Linda Ronstadt - Get Closer

Styles: Vocal
Size: 89,7 MB
Time: 36:44
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1982
Art: Front

1. Get Closer (2:30)
2. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress (3:02)
3. I Knew You When (2:54)
4. Easy For You To Say (4:01)
5. People Gonna Talk (2:38)
6. Talk To Me Of Mendocino (3:02)
7. I Think It's Gonna Work Out Fine (with James Taylor) (3:58)
8. Mr Radio (4:07)
9. Lies (2:34)
10. Tell Him (2:41)
11. Sometimes You Just Can't Win (2:32)
12. My Blue Tears (2:40)

Released in 1982, Get Closer is in many respects a classic Linda Ronstadt album. It contains the style of songs most associated with her, from pop ballads to country. The album took over a year to record and features musicians who had played with her for years (in Kenny Edwards' case, he had played bass with her since the Stone Poneys). The title track was nominated for a Best Rock Performance Female Grammy, and the album was nominated for Best Popular Performance Female. "It's Gonna Work Out Fine" is a duet with James Taylor and a cover of the Ike & Tina Turner hit. Ronstadt also does a smooth cover of Billy Joe Royal's hit "I Knew You When." Another standout track is her version of Jimmy Webb's ballad "Easy for You to Say," which might even top the original.By Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/get-closer-mw0000191525#review

Get Closer

---

Linda Ronstadt with Nelson Riddle And His Orchestra - Round Midnight Disc 1 And Disc 2

Album: Round Midnight Disc 1

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1986
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:31
Size: 138,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:53)  1. What's New
(3:29)  2. I've Got A Crush On You
(4:14)  3. Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry
(3:35)  4. Crazy He Calls Me
(4:12)  5. Someone To Watch Over Me
(4:10)  6. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance
(4:09)  7. What'll I Do
(4:21)  8. Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be)
(4:50)  9. Good-Bye
(2:27) 10. When I Fall In Love
(3:11) 11. Skylark
(4:23) 12. It Never Entered My Mind
(4:13) 13. Mean To Me
(4:23) 14. When You Lover Has Gone
(4:53) 15. I'm A Fool To Want You

---

Album: Round Midnight Disc 2

Time: 61:31

Size: 141,0 MB

(2:25)  1. You Took Advantage Of Me

(3:42)  2. Sophisticated Lady

(2:33)  3. Can't We Be Friends?

(3:27)  4. My Old Flame

(2:39)  5. Falling In Love Again

(3:54)  6. Lush Life

(3:50)  7. When You Wish Upon A Star

(4:27)  8. Bewitched Bothered & Bewildered

(3:37)  9. You Go To My Head

(5:28) 10. But Not For Me

(3:01) 11. My Funny Valentine

(4:19) 12. I Get Along Without You Very Well

(2:59) 13. Am I Blue

(3:44) 14. I Love You For Sentimental Reasons

(2:15) 15. Straighten Up And Fly Right

(4:36) 16. Little Girl Blue

(4:27) 17. Round Midnight

Round Midnight is a two-disc box set that compiles all three of the traditional pop albums Linda Ronstadt recorded with Nelson Riddle (What's New, Lush Life, and For Sentimental Reasons). Only dedicated fans will need to own all three of the albums, and, for those listeners, this is a classy way to purchase them.

Credits of 'Round Midnight with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra: Bob Magnusson Bass;  Bob Mann Guitar;  Johnny Mercer Composer;  Nelson Riddle Arranger, Performer, Conductor;  Tommy Tedesco Guitar;  Ray Brown Bass;  Dennis Budimir Guitar;  John Guerin Drums;  Jim Hughart Bass;  Linda Ronstadt Vocal;  Louie Bellson Drums.

Round Midnight Disc 1, Disc 2

---

Linda Ronstadt - Keeping Out of Mischief

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1981
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:52
Size: 78,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:56) 1. Falling In Love Again
(4:00) 2. Crazy He Calls Me
(3:19) 3. Keeping Out Of Mischief
(4:11) 4. Lover Man
(2:00) 5. Never Will Marry
(3:40) 6. I Don't Stand a Ghost Of A Chance
(4:08) 7. Someone To Watch Over Me
(2:06) 8. I've Got A Crush On You
(3:53) 9. What'll I Do
(3:33) 10. Goodbye

Linda Ronstadt has received just about every musical honor imaginable Grammys, Kennedy Center Honors, and more in a career spanning styles and eras. Ronstadt was born in Tucson, AZ, in 1946 but was living in L.A. at the right time to become part of the booming SoCal folk-rock scene. Her band the Stone Poneys scored a 1967 hit with Mike Nesmith’s “Different Drum,” and by their third album, Ronstadt was getting star billing. She began a solo career with 1969’s Hand Sown…Home Grown, applying her huge but artfully modulated pipes to a more country-rocking sound.

She soon scored her first real hit with the lovelorn ballad “Long Long Time,” but it was not until Peter Asher fully took over the production reins that she became a full-blown pop star. In the second half of the ’70s, Ronstadt turned out an unstoppable onslaught of smooth, soft-rocking hits, making a wide range of other artists’ songs her own, including Roy Orbison’s “Blue Bayou,” The Everly Brothers’ “When Will I Be Loved,” and The Rolling Stones’ “Tumbling Dice.”

She flirted briefly but memorably with New Wave on 1980’s Mad Love before making what was then a radical move for a baby-boomer pop singer: tackling the Great American Songbook on 1983’s What’s New. The shift was widely embraced, and she followed up with two similarly styled records. Ronstadt’s subsequent projects included Mexican songs (reflecting her background) and dream-team trio recordings with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris. A degenerative condition subsequently rendered Ronstadt unable to sing, and she officially announced her retirement in 2011. She remains a pop and rock icon whose ascendance in an overwhelmingly male ’70s rock scene is an inspiration for generations to come. https://music.apple.com/us/artist/linda-ronstadt/148850

Keeping Out of Mischief

---

Bette Midler - Bette Midler Sings The Rosemary Clooney Songbook

Size: 73,1 MB
Time: 30:57
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2003
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. You'll Never Know (1:44)
02. This Ole House (3:02)
03. On A Slow Boat To China (Duet With Barry Manilow) (2:31)
04. Hey There (3:30)
05. Tenderly (3:11)
06. Come On-A My House (1:50)
07. Mambo Italiano (2:50)
08. Sisters (Duet With Linda Ronstadt) (2:53)
09. Memories Of You (3:20)
10. In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening (2:44)
11. White Christmas (3:16)

Cabaret icon Bette Midler reunites with her old piano partner Barry Manilow for the first time in over 30 years to toast one of their mutual idols on Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook. Clooney was one of the top jazz/pop vocalists of the '50s whose clear, bright tone, impeccable melodicism, and smiling, girl-next-door image came together to make classics out of tunes like "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" and "Hey There" -- both covered here. In that tradition, Midler's plucky blonde persona and genre-crossing style and Manilow's modern day blend of Mercer and Porter make this album work -- most of the time. Mostly what you get is the Divine Miss M and "Mister Manila," as Midler affectionately refers to Manilow, returning to their '70s New York roots on "On a Slow Boat to China," a solid and classy version of "Sisters" with Linda Ronstadt taking the Betty Clooney role, and a very Dixie Chicks-esque contemporary bluegrass reworking of "This Ole House." Least of all, you get limp, hip-hop-lite arrangements of "Come On-A My House" and "Mambo Italiano," which only serve to drain the songs of any swing and makes the twee-period lyrics all the more cloying. Nonetheless, Midler -- who can carry a tune on personality alone -- sounds elegant and alive here and Manilow's classy orchestral arrangements frame the proceedings with the urbane glow of nostalgia for a time -- be it the '50s or the '70s -- when a big band, a great song, and blonde with a nice voice were all you needed for a good time. ~by Matt Collar

Sings The Rosemary Clooney Songbook

---

Linda Ronstadt - Frenesi

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 43:01

Size: 98.5 MB

Styles: Latin folk

Year: 1992

Art: Front

[3:33] 1. Frenesi

[2:54] 2. Mentira Salome

[3:15] 3. Alma Adentro

[3:24] 4. Entre Abismos

[3:07] 5. Cuando Me Querias Tu

[3:06] 6. Piel Canela

[3:27] 7. Verdad Amarga

[3:06] 8. Despojos

[2:53] 9. En Mi Soledad

[2:57] 10. Piensa En Mi

[3:27] 11. Quiereme Mucho

[3:47] 12. Perfidia

[4:01] 13. Te Quiero Dijiste

Frenesi is Linda Ronstadt's third in a series of Spanish-language releases. This one -- inspired by her work on the soundtrack to the film Mambo Kings -- tackles Afro-Cuban pop and jazz. While some tracks, especially "Entre Abismos," swing mightily, there's little that sounds street level or rootsy about these sessions. I can't help picturing a wind-up lounge band holding court at some tourist-trap Holiday Inn in Acapulco. ~Roch Parisien

Frenesi

---

Linda Ronstadt - Greatest Hits

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:15
Size: 126.5 MB
Styles: Adult contemporary
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[2:35] 1. Different Drum
[4:12] 2. Love Has No Pride
[3:40] 3. You're No Good
[3:14] 4. The Tracks Of My Tears
[2:46] 5. (Love Is Like A) Heat Wave
[4:30] 6. Someone To Lay Down Beside Me
[3:54] 7. Blue Bayou
[3:41] 8. Poor, Poor Pitiful Me
[2:28] 9. It's So Easy
[3:06] 10. Tumbling Dice
[3:12] 11. Just One Look
[2:17] 12. How Do I Make You
[3:10] 13. Hurt So Bad
[2:40] 14. I Can't Let Go
[2:53] 15. I Knew You When
[3:33] 16. Don't Know Much
[3:16] 17. Winter Light

Linda Ronstadt's appeal crossed so many genre lines it's impossible to categorize her as anything other than a gifted vocalist. She enjoyed success on country and rock charts alike with a voice that capably handled the requirements of both styles. There was a commanding roughness to her you-did-me-wrong classic, "You're No Good," that mixed both soul and R&B stylings into her vocals. In a similar vein, she handled the Motown standard, "Heat Wave," like a pro, this time giving it the slightest hint of a country twang. Ronstadt had some of her best moments with material that had a more emotional element, regardless of genre. "Tracks of My Tears" is a good example of the disparate styles she could navigate with equal aplomb.

Greatest Hits

---

Various - Buddy Holly: Listen To Me

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 43:49

Size: 100.3 MB

Styles: Rock

Year: 2011

Art: Front

[3:57] 1. Stevie Nicks - Not Fade Away

[2:26] 2. Pat Monahan - Maybe Baby

[2:42] 3. Brian Wilson - Listen To Me

[2:05] 4. Imelda May - I'm Lookin' For Someone To Love

[3:04] 5. Jackson Browne - True Love Ways

[2:49] 6. Cobra Starship - Peggy Sue

[3:27] 7. The Fray - Take Your Time

[1:49] 8. Ringo Starr - Think It Over

[2:27] 9. Chris Isaac - Crying Wishing Hoping

[2:32] 10. Linda Ronstadt - That'll Be The Day

[2:02] 11. Jeff Lynne - Words Of Love

[2:25] 12. Lyle Lovett - Well All Right

[3:27] 13. Natalie Merchant - Learning The Game

[2:39] 14. Patrick Stump - Everyday

[2:52] 15. Zooey Deschanel - It's So Easy

[2:58] 16. Eric Idle - Raining In My Heart

Songmasters has launched a series called Listen to Me which pays tribute to the true, great and original icons of rock music. Listen To Me: Buddy Holly inaugurates the series in an album produced by Peter Asher, featuring music greats Stevie Nicks, Pat Monahan, Brian Wilson, Imelda May, Jackson Browne, Cobra Starship, The Fray, Ringo Starr, Chris Isaak, Linda Ronstadt, Jeff Lynne, Lyle Lovett, Natalie Merchant, Patrick Stump, Zooey Deschanel, Eric Idle.

Buddy Holly, the true, great, and original recording artist featured in Listen To Me programs this year, continues to be an essential component of rock ‘n’ roll’s historical catalog as seen from Universal Music Enterprises (UME) continuous sales of its Buddy Holly: Millennium Collection, which is the No. 1 seller of the Holly catalog. More than fifty years later, new fans continue to discover the genius of Holly and his accolades continue to grow through projects such as Listen To Me: Buddy Holly.

Buddy Holly: Listen To Me

---

Linda Ronstadt - Hummin' To Myself

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 36:58

Size: 84.6 MB

Styles: Vocal, Standards

Year: 2004

Art: Front

[4:31] 1. Tell Him I Said Hello

[2:21] 2. Never Will I Marry

[4:23] 3. Cry Me A River

[2:42] 4. Hummin' To Myself

[3:09] 5. Miss Otis Regrets

[3:33] 6. I Fall In Love Too Easily

[2:59] 7. Blue Prelude

[4:26] 8. Day Dream

[3:24] 9. I've Never Been In Love Before

[2:48] 10. Get Out Of Town

[2:36] 11. I'll Be Seeing You

Beginning with her 1983 album What's New, Linda Ronstadt broke away from the pop/rock world and collaborated with Nelson Riddle on a trilogy of traditional pop standards that were confidently performed and well-received. Riddle's satiny arrangements swirled around Ronstadt's rich voice as she played the kind of demure chanteuse who might have been headlining at a fashionable nightclub back in the day. The albums were lush and beautifully crafted but by the third album the formula had become tired and the novelty had worn thin. Twenty years later another fading rocker, Rod Stewart, recorded his own highly successful standards trilogy and perhaps it was his success that spurred Ronstadt to revisit the traditional pop catalog once again. Hummin' to Myself is basically a throwback to her albums that were throwbacks when first recorded. This time around Ronstadt and arranger Alan Broadbent dispense with the full orchestra in favor of a smaller big band-style combo and this setting actually works in her favor. As a rock vocalist, Ronstadt could growl with the best and there was a certain spark in songs like "Get Closer" that let a listener know that this pretty woman had a slightly naughty side. That spark was appropriately missing from the Riddle albums and with Hummin' she has a chance to incorporate a little of her rock bawdiness into her selection of standards. She does this to perfection on "Never Will I Marry," as Frank Loesser's jazzy tune showcases a performance that is sassy and one of Ronstadt's best covers. To a lesser extent, the title track and "Get Out of Town" have some zest to them, but even with the lighter arrangements, her reliance on ballads like "Cry Me a River" and "I'll Be Seeing You" take up the majority of space and bog down the disc. Even her down-tempo version of "Miss Otis Regrets" completely stifles the song's comedic, yet tragic, story line. Ronstadt was on to something when she dispensed with Riddle's orchestrations in favor of Broadbent's big-band arrangements, but the spunk shown in a few tunes isn't enough to fully carry the disc. However, with its different approach Hummin' to Myself is quite possibly Linda Ronstadt's most successful standards outing. ~Aaron Latham

Hummin' To Myself

---