Greatest Hits

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Always eclectic, always tuneful, and, in the case of these dozen tracks, definitely chart-topping Ronstadt! No "Mad Love" single felt more like an obvious attempt at carving out a spot for Linda Ronstadt in the punk and New Wave era than "How Do I Make You," an electrifying shot of pure adrenaline that announces its arrival with an overcaffeinated snare roll. Never mind Dolly Parton est, give this cd a listen and I think you will agree that Linda is very under rated. Two years later we made the move to our present address, 35 The Headrow, where we have remained ever since. This version on 1977's "Simple Dreams" feels much more hopeless — in a good way, especially when Parton chimes in on the mournful chorus.

No wonder, then, that Ronstadt's version doesn't stray as far from the original recording as she tends to go. The Stone Poneys had planned to record an acoustic version of the song, but producer Nick Venet had other plans: the perfect chamber-pop arrangement — complete with a harpsichord solo! And she doesn't shy from its roots on the gospel side of the street, Cissy Houston joining in on backing vocals as the song builds to a soulful climax where Ronstadt warns, "They're gonna find us someday. Jimmie Haskell's tasteful string arrangement underscores the power and pathos of a vocal that stands as one of her more nuanced shows of force.But it wasn't until 1987 that she had the industry support to do her dream project, an album titled "Canciones de Mi Padre" honoring the Mexican side of her heritage with the support of Mariachi Vargas, Mariachi Los Camperos and Mariachi Los Galleros de Pedro Rey. Widely considered her signature song, this melancholy ballad was co-written by Roy Orbison, who had a minor U. Long before they got together on "Trio," Emmylou Harris turned up singing harmonies on this highlight of "Heart Like a Wheel," a melancholy take on a Hank Williams classic with pedal steel guitarist Sneaky Pete Kleinow underscoring the heartache. Lo Siento Mi Vida," which translates as "I'm Sorry, My Love," was Ronstadt's first songwriting credit.

She does add steel guitar, which lends a bit of country flavor to the mix and may explain why this one charted higher on the country charts (No. on Billboard's Hot 100, topping the Adult Contemporary charts and picking up a 1990 Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.K. But it feels more like the sort of record Holly would've made than Ronstadt's other hit recordings of his songs. Ronstadt's version appeared as the opening track on "Lush Life," her second collection of jazz standards recorded with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. Home Grown," with its oddly psychedelic fuzz-guitar lick, is closer to straight-up country, though, than country-rock. The thread connecting all those very different projects is the strength of her vocal performances and her ability to get inside the essence of a song.