Linda Ronstadt

Linda Ronstadt had her first hit, "Different Drum," in 1967, singing with a group called the
Stone Poneys. She didn't have one again until "Long Long Time" in 1970. Though long
acknowledged to be one of the best woman singers in pop, it wasn't until last year, with
the release of her debut album on Asylum, Don't Cry Now, that her years of working
toward mass recognition began to pay off. Heart like a Wheel, which concludes... More >

For the first time, everybody's sexpot shows confidence in her own intelligence. As a result, she relates to these songs instead of just singing them. It's even possible to imagine her as a lady trucker going down on Dallas Alice--and to fault her for ignoring the metaphorical excesses of Anna McGarrigle's title lyric just so she can wrap her lungs around that sweet, decorous melody. (Grade: A-)