Heart Like A Wheel

Performer: Linda Ronstadt
Producer: Peter Asher
Distributor: Select-O-Hits

Notes: Personnel: Linda Ronstadt (vocals); Andrew Gold (vocals, guitar, ukulele, piano, drums, percussion); John David Souther (vocals, guitar); Kenny Edwards (vocals, bass); Bob Warford, Eddie Black (guitar); Herb Pedersen (banjo, background vocals); Danny Pendleton, Sneaky Pete Kleinow (steel guitar); David Lindley (fiddle); David Campbell (viola); Dennis Karmazyn (cello); Jimmy Fadden (harmonica); Tom Guidera, Emory Gordy, Chris Ethridge (bass); Russel Kunkel, Dennis St. John (drums); Peter Asher (percussion); Maria Muldaur, Cissy Houston, Joyce Nesbitt, Wendy Waldman, Clydie King, Shirley Matthews (background vocals). Recorded at The Sound Factory, Los Angeles, California. Originally released on Capitol. Following the same formula as her early records, Heart Like a Wheel doesn't appear to be a great breakthrough on the surface. However, Ronstadt comes into her own on this mix of oldies and contemporary classics. Backed by a fleet of Los Angeles musicians, Ronstadt sings with vigor and passion, helping bring the music alive. But what really makes Heart Like a Wheel a breakthrough is the inventive arrangements that producer Peter Asher, Ronstadt, and the studio musicians have developed. Finding the right note for each song -- whether it's the soulful reworking of "When Will I Be Loved," the hit "You're No Good," or the laid-back folk-rock of "Willing" -- the musicians help turn Heart Like a Wheel into a veritable catalog of Californian soft rock, and it stands as a landmark of '70s mainstream pop/rock. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine There are just no two ways about it: if you call yourself a fan of '70s music, you simply must have Linda Ronstadt's HEART LIKE A WHEEL. Like Fleetwood Mac's RUMOURS and The Eagles HOTEL CALIFORNIA, this is a masterpiece that has earned a spot in every record collection that's worth its salt. Ronstadt, the '70s queen of southern California country-rock, is in pristine form. Her angelic voice is flawless as each track flows from one to the other like a gentle stream. Not only do you get the hit "You're No Good" and the Everly Brothers' classic "When Will I Be Loved," but the sorrowful title track and Hank Williams' "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)" give testament to Ronstadt's legendary feel for driving the emotion home. What's more, if the powerful "Willing" doesn't have you longing for the days of bell bottoms and bandanas, you just aren't feeling it. With production by Peter Asher and guests like Emmylou Harris, Maria Muldaur, J.D. Souther and most of the aforementioned Eagles, Ronstadt crafted a magnificent blend of country, rock and folk that is among the greatest records made in a generation.

Rolling Stone (10/31/02, p.136) - Ranked # 23 in Rolling Stone's "Women in Rock: The 50 Essential Albums" - "...It rocks..." Q (4/04, p.136) - 4 stars out of 5 - "Students of Americana will find plenty to admire in her innate grasp of country music, audible sense of soul, and peerless interpretative talent."

Linda Ronstadt began as the clear-voiced, country-influenced singer for '60s folk-rockers the Stone Poneys, where she covered tunes by the likes of Mike Nesmith and Tim Buckley. That knack for choosing material served her well in the second half of the '70s, when she became a pop superstar interpreting songs by everyone from Dave Edmunds and Elvis Costello to Chuck Berry and Roy Orbison. Subsequently, she showed her diversity by cutting albums of jazz standards, traditional Mexican music, and pure country

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