You're No Good, Linda Ronstadt, 1975
Talk about the power of a song. Or, maybe this conversation should be about the power of a voice. Or, quite possibly, we should talk about when the right song finds the right voice. Regardless, Linda Ronstadt's version of You're No Good is timeless -- it hits hard and is a showstopper.
Growing up, my cool uncle was a huge Linda Ronstadt fan. He had posters of her on his bedroom walls and I'm fairly certain Heart Like A Wheel was the first (full) album I ever heard. It's strange to me that when this song -- You're No Good -- was released, it was considered country. So weird.
As a kid, I was oblivious to the fact that some great music was being made less than 10 miles from where I grew up. Finding out Linda had recorded at Jackson Highway was the first time I felt impressed by this microcosm of music we have here in the Shoals. Of course, an album never came to light, though.
BTW, have you seen Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice ... well, have you? Watch it.
Also, is Linda country? Rock? Big band? Pop? Opera? Jazz? Blues? Latin? Folk? They all claim her, ya know. A truly melded American artist. Absolutely groundbreaking. Ceiling shattered. She should be on the floor.
https://youtu.be/pPp6nVoMbrU
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