Linda Ronstadt: Get Closer (West German ''Target'' Pressing) CD Track Listing

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Linda Ronstadt Get Closer (West German ''Target'' Pressing) (1982)
Originally Released 1982\nCD Edition Released \n\nAMG EXPERT REVIEW: Get Closer was another successful album for Ronstadt, even though it didn't perform up to her platinum standards. Part of the reason for the relative lack of success was the lackluster material, which again signals that Ronstadt had lost touch with the mainstream pop scene. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine \n\nAmazon.com Customer Review \nRonstadt starts to find her true voice, November 10, 1999 \nReviewer: Mark Mussari (Old Pueblo) \nGet Closer is the first pop album Ronstadt made after doing Pirates of Penzance--and it shows in her voice, full of more muscle and control than ever before. Especially affecting are the two Jimmy Webb ballads, the beginning of Ronstadt and Webb's long musical affiliation: the bitter "Easy For You to Say" and the pensive "The Moon's A Harsh Mistress." Ronstadt is in top form here. There's a powerhouse cover of "I Knew You When" with an octave jumping ending that just grabs you. Also touching is Ronstadt's "Mr. Radio" with its eerie arrangement and the imagery-laden "Talk to Me of Mendicino." A must for any Ronstadt aficionado.\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nSome excellent tracks, but the whole is a disappointment, November 8, 2002\nReviewer: S. Sittig "Divawatch" (Washington, D.C.)\nAs much as I love certain tracks on this 1982 Linda Ronstadt offering, it just doesn't work as a unified whole.\nThe formula that worked so well for her in the 70s with HEART LIKE A WHEEL, PRISONER IN DISGUISE, HASTEN DOWN THE WIND and SIMPLE DREAMS has finally broken down, and the new decade did not sit well for her album work.\n\nShe still produces some excellent individual tracks though, especially the stunningly beautiful "The Moon's A Harsh Mistress", the rollicking "Get Closer", the amazing "I Knew You When" and the clever segue from the belting of "Lies" right into the girl-group energy of "Tell Him." \n\nUnfortunately, the rest of the album is missing a certain urgency. Part of it is the tepid production, part of it is Ronstadt's emotional detachment. Her duet with James Taylor on the Ike and Tina Turner "I Think It's Gonna Work Out Fine", has absolutely no emotion or soul. "Easy For You To Say" is vocally beautiful, but emotionally hollow and even the Dolly Parton cover, "My Blue Tears", seems to be sung by rote.\n\nIt's tempting to want to give this album 5 stars, mostly because the good parts are so so good, but unfortunately, it disappoints as a whole.\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nGET CLOSER to Linda, August 5, 2001\nReviewer: Erik North (San Gabriel, CA USA)\nFor some reason, Linda Ronstadt's 1982 album GET CLOSER did not make the Platinum plateau in its original release (though it may have done so by now). Most likely, this was because he turn to Gilbert and Sullivan operetta took critics and fans for a loop. Still, Linda's singing is as powerful and as subtle as anything out there.\nGET CLOSER's title cut is one of Linda's most spunky and agressive tracks of all time, matched by the poignant honesty of "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress" and the lush but barely contained anger of "Easy For You To Say" (both written by Jimmy Webb). Remakes of "Lies" and "Tell Him" give further lie to the accusation made by rabid Ronstadt bashers Dave Marsh and Robert Christgau that she can't sing golden oldies if she tried. Then there's Roderick Taylor's swamp/country ode "Mr. Radio", which benefits from the slight twang in Linda's voice and Dan Dugmore's steel guitar work; it would later be covered by longtime Ronstadt fan Trisha Yearwood on HER album THE SONG REMEMBERS WHEN.\n\nAfter GET CLOSER, Linda made three big-band albums, one Mexican mariachi album, and the TRIO album with old pals Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris, before returning to pop/rock with CRY LIKE A RAINSTORM. These achievements unfairly overshadowed this album, which is one of the single most underappreciated albums made by a female pop singer in history.\n\nAmazon.com Customer Review\nUnfortunately overlooked, June 20, 1999\nReviewer: A music fan\nAround the time of this album, Linda Ronstadt's popularity began to slide, which is unfortunate because the reasons had nothing to do with the quality of the music she was putting out or her voice. I think it can be tied to two reasons: her artistic experimentation and growth through different styles of music alienated some in her old fan base, plus the music industry, for female singers, is still geared around sexuality and looks. As Ronstadt reached her forties, she grew out of her 60's and 70's sex kitten phase and when a female singer ceases to want to or be able to be a pinup for teenage boys it is unfortunately bound to have repercussions on her popularity. That's life, but it has nothing to do with the quality of this album, which, while uneven, has some truly great performances on it. "I Knew You When" is a vocal tour de force, while three terrific ballads, Jimmy Webb's "The Moon's A Harsh Mistress", "Easy for You to Say" and the McGarrigle Sisters "Talk to Me of Mendocino" show just how subtle and sophisticated a singer she had become. How any of the three could be bettered is hard to see. Also, there are fun,punchy, garage band style versions of the old 60's hits "Lies" and "Tell Him" and a rather surprisingly smooth and sexy duet with James Taylor on the old Ike and Tina Turner hit "Think Its Gonna Work Out Fine". To sum up, this is not one of the top rank Linda Ronstadt albums, but still well worth a purchase.\n\nHalf.com Album Credits\nDolly Parton, Contributing Artist\nEmmylou Harris, Contributing Artist\nJames Taylor (Popular), Contributing Artist\nLindsey Buckingham, Contributing Artist\nStuart Taylor, Engineer\nVal Garay, Engineer\nBrian Ahern, Producer\nPeter Asher, Producer\n\nAlbum Notes\nPersonnel: Linda Ronstadt (vocals); Andrew Gold (acoustic & electric guitars, piano, percussion, background vocals); Waddy Wachtel (acoustic & electric guitar, background vocals); Dan Dugmore (electric & pedal steel guitar); Danny Kortchmar (electric guitar); David Grisman (mandolin); Dennis Karmazyn (cello); Jim Horn (baritone saxophone); Jerry Peterson (saxophone); Bill Payne (acoustic & electric piano, keyboards, synthesizer, Fender Rhodes); Don Grolnick (organ); Kenny Edwards, Bob Glaub (bass); Rick Marotta, Rick Shlosser, Russell Kunkel (drums); Patti Austin, J.D. Souther, Rosemary Butler, Debbie Pearl, Edie Lehmann (background vocals).\n\nRecorded at Record One, Los Angeles, California between 1977 and 1982.\n\nReleased in 1982, GET CLOSER is in many respects a classic Linda Ronstadt album. It contains the style of songs most associated with her, from pop ballads to country. The album took over a year to record, and features musicians who had played with her for years. In Kenny Edwards' case, he has played bass with Linda since the Stone Poneys. The title track was nominated for a best Rock Performance-Female Grammy, and the album was nominated for Best Popular Performance-Female. "It's Gonna Work Out Fine" is a duet with James Taylor and a cover of the Ike & Tina Turner hit. Linda also does a smooth cover of Billy Joe Royal's hit "I Knew You When". Another standout track is her version of Jimmy Webb's ballad "Easy For You To Say", which probably tops the original. Working with a surefire winning formula, GET CLOSER is prime Linda.
This rock cd contains 12 tracks and runs 36min 45sec.
Freedb: a0089b0c
Buy: from Amazon.com

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