Post by the Scribe on Nov 25, 2023 6:51:51 GMT
YMMV / Linda Ronstadt
tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/YMMV/LindaRonstadt
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Audience-Alienating Era: The mid-1980s, kicked off by the controversy she caused by performing at Sun City in South Africa in 1983 (see Overshadowed by Controversy below) then by releasing experimental albums, three of which were big band sound albums that were basically the same as each other. She would Win Back the Crowd at the end of the decade.
Bizarro Episode: In 1967, Frank Zappa recorded an advertising jingle for the Remington Electric Razor featuring Ronstadt's singing. However, the company didn't like it and it was never used.
Broken Base: Opinions are divided on "Alison". Elvis Costello himself criticized her version of it when it was released (though he would change his mind years later) and some hold the opinion that given its subject matter, the song works better with a male vocalist for reasons similar to why Mark Knopfler ultimately decided that "Private Dancer" needed a female vocalist.
Covered Up:
Her version of "You're No Good" was the fourth to make the Billboard chart; the first was by Dee Dee Warwick (Dionne's sister) in 1963, but could only climb to #117. The next year Soul singer Betty Everett (#51) and British Invasion band The Swinging Blue Jeans (#97) had minor hits with it. Ronstadt took it to #1 in 1975.
In a few cases, while the originals were big hits, her versions are equally, if not more, famous ("When Will I Be Loved?", "Blue Bayou").
Friendly Fandoms: Her fans really like Jackson Browne, both due to their similar style and the fact that they are Platonic Life-Partners off the stage.
Hilarious in Hindsight: Her performance at the White House in 1996 included "You're No Good". She performed "You're No Good" directly to Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton. Granted, she supported him at the time, but the Clintons' opponents are still highly amused by it.
Les Yay: "Alison" enters this by virtue of it being sung by a female.
Overshadowed by Controversy: Her concert tour in support of Get Closer eventually ran into this in 1983 when Ronstadt performed at Sun City in Apartheid South Africa, breaking the cultural boycott.note This prompted a big backlash among both her peers and the press, which interpreted the move as Ronstadt expressing support for the Apartheid regime, though Ronstadt only believed that the arts should not be tied to any political considerations.
As a result of this, having her as a collaborator further fueled the controversy that surrounded Paul Simon's 1986 album Graceland, as opponents took her presence as evidence that Simon was thumbing his nose at the cultural boycott of South Africa. Nelson George of Billboard said her inclusion on Graceland was like "using gasoline to put out birthday candles."
Retroactive Recognition: After her success as a solo act, The Stone Poneys' recordings ("Different Drum" in particular) have been rebilled as "Linda Ronstadt and The Stone Poneys".
Signature Song: "You're No Good"
Tear Jerker: "Long Long Time":
"And life's full of flaws
Who knows the cause?
Living in the memory of a love that never was"
Vindicated by History: Ronstadt's modern reception as a legacy artist - including being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - is much better than the mixed reception she received in her time.
Win Back the Crowd: With her smash 1989 album Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind after audience interest was waning from her doing three consecutive Nelson Riddle albums.
Former critics of her, such as Elvis Costello and Howard Stern, have spoken positively about her since her retirement and have stated they agree that she was one of the best singers of her generation.
The Woobie: Has become this to her fanbase in light of her deteriorating health. Especially after she was unable to attend her Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inauguration ceremony.