Linda Ronstadt: The Movie

WeFixFlats

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The name of the movie is "The Sound of My Voice". I'd known about it's release a few months ago, it started showing earlier this month. I saw it yesterday down here in Austin. A matinee show but there were still 30-40 people in the theater.

You might wonder why I would post about some 'chick singer', right? Well here's the deal, if you were in a 70's/80's country/cover band with a female vocalist you played ALL of Ronstadt's radio hits in every set if the gal could handle it:

You're No Good
Blue Bayou
When will I be loved
Silver Threads/Golden Needles
Living in the U.S.A.
Poor Poor Pitiful Me
Tumblin' Dice
Heatwave
That'll be the day
It's So Easy
I Can't help It
Willin'

There's a complete set, right there...

The great part was all the precision guitar arrangements by Andrew Gold(RIP) too.

After watching this movie I would argue that Linda Ronstadt, not Whitney Houston or Celine Dion was the best female vocalist of my generation. Just the massive number of albums sold, the sold out arenas, etc...Platinum album after platinum album...Then the Mexican albums, and Standard albums...what a range.

So if you have the chance, take your significant other and see this movie about a true giant and trailblazer, you will not regret it; guaranteed.
 
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She also used to play with some pretty good backup:

"Another backing band featured players Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner, who went on to form the Eagles. They toured with her for a short period in 1971 and played on Linda Ronstadt, her self-titled third album."
 
After watching this movie I would argue that Linda Ronstadt, not Whitney Houston or Celine Dion was the best female vocalist of my generation.


He's not wrong. I'd forgotten just how big a star Linda Ronstadt was in the 70s and 80s, and she could do just about anything she wanted to. I saw the film Friday, and it was the first time I saw any of the Pirates Of Penzance stuff (even though I knew she'd done it). The range and vocal control she had - man, what talent. Then to branch out to the Nelson Riddle stuff and the Mexican stuff and be as successful as she was with that? Maybe not my cup of tea (I liked the Riddle stuff, not so much the Mexican songs), but I can't deny how well she did it. And the Trio stuff with Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton - those harmonies were otherworldly.

So Linda better than Whitney or Celine? I'm on that boat.
 
Well, Linda Ronstadt is from my home town so she's already got my vote for that alone.
Pretty sure I went to school with one or two of her younger siblings.
 
I’m a bit young, but my folks were big fans of her so I heard plenty of her albums as a kid. Ditto- great range, kinda forgot about her until I saw an ad for this movie the other day and brought all those memories back.
 
Waddy Wachtel anybody ? The dude is awesome....
The Linda biography is a good read by the way.
 
By the way, in case you missed the theatrical release, this movie is now available for streaming. You can rent it for $4 on the VUDU platform, plus all the others.

This is one not to miss...
 
I’m a boomer who has been listening to Linda since the Stone Poneys days. Beautiful on all accounts, and a generational talent. Glad to see her story out there in video. I have an autographed copy of her book, which was a good read.
 
I saw Linda live waaaaaay back when. One of those singular voices. I liked the Nelson Riddle Orchestra stuff too. I'm not a "big band" kind of guy, but it was just so well done.
 
As for me, the first and last time I ever saw and heard Ronstadt live was at the late, great Capital Center in Landover, Maryland...December 12th, 1976.

Over 43 years ago.

Here's the setlist:

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/linda-ronstadt/1976/capital-centre-landover-md-13c40da9.html

And from out of the dark the first words we heard her sing were: "Save me, Free me, From my heart this time, Well the train's gone, Down the track and I'm left behind.." And the band kicked in, and that was it...boom. You knew you'd never hear a voice like that again, ever...It was incredible and still, to this day as I type this, a personal transcendent musical moment: The power of her voice overwhelmed the 19,000 seat venue; the entire audience had gasped together in disbelief of what they had just heard...and exploded in applause and cheers during and at the end of the song. You had to be there, and I thank my lucky stars I was that night.
 
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Linda Ronstadt's catalog of artistic performances has spanned the widest of genres: Light Opera, Rock, Country, Pop, American Standards, Traditional Mexican Folk Songs, et al. And won 12 Grammy Awards in the process. With Lifetime Achievement Grammys in 2011(Latin) and 2016.

Hands down the greatest, most accomplished, female interpretive vocalist in my lifetime. And has lived to tell about it too...
 
one of my first albums for a penny from Columbia House (did I just age myself) was a Linda. I don't remember which one it was, but I remember singing along to it a lot. I also remember being so tickled when her other songs came on the radio. I cant say I had a crush on her but she was definitely a good looking woman.
 
one of my first albums for a penny from Columbia House (did I just age myself) was a Linda. I don't remember which one it was, but I remember singing along to it a lot. I also remember being so tickled when her other songs came on the radio. I cant say I had a crush on her but she was definitely a good looking woman.

Shout out to Columbia House, Yes~!!!...OK Boomer, but that was back in the day where a music fan could build a record catalog. But cancelling was, fair to say, difficult...
 
Shout out to Columbia House, Yes~!!!...OK Boomer, but that was back in the day where a music fan could build a record catalog. But cancelling was, fair to say, difficult...
Been there, done that.

Was great to see her get the Kennedy Center Honor, as well.
 
Been there, done that.

Was great to see her get the Kennedy Center Honor, as well.

Yes, it was. Sad to see the tremors, though.

My BD of the movie just arrived this morning - should make for some holiday viewing!
 
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