One of the most lasting genres to come out of the 1970’s is country-rock, and few did it better than Linda Ronstadt. In her stint with the folk trio the Stone Poneys Ronstadt was already shining through with their charting single cover of Mike Nesmith’s (From Monkees fame) “Different Drum”.
Soon after the Stone Poneys folded and with Capitol Records still seeing something in this fledgling chanteuse bankrolled her debut “Hand Sown … Home Grown” (1969) to generally favorable reviews. She had relied on bandmate Bobby Kimmel for songwriting she was in need of material to record a follow up. So, like much of her solo debut, she would draw on country music she heard as a child growing up in Tucson, Arizona.
Songs covered by Hank Williams, the Cliff Friend and Irving Harold Mills penned “Lovesick Blues,” the Mel Tillis penned and recorded “Mental Revenge” and Gene Clark and Bernie Leadon’s written song “He Darked the Sun” are featured on the album. The Gary White’s penned Countrypolitan cut “Long Long Time” was one of two singles released and it became Ronstadt’s first charting single in the US and Canada.
‘Silk Purse’ was given generally positive reviews and it was Ronstadt’s first to make chart positions in Australia, Canada and the US. The recording of ‘Silk Purse’ took place at Cinderella Sound Studios and Woodland Sound Studios, both in Nashville, Tennessee, between January and February 1970.
The record starts out with the aforementioned “Lovesick Blues” which Rondstadt covers with exuberance and deftly nails the yodeling bits. Next up is the Mickey Newbury penned track “Are My Thoughts with You?” featuring mournful harmonica that brings to mind another Mickey (Raphael) and a chorus of backup singers.
The Brill Building power couple Carole King/Gerry Goffin penned heartacher “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” made famous by the girl group the Shirelles in 1960 (their first song to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart) and included on King’s seminal 1971 album Tapestry. Rondstadt has her work cut out for her on this cut but her heart-wrenching performance, complete with backup singers and guitar with just a touch of psychedelic tendencies, wins the day.
On the charting single “Long Long Time,” Rondstadt’s take on this unreciprocated love longing proves that the Countrypolitan crown that once resided on the late Patsy Cline could rest comfortably on her head.
The inclusion of Tillis’ “Mental Revenge, ” which was cemented in country fans as a perfect remedy for heartache by Waylon Jennings. Here Rondstadt sounds like she’s having a grande time, with a swinging fiddle that emphasises the getting even theme by a slowing swagger of the chorus.
A must-have for any roots music fan.