Carroll College Prospector, March 20, 1980: Difference between revisions
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Since she doesn't write any of her own material, Ronstadt falls into the potentially dangerous trap of having to rely on natural instinct to choose songs that are both interesting and suited to her style of talent. To this end, she has always been willing to take a chance on unknowns, and her recordings have introduced us to the likes of J.D. Souther, Karla Bonoff, and Warren Zevon. This time around, however, her instinct and common sense has deserted her entirely. | Since she doesn't write any of her own material, Ronstadt falls into the potentially dangerous trap of having to rely on natural instinct to choose songs that are both interesting and suited to her style of talent. To this end, she has always been willing to take a chance on unknowns, and her recordings have introduced us to the likes of J.D. Souther, Karla Bonoff, and Warren Zevon. This time around, however, her instinct and common sense has deserted her entirely. | ||
The highlights of ''Mad Love'' are a couple of tunes by Mark Goldenberg. After that things go from | The highlights of ''Mad Love'' are a couple of tunes by Mark Goldenberg. After that things go from bad to worse, with the bad being merely inconsequential and the worse being absolutely horrendous. New versions of "Can't Let Go," "Hurt So Bad," and "Look Out For My Love" aren't so much had as they are unnecessary, and they only serve to remind you of how much you liked the originals. | ||
The core of the album is three fine songs by Elvis Costello, and, although Ronstadt did a commendable job of covering "Alison," here is where she makes ''Mad Love'' a disaster. Dave Edmunds' had a modest hit last year with a version of "Girls Talk" that cuts Linda's to shreds for power and clarity. "Party Girl," one of the highlights of Costello's ''Armed Forces'', becomes one of the most embarrassing moments in Ronstadt's career. Costello begins by berating his party girl for being what she is only to realize by the song's end that she's only what he wants her to be, and confesses ''"I'm a guilty party, and I want my slice."'' Without being chauvinistic, this is a singularly male point of view, and Ronstadt only succeeds in making it a whine of self pity. | The core of the album is three fine songs by Elvis Costello, and, although Ronstadt did a commendable job of covering "Alison," here is where she makes ''Mad Love'' a disaster. Dave Edmunds' had a modest hit last year with a version of "Girls Talk" that cuts Linda's to shreds for power and clarity. "Party Girl," one of the highlights of Costello's ''Armed Forces'', becomes one of the most embarrassing moments in Ronstadt's career. Costello begins by berating his party girl for being what she is only to realize by the song's end that she's only what he wants her to be, and confesses ''"I'm a guilty party, and I want my slice."'' Without being chauvinistic, this is a singularly male point of view, and Ronstadt only succeeds in making it a whine of self pity. |
Revision as of 01:29, 31 October 2015
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