Disco de Linda Ronstadt: “We Ran”

"We Ran" is not just a return to Linda Ronstadt's classic LA-flavored country-folk rock but a terrific album with great songs and superb musicianship centered around her brilliant vocals. Producer Glyn Johns - plus collaborators Waddy Wachtel, George Massenburg and Peter Asher - have wisely relied on great songwriters (John Hiatt, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen) and a production which updates the "Heart Like A Wheel" sound (virtually copied by most Nashville female singers) but gives the disc a classic feel. The cream of LA musicians are on this album, including Russ Kunkel, Leland Sklar, Don Grolnick, Carlos Vega, Waddy Wachtel (who contributes two wonderful songs), Bernie Leadon and Mike Campbell but the spotlight is on La Ronstadt. Its been a long time since her voice gave me goosebumps and made me run across the room to turn up the volume. But listen to how she holds her notes on the title track or the full-tilt gospel wail on "Ruler of! My Heart" (produced by Asher in the stytle of "Dark Side of the Street" from "Wheel") or the passionate heartbreak of "Cry "Til My Tears Run Dry." Although I skip over "Give Me A Reason" (too light for this otherwise first-rate collection) and she stumbles a bit over the thick syllables of "Tom Thumb's Blues" (but so does Dylan), this CD offers additional rewards on further playing (pay attention to the way her voice slides effortlessly to the top of her range, to the maturity in her phrasings or the shimmering acoustic guitar sounds) In the lovely final track, "Dreams of the San Joaquin," Ronstadt is backed up by (count 'em) six members of her family and family. It's obvious she's comfortable with her musical roots and with herself and "We Ran" is superb proof.

Arguably the most under-appreciated album in a career that goes back to the birth of country-rock in the late 1960s, Linda's 1998 album WE RAN was virtually ignored by radio and the public. That this should have been so, owing to severe health problems that she had no control over, as well as a fickle public with a two-minute attention span, is, in my opinion, a terrible crime; and the way the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame keeps ignoring her is even worse. Linda only happens to be one of the greatest singers in rock and roll history, and this album is proof of that.

Though she may have been in poor health when she hooked up with former Eagles producer Glyn Johns to make this album in late 1997 and early 1998, her voice is still as great as it ever was. Her superlative huskiness on the John Hiatt-penned title track and "Cry 'Til My Tears Run Dry" is still great to hear, and it shows that Linda can still run circles around melismatic divas like Mariah Carey and Celine Dion. There's also Hiatt's "Icy Blue Heart", and, most especially, the Paul Kennerley/Marty Stuart toe-tapper "Heartbreak Kind", which hearken back to her early 70s country-rock days of performing at the Troubadour and the Palomino, and can equally be seen as her nods to the alternative country music scene. This latter track has her harmonizing with former Eagle Bernie Leadon in a very twangy way.

Along with some production assistence from Peter Asher, and Linda herself, WE RAN, besides everything else, must count as one of the lost albums of the 1990s. At some point, Linda is no longer going to be around; so one should find this album and really get to appreciate what she has meant to a lot of great female artists of today. This is an album that I highly recommend.

The brilliant release of "We Ran" confirms once and for all that singer Linda Ronstadt has not only the best female Rock n Roll voice, but can easily dominate in almost any genre. This album takes us through many different styles, areas that Linda seems to easily adapt to. The Country, R&B and Folk covers only accentuate this powerful ability.

We Ran takes the listener through an emotional Hiatt tour of emotions while her version of Dylan's Tom Thumb Blues must make Bob blush with its simple yet sophisticated expression of sincerity.

This disc is chock full of great tunes written by great songwriers and interpreted by the finest female voice ever recorded.

This album finds Ronstadt back to her folk/country field. If you like her previous "Feels Like Home," you will like this album alot. There are many numbers (such as the Paul Kennerley/Marty Stuart "Heartbreak Kind") that could easily ignite the country charts; then there are those like "Dreams of the San Joaguin" that are slow and reflective. This is a good album but Ronstadt kind of lacks the energy that is in her previous albums. Yes, she still holds her notes well but one gets the impression that the album is a little slow and lacks the energy of her earlier albums. Still a good album though.

I'm a great fan of Linda's, but was pretty disappointed in this album. My hopes were raised by the fact that she had returned to straightforward rock and roll, but I agree with other reviewers that there's a curiously lackluster feel to the album. Her heart just doesn't seem to be in it. The song selection is so-so: "Give Me A Reason" is embarassing, while others are just plain boring. The only one that sounds like classic Ronstadt to my ears is "Cry 'Til My Tears Run Dry", which is a sublime Doc Pomus song that has almost a Burt Bacharach feel here, and which Ronstadt delivers gorgeously. Wish they were all up to that level, and I also wish Linda would hook up with Peter Asher again to make more great albums! I know she's still capable of it.