Feels Like Home

by

Linda Ronstadt

Edit

Many of the songs from this album resulted from the TRIO II sessions with Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton, which Linda participated on. However TRIO II wasn't released until early 1999, and was recorded in 1994, so I'm sure Linda wanted to pick up a few of the songs and make them her own on FEELS LIKE HOME. "High Sierra", "After The Goldrush", "Feels Like Home", "Lover's Return" and "The Blue Train" also appear on TRIO II. There are once again some stunning covers, most notably a cover of Tom Petty's "The Waiting" which she tears it up on and makes it her own. That off the bat is a definite highlight here. She also covers Matraca Berg's "Walk On", and Neil Young's "After The Goldrush". Once again she does not disapoint, vocally she is up to par and sounds magnificent. Highlights include "The Waiting", "Blue Train", "High Sierra", "Feels Like Home", and "After The Goldrush", but there is no filler here to be found.

In the months before FEELS LIKE HOME hit the record stores, there was a lot of information about the new album available. There were several newspaper articles, Capitol Records reissued her early releases (SILK PURSE, DIFFERENT DRUM, THE STONE PONEYS)on CD, and various interviews. For all the hoopla surrounding the album, FEELS LIKE HOME is a disappointment. It isn't a bad album, but by classic formula I was expecting something alon the lines of LIVING IN THE U.S.A or PRISONER IN DISQUISE. The song selection is good, but the production is bland, and colorless. On a classic Linda Ronstadt album solid numbers like "The Waiting", "High Sierra", "After The Gold Rush", and "The Blue Train" would come complete with interesting and throughly enjoyable arrangements, on FEELS LIKE HOME they sound dull. Every song on the record has great potential, but needed more individual treatment and more experimentation. Linda Ronstadt still maintains her ability to belt out great pop numbers, and her vocal performances are the main reason for owning the record. Another problem with FEELS LIKE HOME is it's consistency. On an individual basis the songs are consistent, but as an album it runs out of steam at the end. Particularly "Morning Blues", "Women Cross The River", and "Lover's Return" seem to be read more than they are sung. FEELS LIKE HOME could be twice as good with energy and more innovative arragements. As a Linda Ronstadt devotee, there is little of her Rock/Country/Pop music I dislike, but classic formula is classic formula, and FEELS LIKE HOME is not. MATT COKER