Published on Sep 3, 1999
All I can say is “shame, shame, shame” on Elektra Records.
Back in 1995 Linda Ronstadt recorded arguably one of the best
records of her post-70’s career,
Feels Like Home. It was – and still is – a revelation of
what can happen when a singer is perfectly matched with the songs
she’s performing. I recall at the time Ronstadt did several
interviews that indicated
Feels Like Home was initially to have been the follow up to
1987’s
Trio, which she recorded with Emmylou Harris and Dolly
Parton.
Unfortunately, the second trio album didn’t happen for whatever
reasons, but apparently the record company kept the tracks of the
songs – and have released them now four years after Ronstadt’s solo
versions. Five of the 10 songs on
Trio II were also included on Ronstadt’s ’95 album – why,
that’s nearly unforgivable.
Worse, yet, both projects were produced by George Massenburg and
the players on the duplicated songs are nearly identical. One has
to surmise that Massenburg at the least started with the same sonic
“bed” as used on Ronstadt’s disc, then added Parton’s harmonies
(Harris were already there) – or vice versa he started from the
Trio sessions to create Ronstadt’s solo versions.
All of the songs that feature Ronstadt on lead vocals (“The Blue
Train,” “Feels Like Home,” “High Sierra,” and “Lover’s Return”)
plus a true trio song, Neil Young’s “After The Gold Rush,” appeared
in practically the same arrangements on Ronstadt’s
Feels Like Home. The only difference is Parton replaces
Valerie Carter in the Young song.
Which is not to say any of these songs sound bad. Far, far from
it. These artists are too good to release songs that bark, so these
songs still sound as good now as they did then – of course, they
are essentially the same songs. Especially moving are Jennifer
Kimball and Tom Kimmel’s haunting “The Blue Train” and Randy
Newman’s beyond excellent “Feels Like Home.” (Only Bonnie Raitt on
Newman’s
Faust album performs the song better.)
The extent of the duplication here is so complete that it’s
difficult to hear anything good in the five songs on
Trio II that aren’t repeats. But, once again, these three
are professionals and those five songs do sound darn good.
Of the “new” songs, two by Parton are standouts on this
impoverished disc: “I Feel the Blues Movin’ In” by Del McCoury, and
“He Rode All the Way To Texas” by John Starling. On both, her
“little-girl lost” voice perfectly augments the blue tone of the
songs.
Harris also shines on her moments in the spotlight, “You’ll
Never Be The Sun” and “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind.” On the latter,
Parton’s high soprano enriches in an exquisite way.
The saddest part of this effort is not that 50 percent of the
disc has already been released. The saddest part is that those of
us who were anxiously waiting for
Trio II since the release of the first effort are still left
waiting – and waiting with a bitter taste in our mouths.
I understand that the record industry doesn’t exist for the
reasons I’d like it to – quality, artistry, originality, etc. No,
the record industry exists for one reason – bucks. What burns me is
not that they would essentially re-release half of Ronstadt’s album
as something new – after all that’s a cheaper, though despicable,
way of making an album.
What sticks in my craw is the incredible waste of talent.
Harris, Ronstadt, and Parton have more talent singing in the shower
than most of today’s “artists” have in all of their overdubs put
together.
Ronstadt and Harris are teaming up for another album, or may
have even done so by this time – let’s all hope they are treated
better by the record company this time around.