Linda Ronstadt – Don't Cry Now (Ultra Analog, Half-speed Mastering)
ORDER LIMITED TO ONE ITEM PER CUSTOMER
Linda Ronstadt – lead vocals, tambourine (A3), backing vocals (A5, B3-4) [click here to see more vinyl featuring Linda Rondstadt]
Ginger Holladay – backing vocals (A1-2, B2)
Mary Holliday – backing vocals (A1-2, B2)
Clydie King – backing vocals (A4, B2, B5)
Sherlie Matthews – backing vocals (A4, B2, B5)
Marti McCall – backing vocals (A4, B2, B5)
Wendy Waldman – backing vocals (A5)
Spooner Oldham – acoustic piano (A1, A4-5)
John Boylan – electric piano (A2)
Craig Doerge – acoustic piano (B1, B5)
J. D. Souther – acoustic guitar (A1, B3), bass (A1), electric guitar (A4), backing vocals (B3)
Jerry McGee – electric guitar (A1)
Sneaky Pete Kleinow – steel guitar (A1, A2, B1-2)
Richard Bowden – electric guitar (A2-3, B2, B4, B5)
Andy Johnson – electric guitar (A2)
Herb Pedersen – acoustic guitar (A3), backing vocals (A3, B4)
Ed Black – steel guitar (A3, B3, B5), electric guitar (B2)
Larry Carlton – electric guitar (A5, B1)
Buddy Emmons – pedal steel guitar (A5)
Rick Roberts – acoustic guitar (B2)
Glenn Frey – electric guitar (B3), steel guitar (B4)
Mike Bowden – bass guitar (A2-3, B2, B4)
Chris Ethridge – bass guitar (A4-5, B3)
Leland Sklar – bass guitar (B1, B5)
Dennis St. John – drums (A1, A4-5, B3)
Mickey McGee – drums (A2-3, B2, B4)
Russ Kunkel – drums (B1, B5)
Jimmie Fadden – harmonica (A1)
Gib Guilbeau – fiddle (A3)
Jim Gordon – saxophone (A4, B5)
Nino Tempo – saxophone (A4, B4)
Gail Martin – trombone (A4, B4)
McKinley Johnson – trumpet (A4, B4)
Darrell Leonard – trumpet (A4, B4)
Jim Ed Norman – horn arrangements (A4, B4), string arrangements (A4)
Jimmie Haskell – string arrangements (A2, B2, B5)
Sid Sharp – concertmaster (A2, A4, B2, B5)
1 LP, gatefold jacket
Limited numbered edition
Original analog Master tape : YES
Half-speed Mastered
Gain 2™ Ultra Analog
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33RPM
Size : 12”
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : RTI
Label : MOFI
Original Label : Asylum
Engineered by John Haeny, Peter Granet, Ric Tarrantini
Remixed by Al Schmitt, J.D. Souther
Mastered by Shawn R. Britton at Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, Sebastopol, CA
Produced by John David Southern
Co-produced by John Boylan (A2, B2), John Boylan (A3, B4), Peter Asher (B1, B5)
Originally released in October 1973
Reissued in 2008
Tracks:
Side A:
- I Can Almost See It
- Love Has No Pride
- Silver Threads and Golden Needles
- Desperado
- Don't Cry Now
Side B:
- Sail Away
- Colorado
- The Fast One
- Everybody Loves a Winner
- I Believe In You
Reviews :
“Don't Cry Now expanded the pop/rock concessions of Linda Ronstadt, and the result was the singer's first genuine hit record, peaking at number 45 on the charts.” AllMusic Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
"Don’t Cry Now, produced by J.D. Souther, is the Ronstadt album for which we’ve been waiting. Her first for Asylum, it surpasses in almost every respect her excellent Capitol album of last year, revealing Linda’s supreme vocal abilities in a fine production setting. Of the album’s ten songs, five are familiar: Eric Kaz and Libby Titus’ “Love Has No Pride,” The Eagles’ “Desperado,” Randy Newman’s “Sail Away,” Rick Roberts’ “Colorado” and Neil Young’s “I Believe in You.” Excepting “Sail Away,” Linda’s warm soulful renditions of these songs are definitive musical expositions. Her natural vocal equipment is second to none. Combined with perfect pitch, impeccable phrasing and control, her singing carries a throb that hurts and soothes at the same time, and her feeling for the melodic construction of any given song is always proportionate to its structure.
An example of her ability to elevate a good song to exceptional status is her treatment of “I Believe in You.” While Linda’s version is far less personal than Young’s, she manages to render the song whole. The same holds for her “Desperado.” Here the straightforward yet heartfelt reading lends it a stature that does not require a conceptual context in order for it to work.
The other five cuts include three songs by Souther — “I Can Almost See It,” “Don’t Cry Now” and “The Fast One” — plus Bill Williams’ and Booker T. Jones’ “Everybody Loves a Winner” and Rhodes-Reynolds’ out-and-out country swinger, “Silver Threads and Golden Needles.” While Souther’s songs do not have quite the eloquence of the album’s well-known material, they hold up well, and Linda’s interpretations are as sympathetic as any author could ask.
Don’t Cry Now bears some comparison with Joan Baez’ Blessed Are, in that both albums attempt classic re-creations of familiar songs. Based on this premise, Blessed Are is a qualified success and Don’t Cry Now a triumph. Whereas Baez delivers competent run-throughs, Linda Ronstadt enhances the musical-emotional authenticity of the material. This is the most we can demand of any interpretive artist, and Linda fulfills all expectations. While the production values are rich, they are neither coldly streamlined nor overly mushy. Among the many fine musicians providing support are Spooner Oldham, J.D. himself and Sneaky Pete. All are used to maximum advantage.” Stephen Holden, Rolling Stone, November 1973
Ultra Analog™ : The GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ Series stems from the use of the Gain 2 system, mastered at half speed from the original master tapes where possible, capturing and uncovering as before undiscovered sonic information.
Half-speed mastering. In half-speed mastering, the whole process is slowed down to half of the original speed. A typical 33 1/3 rpm record is cut at 16 2/3 rpm. The source material is also slowed down (reducing the pitch in the process) meaning the final record will still sound normal when played back. Slowing the whole process down allows more time, which means the end result sounds better and is more efficient — allowing engineering to minimize the effects of inherent limitations within the vinyl format. The result is a more accurate and more open high-frequency response in the half speed vinyl when compared with a normal speed recording.
Ratings :
AllMusic : 3 / 5 , Discogs : 4.27 / 5