhand recall the production, just remember the songs… I’ll play it again.
Fingers x’d.
Anything that includes Blue Bayou
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https://dr.loudness-war.info/?artist=Linda+ronstadt&album=Western+wall
It’s a shame because almost all of Linda’s recordings have a healthy dynamic range.
https://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list/4/album/asc?artist=Linda%20ronstadt
