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Eldergays, tell me about Linda Rondstadt

Who would be her equivalent today?

by Anonymousreply 53June 4, 2018 2:14 PM

I don't know, but my brother had me convinced that she was Darla Hood as a little girl when we were kids.

by Anonymousreply 1July 21, 2014 12:55 PM

Her equivalent today (in level of visibility, not talent) would be Alicia Keys.

by Anonymousreply 2July 21, 2014 1:04 PM

Maybe Adele in terms of vocals -- though Linda didn't tend to worite her own songs. I think Linda's voice is one of the great pop rock voices of all time -- so pure and clean and powerful. She's widely acknowledged to be a great musician.

by Anonymousreply 3July 21, 2014 5:08 PM

[quote]Who would be her equivalent today?

Linda Ronstadt

by Anonymousreply 4July 21, 2014 5:10 PM

Been trying to find the SNL video where Julia Louie-Dreyfus impersonates Ronstadt. It's a great clip, JLD does a terrific job of singing "What's New."

by Anonymousreply 5July 21, 2014 8:48 PM

For some of us, she represented a mysterious item that people somehow found talented and attractive, neither of which she appeared to be.

Her voice was middling and full of clumsy tricks, including a strained full-throated warble and a nasal yodel with weird yodel notes.

Her looks were pure Kewpie-pie-face blah.

She lacked intelligence and, like most of the unintelligent, she thought she was soulful (as if soulful ever is anything other than smart). This dumbness allowed her to think she sang expressively, when actually she never (never) sounded like she understood the lyrics.

Listen to her album of standards. (She was one of the first to attempt the "Come on, Mr. Riddle, and lush me up while I try to keep my career going now that I'm aging" cross-over to cabaret/American Songbook singing,") It exemplifies her limitations in perfect balance of ineptness, blandness, dullness and cluelessness.

And she also loved pulling the "But I'm a proud Latina" card any time she felt the heat getting too caliente.

In other words, a great mediocrity.

Who is she like? Try mixing Sheryl Crow and Gloria Estefan with a sprinkle of Adele (less the phony imitation of black American singing - at least Ronstadt evaded that particular hog wallow.) and a tiny smidge of the cum from a rock groupie's snatch. Because Linda ALWAYS was about the connections.

by Anonymousreply 6July 21, 2014 9:12 PM

Great girl singer.

Adventurous: tackled operetta, Mexican music, standards with Nelson Riddle, and of course country, pop and rock.

One of my favorites:

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by Anonymousreply 7July 21, 2014 9:12 PM

She's a really fat tub of shit!

by Anonymousreply 8July 21, 2014 9:14 PM

Believe it or not, she was the #1 female singer for a few years in the late 70's.

Wildly popular and the highest paid female singer of her time.

She comes from a wealthy family of pioneers and inventors.

And she was really cute too.

by Anonymousreply 9July 22, 2014 12:51 AM

shreeeeeeeee eeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eeeeeeee eeeeeeeee K

by Anonymousreply 10July 22, 2014 1:02 AM

Poor Warbling Star

by Anonymousreply 11July 22, 2014 1:11 AM

This: "Maybe Adele in terms of vocals." completely contradicts this: "I think Linda's voice is one of the great pop rock voices of all time -- so pure and clean and powerful. She's widely acknowledged to be a great musician."

Stop drinking the Adele Kool-Aid! It's toxic!

by Anonymousreply 12July 22, 2014 1:12 AM

Stop trying to make shreee-eee-eeek happen R10.

by Anonymousreply 13July 22, 2014 1:23 AM

She has no contemporary equivalent as an artist. Boone then or now comes close.

by Anonymousreply 14July 22, 2014 1:35 AM

That should read "no one" not "Boone"

by Anonymousreply 15July 22, 2014 1:36 AM

Kelly Clarkson. Maybe Kelly's voice is a bit better - but Linda lucked out in having some great songs given to her to sing. I favor Emmy Lou Harris, but still listen to Linda a lot.

by Anonymousreply 16July 22, 2014 1:52 AM

R6 is an idiot of epic proportions. Absolutely nothing this clod said about Linda Ronstadt is true. I wonder who this fool considers to be a great singer? Madonna, probably.

by Anonymousreply 17July 22, 2014 2:03 AM

Linda knows music, and has a huge range. She also was gorgeous, sometimes I see traces of her in Selena Gomez, but Linda was more of a beauty.

by Anonymousreply 18July 22, 2014 2:38 AM

Big fat, banal, idea stealing, chicken eating taco. I hate her. She's from those poor, hot, and dirty places that I hate. Barren pussy too from too many abortions.

by Anonymousreply 19July 22, 2014 2:41 AM

R6 is the dumbest, deafest ass ever to skulk these Datalounge corridors. I can't imagine who it thinks is talented.

by Anonymousreply 20July 22, 2014 2:42 AM

She's a fat, talentless old cunt.

She's also widely despised in the industry. She was forced to "retire" because she pissed away her audience and no one in the business would work with her anymore.

by Anonymousreply 21July 22, 2014 4:07 AM

R21 - you are a complete moron. Linda retired because she has Parkinson's.

by Anonymousreply 22July 22, 2014 4:23 AM

[quote]Been trying to find the SNL video where Julia Louie-Dreyfus impersonates Ronstadt. It's a great clip, JLD does a terrific job of singing "What's New."

I remember that. Julia was hilarious as Linda.

"What's newwwwwwww ...

In a year, I'll be ...

Forty-twooooooooo ... "

by Anonymousreply 23July 22, 2014 4:27 AM

I never cared for Linda's politics, but she has always been one of my favorite singers. I especially love listening to her Latin music. Linda's beauty was at her best when she released "What's New?"

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by Anonymousreply 24July 22, 2014 4:46 AM

Notice how R17 is the type of cretin who uses the term "epic" to describe proportions and who thinks that providing evidence of LR's lack of talent equates with liking Madonna (rather like saying because a person doesn't like gray he must love grey). And of course there is nothing provided to counter anything except hissying that EVERYTHING was wrong.

Such dull, stupid, uneducated and uncultured cunts on the DL lately. So boring. Rather like the sort of people one would expect to not notice the mediocrity of Ronstadt's phony caterwauling.

And the comments about her loss of audience and bad reputation are right, too. She has a terrible reputation, as the citation of Dolly Parton (easiest person in the world to work with) says. Dolly couldn't stand the bitch.

EPIC! What a turd.

by Anonymousreply 25July 22, 2014 4:48 AM

Why don't you shut up, r25? You whore.

by Anonymousreply 26July 22, 2014 4:54 AM

[quote]I remember that. Julia was hilarious as Linda.

That wasn't funny at all, that was stupid.

by Anonymousreply 27July 22, 2014 4:55 AM

I agree with this New Yorker writer that she had a powerful, evocative voice. I also think she was damned lucky to cover great songs (and have them written for her - or find them some damned way.) Blue Bayou, You're No Good, Silver Threads and Golden Needles, When Will I Be Loved -- may have been a bitch, but the bitch had some great songs.

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by Anonymousreply 28July 22, 2014 5:44 AM

I like Linda a lot, but her strength was having a fine voice and doing well in many different areas of music rather than being an indelible artist like Karen Carpenter, k.d. lang, etc.

That sounds like I'm not praising her, but I am; she had success with country, pop, rock, New Wave, operetta, big band, Mexican standards, and quite a few more.

by Anonymousreply 29July 22, 2014 5:53 AM

Only like her for "Blue Bayou". I'm a big band buff, and didn't like her singing in that style.

by Anonymousreply 30July 22, 2014 6:19 AM

I love you, R25.

by Anonymousreply 31July 22, 2014 7:37 AM

She didn't really find songs or have them written for her. Every hit she had was a remake of a once popular song. She's a hack.

I remember and epic take down she got on the Tonight Show by Robin Quivers. Linda was being such a cunt to Robin and asking her, as a woman, how could she work for Howard Stern. There was more to it but Robin popped her balloon by asking her something like "as a Latina how can you play Sun City?". It was delicious.

by Anonymousreply 32July 22, 2014 12:44 PM

[quote]She didn't really find songs or have them written for her. Every hit she had was a remake of a once popular song. She's a hack.

James Horner ("My Heart Will Go On") wrote "Somewhere Out There" specifically for her and James Ingram to sing for AN AMERICAN TAIL.

by Anonymousreply 33July 22, 2014 12:58 PM

BTW: She was just inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year.

by Anonymousreply 34July 22, 2014 1:03 PM

I've always been a tentative fan. She's recorded some great songs, but she has a tendency to steamroll them with her powerful voice rather than interpret them with some lyrical insight. I'm not a big fan of the standards albums with Nelson Riddle, BUT they were my introduction to a number of American standards when I was a pop fan in the eighties. Also not a huge fan of the Mexican standards for the same reason: she doesn't interpret them with any nuance - and sometimes she's just off the mark. Yet I respect her for following her passion and leapfrogging genres even if I don't always appreciate the results.

Two of my favorite Ronstadt LPs have been the ones most critically derided made at the tail end of her rock career: Mad Love and Get Closer. Her tendency to open up loud fit the post-punk former and she includes some off-the-beaten-track gems on the latter, including the most beautiful, uncannily sad version of My Blue Tears by Dolly Parton recorded with Parton and Emmylou Harris before the Trio albums.

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by Anonymousreply 35July 22, 2014 1:24 PM

[quote]I remember and epic take down she got on the Tonight Show by Robin Quivers. Linda was being such a cunt to Robin and asking her, as a woman, how could she work for Howard Stern. There was more to it but Robin popped her balloon by asking her something like "as a Latina how can you play Sun City?". It was delicious.

Yeah, but Robin Quivers is a bitch also. She's pretty nasty in her comedic way, that's why she gets away with it.

by Anonymousreply 36July 22, 2014 4:13 PM

OP, tell us why you can't spell "Ronstadt."

HINT: one "d."

by Anonymousreply 37July 22, 2014 5:23 PM

"Believe it or not, she was the #1 female singer for a few years in the late 70's."

ahem....maybe #2.

by Anonymousreply 38July 22, 2014 5:33 PM

R24 Please, Olivia. You were nothing. Except maybe to the namby-pambys who liked "Afternoon Delight," Debby Boone, and the Captain and Tennille.

The only voice I've ever heard that reminds me of Linda's is Jennifer Warnes'.

by Anonymousreply 39July 22, 2014 5:40 PM

[r39] I loved Jennifer Warnes, she had an album out in the 70's that was seldom off my turntable.

by Anonymousreply 40July 22, 2014 5:50 PM

This says it all

Oddly enough for women solo artists in the 70s

For the first half of the decade the number one female solo artist was

Helen Reddy

For the second half 75-79 the number one female soloist was

Donna Summer

But overall?

1) Olivia Newton-John 2) Diana Ross 3) Donna Summer 4) Helen Reddy 5) Linda Rondstadt

And no it doesn't count Karen Carpenter, she's part of a duo or group.

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by Anonymousreply 41July 22, 2014 7:28 PM

R27 can't spell, either.

by Anonymousreply 42July 22, 2014 7:30 PM

R6 thinks she's writing for Rolling Stone.

What the fuck does something like "(as if soulful ever is anything other than smart)" even mean?

Your "dumbness" is showing, doll.

by Anonymousreply 43July 22, 2014 7:40 PM

Thank you, r43...and, r41....love that video!

by Anonymousreply 44July 22, 2014 7:57 PM

R25, you are not "correct." You are a retarded psycho. Dumb as a rock and totally insane. An pathetic freak. No wonder everyone who knows you hopes you will die soon, slowly and painfully.

And R31 "loves" the crazy cunt? I guess this loony also loves Charles Manson and Hitler.

by Anonymousreply 45July 22, 2014 10:20 PM

Yet we give Stritch a pass for being a cunt. Ronstadt reached millions more people and had tons more singing talent. So what if she is a bitch?

by Anonymousreply 46July 22, 2014 10:29 PM

I'm a millennial from Arizona and adore Linda. Do any elderfays have stories for me? It seems DL hates her ass.

by Anonymousreply 47June 4, 2018 9:51 AM

After 2 of her pop albums bombed in the early 80's she went BIG BAND with Nelson Riddle and 'What's New' - a huge hit album. She was lost to pop/rock at that point.

by Anonymousreply 48June 4, 2018 10:55 AM

Did Dolly Parton fat-shame Linda Ronstadt?

by Anonymousreply 49June 4, 2018 11:31 AM

I wasn't around back then, but when I listened to some of her music......um- her voice is average. If that.

So, ANY non-first placer on the voice.

by Anonymousreply 50June 4, 2018 12:42 PM

She was a big deal back in the day, but if half-forgotten today. She didn't have the staying power in the culture as some of her contemporaries like Stevie Nicks and Heart.

by Anonymousreply 51June 4, 2018 1:19 PM

Mad Love was one of my favorite albums back in the early 1980s.

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by Anonymousreply 52June 4, 2018 1:25 PM

I've always thought her version of "What'll I Do?" is beautiful.

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by Anonymousreply 53June 4, 2018 2:14 PM
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