 
 
Vol. 1 Amazon.com essential recording
Linda Ronstadt's appeal crossed so many genre lines it's impossible to categorize her as anything other than a gifted vocalist. She enjoyed success on country and rock charts alike with a voice that capably handled the requirements of both styles. There was a commanding roughness to her you-did-me-wrong classic, "You're No Good," that mixed both soul and R&B stylings into her vocals. In a similar vein, she handled the Motown standard, "Heat Wave," like a pro, this time giving it the slightest hint of a country twang. She even rose to the occasion of covering Buddy Holly's "That'll Be the Day." Rondstadt had some of her best moments with material that had a more emotional element, regardless of genre. "Love Is a Rose" and "Tracks of My Tears" are good examples of the disparate styles she could navigate with equal aplomb. Greatest Hits doesn't chronicle Rondstadt's hits past the mid-1970s, but is still worth owning, not only for the songs themselves, but as a point of reference in her career. --Steve Gdula
Vol. 2 Amazon.com essential recording
The latter part of the '70s found Ronstadt roughing up her image a bit, covering songs by the Rolling Stones and Warren Zevon and eventually taking inspiration from the burgeoning punk and new-wave scenes. All of this was a long way away from the laid-back country-rock sound that established her as one of the top female artists of the day. On the material collected here, Ronstadt remains as strong a singles artist as ever. Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 contains winners such as "It's So Easy," "Blue Bayou," and the Chuck Berry romp "Living in the U.S.A.," as well as edgier material such as the Stones' "Tumbling Dice" and Zevon's "Poor Poor Pitiful Me." --Daniel Durchholz
 
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