Every teenage boy in the late 1970's knew Linda Ronstadt. Her string of hits were legendary, and her looks were just as alluring. The 1976 album Hasten Down the Wind brought Buddy Holly's smash That'll Be The Day to a new generation. As was her tradition by this point in her career, remakes were her ticket to the very top of the pop charts, as evidenced by Heat Wave and Tracks of My Tears. And it brought her sold out crowds when she performed in town.
I knew she was talented and full of spunk and grit to go with that voice and her physical charms, but I didn't always know what an absolutely great singer she was. Until Blue Bayou. This was the one that made me sit up and listen. Those deep and sultry alto notes alongside that simple arrangement made for one terrific listen. A listen that led to another and another and another. One album after another, she drew me in. But Blue Bayou was the gold standard for her to beat. My respect for her voice was only surpassed when she recorded the first of three albums featuring classics from the Great American Songbook. What's New, the first of the bunch, was the best of the bunch and made my wife and I drive all the way to see her where she kicked off a tour to support the album. What a voice, and what a night!
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