Linda Ronstadt vs. Stevie Nicks

[The Tower]

Originally Posted by cliffdweller

Oooh, I am. She covered a lot of great songwriters' stuff during that time, like Neil Young, Warren Zevon, and Jackson Browne. Her version of "Birds" by Neil is just absolute greatness. It's a tearjerker that's for sure, so Amber watch out!

Well, I said I wasn't a huge fan.... Of all the albums Linda albums I own, here are my grades.

Her first three albums are "meh".

Don't Cry Now = B
Heart Like A Wheel = A
Prisoner In Disguise = C+ (uneven and "Heat Wave" really hurts...)
Hasten Down the Wind = B-
Simple Dreams = B+
Living In The USA = C- (bleh)
Mad Love = D ("Hurt So Bad" really does hurt so bad. Jeezus woman, stop yelling)
What's New = A+
Lush Life = A-
For Sentimental Reasons = A++
Trio = A+
Cry Like A Rainstorm... = B
Winter Light = B-
Feels Like Home = A+
We Ran = B-
Trio II = B+
Western Wall = B
A Merry Little Christmas = B
Hummin' to Myself = B- (It would have been lower, but "I'll Be Seeing You" is so fantastic that it brought up the grade).

[JazmenFlowers]

Originally Posted by amber

Omigod, that's an outrageous swirl/twirl in your sig!

danke darling

[dissention]

Originally Posted by The Tower

Well, I said I wasn't a huge fan.... Of all the albums Linda albums I own, here are my grades.

You sure do own a ****load of her albums for not being a huge fan, babe.

[The Tower]

Originally Posted by dissention

You sure do own a ****load of her albums for not being a huge fan, babe.

Well, unlike Stevie, Linda actually continues to be productive. Since 1985 Stevie has released eight albums (four of which are with Fleetwood Mac - greatest hits and the box set don't count and The Dance shouldn't count cuz it's a retread and she really wasn't there for Tango, so that one probably doesn't count....). In the same time period Linda has released thirteen albums not counting the Xmas one. Granted, Linda doesn't write her own material- however, Stevie hasn't really written her own material on her own since Belladonna, so whatever I guess.

I love Linda's voice, so when she releases an album I usually buy it.

[JWS]

Originally Posted by The Tower

Well, unlike Stevie, Linda actually continues to be productive. Since 1985 Stevie has released eight albums (four of which are with Fleetwood Mac - greatest hits and the box set don't count and The Dance shouldn't count cuz it's a retread and she really wasn't there for Tango, so that one probably doesn't count....). In the same time period Linda has released thirteen albums not counting the Xmas one. Granted, Linda doesn't write her own material- however, Stevie hasn't really written her own material on her own since Belladonna, so whatever I guess.

I love Linda's voice, so when she releases an album I usually buy it.

Stevie has an excuse...she was on Klonopin for 8 years during that time. In her on words she says she was too tired to do anything but sit around or lay in bed.

[amber]

Originally Posted by dissention

You sure do own a ****load of her albums for not being a huge fan, babe.

took.words.right.out.of.mouth.
glad I read first before answering.
But if I had answered, I would've said "you sure have a lot of her albums for someone who isn't a huge fan."
Yep.
I decided I want Heart Like a Wheel and Mad Love. I like yelling.
And I don't like Desert Angel.
Just saying.

[BombaySapphire3]

Originally Posted by dissention

That ENTIRE album is a masterpiece. Emmylou at her absolute greatest. What bowls me over every time I hear it is the fact that she wrote every song but one. And then she wrote every song on "Stumble Into Grace," if I'm not mistaken. The woman hadn't written any of her own songs before that except for one album. She had all of that songwriting talent and didn't start showing it off until thirty years into her career? Shocking. I can't praise her enough, she's so good that words fail. I mean, just reading the lyrics to Michelangelo is amazing.

Emmylou did write sporadically years before "The Ballad of Sally Rose "album .One such song was "From Boulder to Birmingham " written in the early 1970s as a reaction to the death of her musical mentor, the toweringly influential Gram Parsons .The song is as affecting as anything she has written since .One theory I have is that most songwriters seem to put out their seminal work in their 20s to mid 30s .Stevie would seem to be a perfect example of this.Since Emmylou wrote so infrequently at that age she seemed to have her great song ideas stored up for much later on .I can't think of how else to explain such brilliance seemingly almost out of the blue and so late into her career.

[markolas]

Originally Posted by JazmenFlowers

Not at all. Like I said earlier, I went through periods of needing to break away from FM/SN, but it was never because I wasn't thrilled with her setlists.

It's not just the setlists...she's just not adventurous as an artist, and I think she admits as much. But someone like Linda Ronstadt has just been so prolific and has done so many different things...country-rock, pop standards, Mexican music...and Joni Mitchell (who really rocks my world) is even more so. But Stevie just kind of does the same old, same old. Which is fine, but without her making any new music...the older stuff isn't holding my attention. Bella Donna a masterpiece, however, and I think it'll always be one of my favorite albums.

I do think she'll do another album, just give her time...

If she does, I'll totally buy it, but I just don't know if she will.

[markolas]

I like Linda Ronstadt, but will admit to only owning a few of her albums. The first Greatest Hits, Heart Like a Wheel...and Western Wall & the first Trio album. I've always thought her mid-70s period was the best...admittedly, I haven't heard much of her Nelson Riddle stuff or the Mexican albums. I may have to work on that after I've gotten all of Joni's albums.

[The Tower]

Originally Posted by JWS

Stevie has an excuse...she was on Klonopin for 8 years during that time. In her on words she says she was too tired to do anything but sit around or lay in bed.

Meh. I don't buy it. Her "lay in bed" crap was supposedly Epstein-Barr wasn't it? Stevie managed to put together The Other Side of the Mirror while on Klonopin and that is tied as my favorite album of hers. I'll give her the two and 1/2 years from 1994 to The Dance to recover and get back into shape. But all that time to finally release TISL? The box set couldn't have required that much. Everything was pretty much done. A week or two tops to assemble that thing. Stevie could have had two solo albums in the 90's in between Street Angel and TISL (1996 & 1999) and she could have released a solo album in 2005 easy.

Feh. She's lazy.

Originally Posted by amber

took.words.right.out.of.mouth.
glad I read first before answering.

Hello, woman... I believe that this was what I said:

Originally Posted by The Tower

I'm not really a huge fan of her 70's popular peak- with a few glimmers of greatness here and there.

But if I had answered, I would've said "you sure have a lot of her albums for someone who isn't a huge fan."
Yep.

I have lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of records, cassettes and compact discs. Probably over 1,000 by now. I am a huge fan of Linda- she's definitely in the top five in terms of the greatest female singers, strictly based on the voice on its own merit.

I decided I want Heart Like a Wheel and Mad Love. I like yelling.

Heart Like a Wheel is a very classic mid-70's album- very good, too. For some odd reason, I have a feeling you'd just be allll gooey over Mad Love. It's kind of "Go-Go's plus Laura Branigan divided by Quarterflash to the square root of Blondie (the very square root- it was a pathetic new wave attempt). So, it sounds right up your alley, Bunsie.

And I don't like Desert Angel.
Just saying.

That's cuz you're a Frontliner who puts it all on the li-hine and is waited for in Egypt. But, at least you're consistent- hey, and that's good. So what is this, when you can, what about me?

Originally Posted by markolas

It's not just the setlists...she's just not adventurous as an artist, and I think she admits as much.

It's my Number One Stevie Pet Peeve.... her laziness.

But someone like Linda Ronstadt has just been so prolific and has done so many different things...country-rock, pop standards, Mexican music...and Joni Mitchell (who really rocks my world) is even more so.

I have all of Joni's albums. Sometimes it's hard for me to listen to her stuff, knowing that she's retired. But, I worship the **** out of her nonetheless.

But Stevie just kind of does the same old, same old. Which is fine, but without her making any new music...the older stuff isn't holding my attention. Bella Donna a masterpiece, however, and I think it'll always be one of my favorite albums.

Just last night I sat down at the piano and played the beginning of "Bella Donna" and chills just went WHOOP up my spine...

"And the lady's feeling just like the moon that she loved
Don't you know that the stars are a part of her...
Whoa, and the lady's feeling just like the MOOON that she loved!!!"

Good **** that Stevie.

[amber]

Originally Posted by The Tower

Heart Like a Wheel is a very classic mid-70's album- very good, too. For some odd reason, I have a feeling you'd just be allll gooey over Mad Love. It's kind of "Go-Go's plus Laura Branigan divided by Quarterflash to the square root of Blondie (the very square root- it was a pathetic new wave attempt). So, it sounds right up your alley, Bunsie.
.

I love you, Towie.
Hey, I thought it was "don't you know that the stahs ahah a paht of us.." ? (I absolutely could not spell those words properly, I apologize)

anyway - you sure got my number on Mad Love. Although, it would be more perfect if it was lightely sauteed with Bonnie Tyler and just a dash of Benatard.
Oh, and for the record, I believe that Stevie had issues with Klonopin and getting out of bed and all that. I don't really believe that someone who toured incessantly for years and years with FM and her own band, and who worked to support herself and Lindsey, could really be that lazy. Many scientific accounts say Klonopin can be nast, and I believe she had epstein barr as well. Stevie just strikes me as someone who would go go go as much as she could for the most part. Gemini's usually do. Especially if they have rising Aries and moon in Capricorn. All that is actually the antithesis of lazy.
Also, if she was depressed (which I'm sure she was) that can make people very lethargic as well. My mom used to nap the **** out of her days b/c of that. I guess there could be a certain amount of resting on her laurels by that point, but I wouldn't really go so far as to say she was consistently lazy.

[JazmenFlowers]

Originally Posted by markolas

It's not just the setlists...she's just not adventurous as an artist, and I think she admits as much. But someone like Linda Ronstadt has just been so prolific and has done so many different things...country-rock, pop standards, Mexican music...and Joni Mitchell (who really rocks my world) is even more so. But Stevie just kind of does the same old, same old. Which is fine, but without her making any new music...the older stuff isn't holding my attention. Bella Donna a masterpiece, however, and I think it'll always be one of my favorite albums.



If she does, I'll totally buy it, but I just don't know if she will.

aight bro...np

[BombaySapphire3]

Originally Posted by amber

Oh, and for the record, I believe that Stevie had issues with Klonopin and getting out of bed and all that. I don't really believe that someone who toured incessantly for years and years with FM and her own band, and who worked to support herself and Lindsey, could really be that lazy. Many scientific accounts say Klonopin can be nast, and I believe she had epstein barr as well. Stevie just strikes me as someone who would go go go as much as she could for the most part. Gemini's usually do. Especially if they have rising Aries and moon in Capricorn. All that is actually the antithesis of lazy.
Also, if she was depressed (which I'm sure she was) that can make people very lethargic as well. My mom used to nap the **** out of her days b/c of that. I guess there could be a certain amount of resting on her laurels by that point, but I wouldn't really go so far as to say she was consistently lazy.

Ok so if we give her that she had her problems with Klonopin and Epstein Barr in the late 80 -early 90s, what is causing her aversion to want to do anything creative now?She has enough of a fan base that almost any record label would support her putting out new material I believe .I can't give up on her and be 'over her' because she meant so much to me in the past but I am of the generation that grew up with her at her zenith .I can't see her holding on to newer fans indefinitely by not doing anything other than tour as an oldies type act.I alreadly see the inevitable erosion among some of the younger Ledgies on here.

[dissention]

Originally Posted by BombaySapphire3

Emmylou did write sporadically years before "The Ballad of Sally Rose "album .One such song was "From Boulder to Birmingham " written in the early 1970s as a reaction to the death of her musical mentor, the toweringly influential Gram Parsons .The song is as affecting as anything she has written since .One theory I have is that most songwriters seem to put out their seminal work in their 20s to mid 30s .Stevie would seem to be a perfect example of this.Since Emmylou wrote so infrequently at that age she seemed to have her great song ideas stored up for much later on .I can't think of how else to explain such brilliance seemingly almost out of the blue and so late into her career.

Listening to her self-penned songs, I was a bit taken aback when I read the liner notes to "Stumble Into Grace" where she thanks, I believe, Jill Cunniff and says something along the lines of "Songwriting does not come easy to me." Geez, Emmylou, I had no idea when listening to your songs. And I say that without a hint of sarcasm. Those songs are so brilliant that they seem like the work of a veteran songwriting pro.

[dissention]

Originally Posted by markolas

It's not just the setlists...she's just not adventurous as an artist, and I think she admits as much. But someone like Linda Ronstadt has just been so prolific and has done so many different things...country-rock, pop standards, Mexican music...and Joni Mitchell (who really rocks my world) is even more so. But Stevie just kind of does the same old, same old. Which is fine, but without her making any new music...the older stuff isn't holding my attention. Bella Donna a masterpiece, however, and I think it'll always be one of my favorite albums.

That's one of the most insightful things I've read on here in a while. And that's precisely how I feel. It's to the stage where even when she does release new stuff, the songs are just newly packaged retreads of stuff she did years earlier. I think I said before that I thought she's been plagiarizing from herself for eons. I don't see any growth as an artist in her. Yes, I still get tremendous enjoyment out of the past stuff (up until RAL, that is), but she ceased being a vital artist a long while ago, imo. I don't think it makes you or I or anyone else less of a fan simply because of viewpoints like that, either.

If I were to disagree with anything you said, I'd disagree with your assertion that it's fine to do the same old, same old. It's not fine, it's downright lazy.