Linda Ronstadt Album: “Frenesi”

Description :

Personnel includes: Linda Ronstadt (vocals); Gilberto Puente (acoustic guitar); Yomo Toro (tres); Jeff Beal (strings); Joe Rotondi (piano); Luis Conte (percussion). <p>Engineers: Nathaniel Kunkel, George Massenburg, Shawn Murphy. <p>Recorded at Skywalker Sound, Marin County, California in March 1992. <p>Having established herself as a hugely successful singles artist and pop-rock diva in the 1970s, Linda Ronstadt changed her focus after 1982's GET CLOSER. From there, she explored her own musical obsessions. After releasing two well-received sets of classic pop songs and ballads, she recorded a series of albums that mined her Spanish/Mexican heritage, beginning in 1987. <p>FRENESI, released in 1992, is the third and final installment in Linda's "Latin phase." Sung entirely in Spanish, but with accompanying English lyric sheet, this is a collection of cha-chas, rhumbas, and boleros, with impeccable backing by the Ray Santos Orchestra and numerous other musicians: percussionists, a three-man vocal trio, and the 28-member Skywalker Strings. Ronstadt's effortless singing, precise phrasing and that signature aching moan are very much in evidence. With her clarion voice floating above percolating Latin percussion, subtly swelling strings and Spanish guitar, the sound is lush, dramatic, and undeniably romantic. These are songs of passion, and she sings them that way. Most of these, with the possible exception of the classic "Perfidia," will be unfamiliar to listeners not well versed in Latin styles, but FRENESI is a worthy and accessible effort.

Over the years, there seems to be a new Latin Craze about once per decade. Frenesi contains some great songs mostly from crazes of years gone by. If you speak Spanish, you already know that most of the songs on the album are incredibly sexy and sensual. (If you don't, then you can read the English translations in the liner notes.) I know the songs from my father's albums and knew that this was going to be a great album as soon as it was issued.Ronstadt's voice is perfectly suited to the delivery of these torrid Latin classics.She and Tish Hinojosa rate at the top of my list of female American performers who sing in Spanish. Linda is at top form throughout the album and the quality of the music is such that I wonder why she doesn't abandon other genres and stick to salsa exclusively. From the sexy title cut to the poignant Verdad Amarga, Ronstadt shows herself capable of expressing the full gamut of human emotion in song.My favorites are the aforementioned two songs as well as the plaintive Despojos, Entre Abismos, and the classic Perfidia. Buy this album and you'll see why Ronstadt so richly deserves to be called the New Queen of Salsa.

Of all of Ms. Ronstadt's latin music albums, this is my absolute favorite. My mother was Mexican and these songs are the songs she was listening to while growing up in south Texas in the 1930s and 1940s. They're off the ranch and more into the towns and cities, i.e., they were the popular standards of their day. Romantic, lively, warm, sweet - these songs have it all. And they have a perfect interpreter in Ms. Ronstadt. She was born to sing this music.

I first heard Linda singing "Perfidia" on radio, found the album on a trip to Door County, Wisconsin, and was confused to find the recording in the album entirely in Spanish while the radio version was partially in English. I later found the English version was from a film soundtrack. That aside, this album of popular tunes in Spanish from the '40s and '30s mostly is absolutely ingratiating. Everyone I know who has it says it's hard to stop playing over and over...and over. Ronstadt is in magnificent voice, the arrangements are exciting and often surprising, the sound quality and production values absolutely first rate. Some of the songs are familiar by their English titles, such as "Magic Is the Moonlight." Part of the fun is finding a favorite song you didn't know would be on the album. Ronstadt is in her element with this music, passionate and forceful and dynamic. Don't miss this album!

While I agree w/ the glowing reviews written here already, I would like to note that this album IS in fact salsa; that generic term in fact does apply to music from Cuba, Puerto Rico, and other parts of the Caribbean, and not to Mexican genres.

At any rate, I have been a fan of this album for most of my short life, and have never tired of it. Linda's vocals are mesmerising and emotional, and the production values are tip-top. Sure to please anyone, whether you are a fan of the genre or not.