Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir
Linda Ronstadt
Mistakes are part of life, so I try to learn from mine.
Take my declarations about genres. Every time I declare I don’t read a particular type of book, I find myself behaving in a contradictory manner.
Consider Exhibit A: biography, a category that includes autobiography and the successful publisher-created Continue reading
The 200 Best Songs of the 1970s
Pitchfork Magazine
(Originally published August 22, 2016)
I thought long and hard about taking this week off–I even took out the ingredients to make chocolate croissants. After all, the last thing any of you need is another opinionated epistle that has no external point of reference.
At least with books you get to decide if you want to read it yourself to see if what I’m Continue reading
That Girl from Arizona
When it comes to writing about music I seem to find myself stuck in the 70s. Maybe it’s easier to make sense of the songs I’ve been listening to for most of a lifetime.
Or maybe I just can’t stand today’s Swedish-produced pop music.
In any case, no female performer from my teen years stands out more than Linda Ronstadt. More than once I’ve referred to her as the first Mexican-American girl I ever had a crush on. That ethnic bit is true. The Ronstadts were immigrant farmers from Continue reading
An Honest Con 