Album Review: Linda Ronstadt – Just One Look: The Very Best Of Linda Ronstadt
3 min read
30 studio albums, 15 compilation albums, 38 charted Billboard Hot 100 singles, 11 Grammy awards, sold-out stadium concerts, 2014 Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee…the list of success goes on for celebrated music veteran Linda Ronstadt. For fans of Ronstadt old and new, a special remastered collection of the singer’s greatest hits has been compiled to give her legacy new life; Just One Look: The Very Best Of Linda Ronstadt is going to be one of those musical treasures that you will hold close to your heart.
Remastering a trove such as Linda’s impressive hit list has proved such a gem, new life is continuously being pumped into the star’s iconic catalogue with each compilation release. Long time fans would get nostalgic as they listen to her debut track Different Drum, and they won’t be able to help but fall in love once again with her crooning voice in ballads like Desperado and I Never Will Marry. A taste of the power behind her strong voice could be heard carrying tracks such as Poor Poor Pitiful Me and Sometimes You Just Can’t Win: the diversity of her vocal work and ability to genre bend made it clear as to why she is one of the highest selling artists of all time. Even Linda’s duets impress, especially the emotional When Something Is Wrong With My Baby which she recorded with Aaron Neville, and again for Don’t Know Much.
It was obvious that Linda loved to experiment with different sounds and genres, and she happened to have the talent to do so, even rock wasn’t out of reach for the pop singer; Tumbling Dice won over the rock loving audience, but then there are also boppy and energetic tracks like Just One Look and How Do I Make You. It would have been fantastic to experience Linda touring this wonderful compilation, revisiting these memoirs on stage, but unfortunately her battle with Parkinson’s disease has disabled her from singing a note. Her spirit is kept alive through this compilation though, so it’s not all over. We can’t forget to mention the songs that stick with you though, Anyone Who Had A Heart is a favourite for fans old and new and the presence of Blue Bayou also deserves a mention.
Just One Look truly is one of the best greatest hit compilations, Linda Ronstadt was and still is a truly influential artist and each of the thirty tracks show that. Although Linda’s career took off in the 70’s/80’s her music is still just as relevant now, at the time she was dubbed ‘The First Lady of Rock’ and even as the ‘Queen of Rock’, she was a star. If you are a massive fan of Linda Ronstadt’s work you are bound to appreciate her talent once again with these remastered favourites, and if you are new to Linda, welcome to her legacy; Just One Look: The Very Best Of Linda Ronstadt is quite the definitive collection.
How many releases of these same songs do we need?
I noticed there were quite a lot! This one celebrates three decades of Linda’s career with the tracks being remastered once again. Nothing new, but just a more refined way to celebrate Linda’s work.