,.. The Arts Page 8, The Retriever, April 7,1975 neard on even the most advanced stations. By the time of his death from overin­ dulgence in late 1973, Parsons had been instrumental in taking the traditions and musical lore of Nashville and adapting Ronstadt, Muldaur and Harris form them to the troublous times today's youth live in. But Parsons' work with the In- . ternational Submarine Band (1968), the new breed of Rock and Roll Woman Byrds (1969) , the Flying Burrito Brothers (1969-71) and on two brilliant solo albums ( 1072-3), was overshadowed when bet­ terknown pop fixtures like Dylan, The Band, Crosby-Stills-Nash-and Young, Poco BY BARR Y HOFFMAN (The Furay-Messina Poco of 1969-71), and _ the Grateful Dead, followed his audacious About four years ago, all of the drunkeIl, friends include the Eagles, Burrito stadt, as a matter of fact. In the early footsteps. downed-out excesses of Macho Rock Brother "Sneeky Pete" Kleinow on 1960's. she and her ex-husband Geoff helped enliven the good-timey antics of At one point, the Burritos came within finally got the better of the format. As the country steel guitar, Russ Kunkel on inches of stardom, gaining the attention guitar-and-mike-as-electric-dildoes· school drums, and the voices of--you guessed it-­ Jim like Ronstadt, Muldaur has spent a long time paying dues. Twice as long as and friendship of Mick Jagger and Keith sunk deeper into the mindlessness of Black Maria Muldaur and Emmy Lou Harris. Richards, who wrote "Wild Horses" for Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Grand Funk, All in all, could anything possibly go Ronstadt, as a matter of fact. In the early 1960's, she and her ex-husband Geoff the group's second album. And the Stones not to mention the still-rising Alice Cooper, wrong on a record like that'? It ain't for got them booked at a huge outdoor rock better, the listener will be in Nirvana oy helped enliven the good-timey antics of a jaded public began to give ear to a daring concert near San Francisco. As luck would . breed of Rock and Roll Women who often the middle of the first cut on the next Jim Kweskin's Jug Band, the ultimate beatnick camp aggregation. have it, that concert was Altamont, where . Her tastes in music run primarily to good old be-bop and swing jazz, and old­ timey blues, not to mention ridiculously lush torch songs and ballads like you­ know-when-at the you-know-what. She wails, croons, and slithers through these and a few contemporary tunes, dishing out a little something fuf everyone. The first two songs on side two, "Honey Babe Blues" and "If You Haven't Any Hay," stand out, but the best numbers are certainly the campy "I'm A Woman" (Which has to be giving Germaine Greer and Gloria Steinem shit fits) and the even campier "It Ain 't the Meat, It's the Motion!" The newer stuff, I'm afraid, is a bit stiff. Wendy Waldman writes like Laura Nyro's overambitious kid sister, and as a songwriter, . Dave Nichtern is a good guitarist. But one forgets such minor failings when one drools over the cast of characters--Doc and Merle Watson, John Kahn and Dave Grisman of Old and In the Way (Dead Head Jerry Garcia's bluegrass band), Jim Gordon <Eric Clapton, Mad Dogs and Englishmen, Traffic ... ), Paul Butterfield, Elvin Bishop, Freebo (Bonnie Raitt's bassman), Paul Harris <Manassas, Souther-Hillman-Furay), Lowp!! George (Seatrain. Little Feat>, Dr. John, Maryann Price (Remeber Dan Hicks and his Hot LINDA RONSTADT Licks?), and the fine jazz combo that ... heart like a wheel backed her up the last time around. · All presided over, once again, by Joe Boyd displayed far more intelligence, talent, album. <Incidentally, the cat who knocked and Lemiy Waronker C?f the Kweskin and finess.e than their male counterparts. this record out of the top spot is Bob Dylan. production crew, all these chefs at time~ . Some, like Carole King and Laura Nyro, There's good taste yet in the American overdo the broth. But with that highflying. had already done time writing other . public. ~ spooky, spunky voice of hers, Ms. Muldam EMMY LOU HARRIS people's hits. Others, like Joni Mitchell, Maria keeps things well under contto1. ... high and sweet rose almost entirely on their own per­ formances of their own material. Still We now arrive at another incredible Emmy Lou Hells Angels going amuck stole the others formed adventurous, rollicking tour-de-force with a similar all-star cast, spotlight.. Such was the luck of the Then there's the Grevious Angel's Sister bands like Berkely's woefully unheralded featuring--yep, you guessed it again-­ Grievous Angel. Joy Of Cooking <The name alone ranks as Linda Ronstadt. I'm referring to Maria of Mercy, Emmy Lou Harris. Not entirely though, for "In My Hour of the best musical pun since "Beatles with Muldaur's remarkable Waitress in a Poor Gram Parsons. In his lifetime, the Darkness." there was always Emmy Lou an A."), Donut Shop. That role is as easy for uncrowned King of the New Country Sound Harris to turn to. Lovers and And a few simply did the same thing Muldaur as the sultry siren of "Midnight received precious little airplay. Only now collaborators. their beautiful vocal har­ most solo artists, male or female, hav(> a t the Oasis." are people beginning to realize just how monies are one of the most memorable traditionally done--excelled as performer~ Like Ronstadt, Muldaur has spent a long great the lonesome Georgia Peach was, things about GP and Return of th(' time paying dues. Twice as long as Ron- and even so. his tunes are still seldom alone, without writing much or any of their GI'if'YOUS Angel. Indeed, just looking at the own material. Into this bag fall the two top cover of Emmy Lou Harris' Piece of the women on · the current charts--Linda Sk)'. one wonders just what possessed Ronstadt and Maria Muldaur-- and one 01 Parsons to end it all. And the record' IS a~ the IT!ost gifted and fastest rising beautiful as its singer. "newcomers". Emmy Lou Harris. Like Ronstadt. Harris has an ideal Linda . country voice. high and sweet, and she I{onstadt. as you probably know, has the concentrates on that realm. Her repertoire nation's second best selling album, H('art : includes Merle. Haggard. Dolly 'parton, Uk(' a Wht't'1. Perhaps only she could RP.( Shel Silverstein (who wrote "A Boy away with such a mix of different con­ Named Sue" and "The Cover of Rolling temporary styles. The songs include a Stone" ). and the Beatles. The best tune is Fifties soul classic (The chart-burning her own. "Boulder to Birmingham," full of "You're No Good"), a vintage Everly subtle references to the poor soul whose Brothers hit, a Paul Anka<!) number. ,I hours of darkness she shared. Hank Williams Original Country Classic. <lnqther vintage country tune last done b~ And she. too, has her quota of helpful Gram Parsons and the Burritos, the well friends--like. for instance, the Eagles, tran'lled Seatrain favorite "WiIlin." and Linda Ronstadt and bandmates, Maria one of .James Taylor's finest moments. Muldaur. Wendy Waldman. and (Yup. "You Can Close Your Eyes." Ronstadt'~ Him too. ) Sneeky Pete Kleinow. clear. beautiful voice sails strong and These folks sure get around, don't they: clear o\,er her fine country-rock band. Well. they deserve it. As far as I'm con­ making every tune uniquely hers. cerned. as long as these three gifted ladies ()f course. as always. she. Andy Goid. and their musical family play together, the Kenn:v Edwards. Bob Warford. and. rock scene will stay together. And so will producer Peter Asher have a little help we. from their fril..' nds . And once again. those MARIA MULDAUR .. ~ ... ~ ... ... sultry siren .