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,Ronstadt At Her Best ' When Sbe Sings Of 'Simple Dreams'
By Bernie RUBBell ' Side Two is nothing short ,of brilliant. "Blue Bayou," the album's first' single, is "Simple Dreams"(Asylum)-Linda a quiet tuneful piece with a tropical feel Ronstadt a' la Jimmy Suffett's "Margueritaville." Linda Ronstadt's newest 'album, Ronstadt shows better control over the "Simple Dreams," 'is a near-perfect volume and expression of her voice here 'record that should cement her name as than ever before. The next cut, "Poor, the most popular female recording artist Poor Pitiful Me" is an upbeat song with a in America today. Because Ronstadt solid beat and guitar work by Waddy does not write her own music, the success Wachtel that will remind listeners of the of her albums depends largely on electric guitars in Fleetwood Mac's "Say producer Peter Asher's Choice of songs for You Love Me." Perfectly syncopated her records. In "Simple Dreams," Asher acoustic and electriG guitars, together has chosen a wide variety of tunes; pop, with Ronstadt's tasteful delivery, make rock of the Fifties and Sixties, torchy '''Maybe rm Right," Side Two ~ s third love songs, spi.rituals, and country. Ron song, the most beautiful love song on stadt's uniformly excellent performances "Simple. Dreams." on these songs reveals a new facet to her The next cut, "Tumbling Dice," by musical talent, versatility. _ Mick Jagger and Keith Richard, is a "Simple Dreams" begins with "It's So raunchy, rocking song similar in tune Easy," a Buddy Holly remake in the and lyrics to "Honky Tonk Women" and spirit of "That'll Be The Day." Its "Brown Sugar." British rock of the Six bouncy, infectious beat begins the record ties (much less that of the Rolling in an up-beat mood. The next, Stones) is alien to a country-pop singer "Carmelita," has a South-of-the-Border ' Ilke Linda Ronstadt, so she is taking feeling similar to the Eagles hit "Hotel quite a risk in attempting to sing' it. The California." However, the lyrics' of risk pays off in "Tumbling Dice." Rock "Carmelita" are very disturbing. Ron ing prano and loud electric guitar accom stadt sings of being "all stru,ng-out on paniment, as well as Ronstadt's own high heroin" and of how "the county won't vo~ume output, bring_ off "TUmbling give -me no more methadone." It's dif Dice" in grand style. "Simple Dreams" ficult to enjoy a song with such dreary ends with "Old Paint," another moder words. The next three songs are very sub nized traditional song with a strong dued. "Simple Man, Simple Dream" is a country music feel. Linda Ronstf;idt loye song with a country music flavor. Linda Ronstadt has ,really opened up Ronstadt's emotional delivery is es in "Simple Dreams." Here, she is at since 1975. NQw- they sound like Abba translations of Bach's original German pecially powerful here. "Sorrow Lives tempting all different kinds of music. and and the Bee Gees with a little Sixties text as well as helpful liner notes and ex , Here" is a torchy love song in which Ron showing herself to be talented enough to ' rock thrown in. This is not to say that planations of the work to help new clas stadt sings about a lost love to slow piano bring off all of those varying styles. While they are imitative. Jigsaw pulls these sical listeners to better understand acc,ompaniment. , it will certainly be · ~njoyed by fans of three s'tyles together and adds their own Bach's complex masterpiece. The . Side One ends with "I Never Will Mar Linda Ronstadt, "Simple Dreams" will touches to make a surprisingly, fresh Oratorio itself has been faultlessly per ry" - a "traditional" (meaning hymn also please people who have so far been sound. The lyrics are light; the orchestra formed by the Choir of King's College like) song that RonstEidt has arranged for unimpressed with Ronstadt's singing tion, lush; and the mood, lighthearted. and the -Academy of St. Martin-In-The acoustic guitars. Except for Judy C911inS' style. She is varying that style to dazzl "If I Have To Go Away" is an album full Fields. The "Christmas Oratorio" is, hit "Amazing Grace," rock music ing effect in "Simple Dreams." of potential Top 40 hits; it's sure to re'commended for anyone who wants an audiences have been generally un please any casual AM listener. introduction to classical music or Badi enthusiastic about, modern remakes of or who already has an appreciation. of traditional songs, so Ronstadt and Asher either. are really taking a chance here. Actually,' ' ''J.S. Bach: 'Christmas Oratorio' "I.Never Will Marry" is not bad at all. It "(Angel)-Philip Ledger, conduc- ' ','is beautifulry performed by Ronstadt and "If I Have To Go Away"(2Oth Cen-' ting-Preparing for the Christmas "Rhapsody In Blue" (Private Stock) back-up singer Dolly Parton. But, tury)-Jigsaw-Jigsaw is best known to season, Angel records has released a bril Walter Murphy-Last summer, Walter Murphy 's disco hit "A Fifth Of because it is the third subdued, quiet, Americans as the group that sang the .1iant three-record set of Bach's tremendously 'successful single "Sky "Christmas Oratorio." Written' in 1734, Beethoven" had the cJassical music ballad-like song in a row, most listeners purists cringing almost as much as High" back in -1975. In "If I Have To Go the "Christmas Oratorio" can be""best . will be getting impatient for sqme faster, everybody else was dancing. In "Rhap louder music by the time this song rolls Away," Jigsaw returns with "Sky High" described as an opera designed to be sody In Blue," Murphy returns with around. and eight other new songs. Jigsaw has sung in church during services. This . more "disco-fied" classics as well as While Side One gets a little tedious, changed their musical style somewhat beautifully packaged album contains other new tunes. Among the classics are disco versions of two Gershwin songs, the title cut, "Rhapsody In Blue", and "It Ain 't Necessarily So." Richard Rodgers' Rathskellar'Comes' Alive' With Music. "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue"- is part of a By Steve Miller generally low-key time for the patrons. place, which was equal to the old "No rocking fifteen minute salute to New My all-time favorite coffeehouse is a Coffeehouse-well, there wa~ no cof Fish Today:' on some' nights. York called "The New York City Suite' real coffeehouse in Seattle known as The fee, and the crowds were considerably Other people there were as much a '-one of the highlight~ of "Rhapsody In Last Exit From Brooklyn. It serves cof-, more boisterous than at traditidnal cof show as Aaron and Joel. The t ~ shirts Blue." This record has a little bit of fee, tea, soup, and sometimes music, feeh9uses, yet Aaron and Joel Marcus ranged from the ridiculous Bionic Bdbes everything; slow lo,ve songs with lyrics politics, and home-brewed poetry. While managed to flavor the beer-stained shirts to the rather sublime Eye Phelta and perky instrumentals in addition to Rathskellar expresso with fine music. Thi shirt; dress ranged from mock-disco those expected' disco tunes. Energetic the Monday night coffeehouse at the Rat and versatile, "Rhapsody In Blue" will did not reach the heights of Last Exit, it The music itself was a blend of clas to beatnik with all the varil;ltions in between. There was even a lacrosse party undoubtedly please both easy-li ~ tening certainly did what a coffeehouse is ex- sical and jazz, with original interpreta and disco fans. , pected to do: 'provide an enjoyable, tions of everyday notions thrown in as going 0,11 at the same time, ~which lent a well . "Pavlov's Dog" was delightful, the , strange air when you moved up and down lyrics funny and interesting while the . the hallway to the Rat: Mediocrit~rom pg 8 technical sophistication of the music was What could have made the evening impressive. After hearing two sets of this better? Some good coffee and tea, a we'll finally conclude with a look at kind of stuff, I'd drive a hundred miles to slightly lower volume of noise from those mythmaking as practiced by our enter hear Aaron and Joel play again not listening to the music, and a promise tainment industry; and how tHe 'Somewhere. that we could all get together and do it mythical \ packages did violent . social But the music is not all ,that makes a ' again. \ damage while glorifying violence. coffeehouse. This night was ser'en Perhaps the success of this event will And we'll see what I consider the dipitous for me: arriving at the Rat a few enc,ourage the SGA and others to support ugliest forms of TV violence, and how, minutes ' after the music started I was the home-grown Tuesday night cof with the Vietnam War, the unthinkable greeted by several good friends unex feehouse, Open Mike, which helps give came true. pectedly, and later another close friend new performers a chance to learn. Not 1984 actually happened here. Not , showed up, also unexpectedly. Into this even Aaron and Joel could have been totally, but enough of it to,make its com happy combination of people went four ' ,born able to play the way ~hey do. pletion in our lifetimes unavoidable. or five pitchers of National Premium, Practice makes perfect rat-do it This is Barry Unreasonable. Good lots of peanuts, and the mood of the again. night.