- Get Closer
Infobox Album |
Name = Get Closer
Type =Album
Artist =Linda Ronstadt
Released = September 1982
Recorded = June-August 1982
Genre = Rock/Country
Length = 36:31
Label = Elektra/WEA
Producer =Peter Asher
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|3|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:lh9hs36ba3xg link]
*Robert Christgau Rating|3|5 [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Linda+Ronstadt link]
*"Rolling Stone " Rating|4|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/lindaronstadt/albums/album/239044/review/5941814/get_closer link]
Last album = "Greatest Hits, Volume 2"
(1980)
This album = "Get Closer"
(1982)
Next album = "What's New"
(1983)"Get Closer" (1982) is
Linda Ronstadt 's 11th studioalbum . It arrived two and a half years after the controversial "Mad Love", in which Ronstadt departed from what had become her traditional blend of rock, country and pop music and sang straightforward rock 'n' roll, and a little over a year after herTony Award -nominated turn on Broadway playing Mabel in theJoseph Papp production ofGilbert and Sullivan 's "The Pirates of Penzance "."Get Closer" found Ronstadt returning to the genres that had resulted in her commercial and critical success throughout the 1970s, and working again with British musician and producer
Peter Asher . It was noted by critics that, whereas she had spent the '70s channeling the music of then-upcoming songwriters such asWarren Zevon ,Elvis Costello ,Karla Bonoff andJ. D. Souther , on "Get Closer" Ronstadt sang older songs, some originated by established artists such asBilly Joe Royal ,George Jones and Ike andTina Turner , and others originated by lesser-known soul artists andone-hit wonder s such asthe Knickerbockers ,the Exciters ,Lee Dorsey andWade Flemons .Also, the album contained two tracks originally recorded for but never included on previous albums. The first, a re-make of Jones' "Sometimes You Just Can't Win," was recorded in June 1977 with
J. D. Souther on harmony vocals and intended for the album "Simple Dreams ". The other, a remake ofDolly Parton 's 1971 recording "My Blue Tears," was performed with Parton andEmmylou Harris as part of a planned trio album that, because of scheduling and record company conflicts, was never released. (Parton, Ronstadt and Harris would eventually record and release the first of two "Trio" albums in 1987.) The trio's version was originally recorded in January 1978. Also on "Get Closer" was a duet withJames Taylor , a re-make of Ike andTina Turner 's "I Think It's Gonna Work Out Fine."Asylum released "Get Closer" in September 1982 ( [http://www.ronstadt-linda.com/albums2.htm link] ). Reviewers wrote about a newfound confidence in Ronstadt's vocals. Ken Tucker of "
Rolling Stone " magazine wrote in his review of Nov. 11, "Linda Ronstadt 's voice has never sounded better than it does on "Get Closer". It's an uneven album, to be sure, but its spirit is unassailable." Noting her turn in "Pirates", Tucker wrote that Ronstadt's vocal development on Broadway "hasn't made her self-conscious. Just the opposite, in fact:Linda Ronstadt is no longer a prisoner of technique." Tucker did decry much of the album's second side, saying that some of the oldies in the soul genre were performed too meticulously. (See [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/lindaronstadt/albums/album/239044/review/5941814/get_closer link] .)Stephen Holden of "
The New York Times " wrote in his Oct. 10, 1982, review, "Miss Ronstadt's singing is so strong and unaffected." He paid special attention to the title track, calling it "the album's most adventurous performance" and noting Ronstadt's "shouting, growling exuberance reminiscent ofAretha Franklin 's 'Respect.' " (See [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C06E6DF163BF933A25753C1A964948260 link] .)Commercially, the album fell short of Ronstadt's prior efforts, peaking at No. 31 on the
Billboard 200 album chart in late 1982 (see [http://www.ronstadt-linda.com/toppopa.htm link] ) and being certified gold by theRecording Industry Association of America for shipment of 500,000 copies. By contrast, 1980's "Mad Love" debuted in the top five and peaked at No. 3 ( [http://www.ronstadt-linda.com/toppopa.htm link] ). The title track peaked at No. 29 on theBillboard Hot 100 in late 1982, while a re-make of Royal's "I Knew You When" peaked at No. 37 and a version ofJimmy Webb 's "Easy for You to Say" at No. 54 in early 1983. "Sometimes You Just Can't Win," the B-side to the "Get Closer" single, peaked at No. 27 on "Billboard"'sHot Country Songs chart (see [http://www.ronstadt-linda.com/topcount.htm link] ).Ronstadt was nominated in 1983 for the
Grammy Award s for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female for the song "Get Closer," losing toMelissa Manchester andPat Benatar respectively (see [http://www.ronstadt-linda.com/grammy.html link] ). The album won for Best Album Package, the award for which went to the designers Kosh andRon Larson .Track listing
# "Get Closer" - Jonathan Carroll – 2:29
# "The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress" -Jimmy Webb – 3:03
# "I Knew You When" -Joe South – 2:53
# "Easy for You to Say" -Jimmy Webb – 4:03
# "People Gonna Talk" - William Wheeler/Lee Dorsey /Morris Levy /Clarence L. Lewis – 2:38
# "Talk to Me of Mendocino" -Kate McGarrigle – 2:57
# "I Think It's Gonna Work Out Fine" (withJames Taylor ) - Rose Marie McCoy/Sylvia McKinney – 4:01
# "Mr. Radio" - Roderick Taylor – 4:07
# "Lies" - Buddy Randell/Beau Charles – 2:35
# "Tell Him" - Bert Russell Berns – 2:35
# "Sometimes You Just Can't Win" (withJ. D. Souther ) - Smokey Stover – 2:30
# "My Blue Tears" (withDolly Parton andEmmylou Harris ) - Parton – 2:40Personnel
*Linda Ronstadt - Vocals, Background Vocals
*Emmylou Harris - Vocals
*Dolly Parton - Vocals
*James Taylor - Guitar, Background Vocals
*Peter Asher - Guitar, Percussion, Vocals
*Dan Dugmore - Electric Guitar
*Andrew Gold - Acoustic and Electric Guitar, Percussion, Piano, Keyboards, Vocals, Harmony Vocals
*Waddy Wachtel - Acoustic and Electric Guitar, Vocals
*Danny Kortchmar - Electric Guitar
*Bill Payne - Organ, Piano, Conductor, Keyboards, Fender Rhodes, String Arrangements, Wurlitzer
*Don Grolnick - Organ, Synthesizer
*Kenny Edwards - Acoustic Bass, Vocals
*Bob Glaub - Bass
*Russ Kunkel - Drums
*Rick Marotta - Drums
*Rick Shlosser - Drums
*Jim Horn - Baritone Saxophone
*Jerry Peterson - Saxophone
*Lindsey Buckingham - Accordion
*David Grisman - Mandolin
*Dennis Karmazyn - Cello
*J.D. Souther - Vocals
*Patti Austin - Vocals, Background Vocals
*Rosemary Butler - Vocals, Background Vocals
*Edie Lehmann - Vocals, Background Vocals
*Debbie Pearl - Vocals, Background Vocals
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