By nature, Linda Ronstadt isn't a solo singer.
She started her career in the Stone Poneys and during the height of her fame she was happy to harmonize on records by friends; later still, she joined Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris in the group Trio.
Duets, a compilation released on the eve of her 2014 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, doesn't concentrate on this considerable legacy as a harmonizer, preferring instead to pick 14 previously released duets from throughout Ronstadt's career, adding an unreleased version of "Pretty Bird" with Laurie Lewis as mild collector bait.
Much of this dates from the latter part of Linda's career: it opens with three selections from Adieu False Heart, her 2006 album with Ann Savoy, and is anchored by her hit duets with Aaron Neville ("Don't Know Much," "All My Life") and James Ingram ("Somewhere Out There"), making a sideways glance at her career as a standards singer via an OK selection from Frank Sinatra's Duets album ("Moonlight in Vermont").
The liveliest stuff comes from her golden age of the late '70s -- "Hasten Down the Wind" with Don Henley, "Prisoner in Disguise" with J.D.
Souther, "I Think It's Gonna Work Out Fine" with James Taylor, "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)" with Emmylou Harris -- but generally, this Duets emphasizes the sweeter, softer, and slower side of Ronstadt, a move that makes for pleasant listening.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Adieu False HeartArthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith | Linda Ronstadt | Play | 03:34 | 8 MB | 19 MB |
| 2 | I Can't Get Over YouJulie Brown | Linda Ronstadt | Play | 03:06 | 7 MB | 16 MB |
| 3 | Walk Away ReneeMike Brown, Bob Calilli, Tony Sansone | Linda Ronstadt | Play | 03:24 | 7 MB | 19 MB |
| 4 | I Never Will MarryTraditional | Linda Ronstadt | Play | 03:13 | 7 MB | 19 MB |
| 5 | Pretty BirdHazel Dickens | Linda Ronstadt | Play | 02:38 | 6 MB | 13 MB |
| 6 | I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)Hank Williams | Linda Ronstadt | Play | 02:46 | 6 MB | 20 MB |
| 7 | Hasten Down the WindWarren Zevon | Linda Ronstadt | Play | 02:42 | 6 MB | 17 MB |
| 8 | Prisoner in DisguiseJ.D. Souther | Linda Ronstadt | Play | 03:53 | 8 MB | 25 MB |
| 9 | I Think It's Gonna Work Out FineRose Marie McCoy, Sylvia McKinney | Linda Ronstadt | Play | 04:01 | 9 MB | 29 MB |
| 10 | Don't Know MuchBarry Mann, Tom Snow, Cynthia Weil | Linda Ronstadt, Skywalker Symphony Orchestra | Play | 03:34 | 8 MB | 21 MB |
| 11 | All My LifeKarla Bonoff | Linda Ronstadt, Skywalker Symphony Orchestra | Play | 03:31 | 8 MB | 23 MB |
| 12 | Somewhere Out ThereJames Horner, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil | Linda Ronstadt | Play | 03:59 | 9 MB | 23 MB |
| 13 | SistersIrving Berlin | Linda Ronstadt | Play | 02:54 | 6 MB | 19 MB |
| 14 | Moonlight in VermontJohn Blackburn, Karl Suessdorf | Linda Ronstadt | Play | 04:05 | 9 MB | 22 MB |
| 15 | The New Fever Waltz | Linda Ronstadt, Carl Jackson | Play | 02:50 | 6 MB | 16 MB |
| 50 mins | 115 MB | |||||
| 50 mins | 308 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ron Anthony | Guitar |
| 2 | Peter Asher | Producer |
| 3 | Mike Auldridge | Dobro |
| 4 | Chuck Berghofer | Bass |
| 5 | Irving Berlin | Composer |
| 6 | John Blackburn | Composer |
| 7 | Karla Bonoff | Composer |
| 8 | John Boylan | Mastering |
| 9 | Sam Broussard | Guitar (Acoustic) |
| 10 | Julie Brown | Composer |
| 11 | Mike Brown | Composer |
| 12 | Robbie Buchanan | Keyboards, Producer |
| 13 | Steve Buckingham | Producer |
| 14 | Bob Calilli | Composer |
| 15 | David Campbell | Arranger, Conductor, String Arrangements, Woodwind Arrangement |
| 16 | John Catchings | Cello |
| 17 | Hank Cattaneo | Producer |
| 18 | Tony Creasman | Drums |
| 19 | Hazel Dickens | Composer |
| 20 | George Doering | Guitar |
| 21 | Dan Dugmore | Guitar (Electric) |
| 22 | Stuart Duncan | Fiddle |
| 23 | Kenny Edwards | Bass |
| 24 | Ray Ellis | Arranger, Conductor |
| 25 | Gregg Field | Drums |
| 26 | Michael Fisher | Percussion |
| 27 | Bob Glaub | Bass |
| 28 | Andrew Gold | Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Percussion, Piano, Tambourine, Ukulele |
| 29 | Kevin Grantt | Bass |
| 30 | Don Grolnick | Keyboards, Piano, Prophet 5 |
| 31 | Emmylou Harris | Duet, Featured Artist, Guest Artist |
| 32 | Don Henley | Duet, Featured Artist, Guest Artist |
| 33 | Jim Horn | Sax (Baritone) |
| 34 | James Horner | Composer |
| 35 | Byron House | Bass (Upright) |
| 36 | James Ingram | Duet, Featured Artist, Guest Artist |
| 37 | Carl Jackson | Duet, Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Guitar (Acoustic), Producer |
| 38 | Sneaky Pete Kleinow | Pedal Steel Guitar |
| 39 | Randy Kohrs | Dobro |
| 40 | Kosh | Art Direction, Design |
| 41 | Russ Kunkel | Drums |
| 42 | Russell Kunkel | Drums |
| 43 | Mike Landau | Guitar (Electric) |
| 44 | Tim Lauer | Accordion |
| 45 | Laurie Lewis | Arranger, Duet, Featured Artist, Guest Artist |
| 46 | David Lindley | Fiddle |
| 47 | Charlie Louvin | Composer |
| 48 | Ira Louvin | Composer |
| 49 | Barry Manilow | Arranger, Producer |
| 50 | Barry Mann | Composer |
| 51 | Bob Mann | Arranger, Conductor, Guitar, Rhythm Arrangements |
| 52 | Catherine Marx | Piano |
| 53 | Rose Marie McCoy | Composer |
| 54 | Sylvia McKinney | Composer |
| 55 | Bette Midler | Duet, Featured Artist, Guest Artist |
| 56 | Bill Miller | Piano |
| 57 | Buddy Miller | Guitar (Acoustic) |
| 58 | Guy Moon | Synthesizer Pads |
| 59 | Lloyd Myers | Drums |
| 60 | Aaron Neville | Duet, Featured Artist, Guest Artist |
| 61 | Dolly Parton | Duet, Featured Artist, Guest Artist |
| 62 | Todd Phillips | Producer |
| 63 | Dirk Powell | Fretless Banjo |
| 64 | Phil Ramone | Producer |
| 65 | Linda Ronstadt | Arranger, Guitar (Acoustic), Primary Artist |
| 66 | Tony Sansone | Composer |
| 67 | Ann Savoy | Duet, Featured Artist, Guest Artist |
| 68 | Derek Schnaufer | Bowed Dulcimer |
| 69 | Rick Shlosser | Drums |
| 70 | Frank Sinatra | Duet, Featured Artist, Guest Artist |
| 71 | Leland Sklar | Bass |
| 72 | Skywalker Symphony Orchestra | Primary Artist |
| 73 | Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith | Composer |
| 74 | Tom Snow | Composer |
| 75 | J.D. Souther | Composer, Duet, Featured Artist, Guest Artist, Guitar (Acoustic) |
| 76 | Adam Steffey | Mandolin |
| 77 | Karl Suessdorf | Composer |
| 78 | James Taylor | Duet, Featured Artist, Guest Artist |
| 79 | Traditional | Composer |
| 80 | Steve Tyrell | Arranger, Associate Producer, Conductor, Producer, Rhythm Arrangements |
| 81 | Jim VanCleve | Fiddle |
| 82 | Carlos Vega | Drums |
| 83 | Waddy Wachtel | Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric) |
| 84 | Randy Waldman | Piano |
| 85 | Bob Warford | Guitar (Acoustic) |
| 86 | Cynthia Weil | Composer |
| 87 | Kristin Wilkinson | String Arrangements, Viola |
| 88 | Hank Williams | Composer |
| 89 | Patrick Williams | Arranger |
| 90 | Warren Zevon | Composer |
| 91 | Andrea Zonn | Viola, Violin |
Ann Savoy
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |