BGO's 2014 double-disc set rounds up
Linda Ronstadt's first three solo albums: 1969's
Hand Sown...Home Grown, 1970's
Silk Purse, and 1971's
Linda Ronstadt. These are the records where she finds her voice, moving from the hazily focused Laurel Canyon folk-rocker through country-rocker to the assured interpreter who became a star. None of these records was a hit, partially due to
Ronstadt figuring out her style, but each is distinctive and appealing;
Hand Sown is a colorful SoCal roots rock record,
Silk Purse is a country-rock set made in Nashville, and
Linda Ronstadt is where she pulls it all together, aided by a backing band that would later become
the Eagles. This three-fer winds up being a terrific way to hear
Ronstadt coming into her own. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine