Hand Sown...Home Grown

Album review

When Linda Ronstadt recorded her solo debut Hand Sown…Home Grown in 1969, the Stone Poneys hadn't disbanded so much as dispersed, leaving Ronstadt holding a record contract. Fortunately, she was also the member with the clearest star potential, a powerhouse singer who also happened to be gorgeous. Hand Sown…Home Grown didn't make her a star -- it didn't chart and its one single, "The Long Way Around," went no further than 70 on the charts -- but it showcases her potential quite effectively. Working with producer Chip Douglas, who had previously helmed some Monkees records, Ronstadt crafts a Californian country-rock that recalls the Flying Burrito Brothers -- her version of John D. Loudermilk's "Break My Mind" isn't far removed from that of Parsons and company -- but it also has elements of L.A.'s folk-rock scene (on the front cover, she does look like she descended down the hill from Laurel Canyon). The songs stick a couple of classic country tunes -- "Silver Threads and Golden Needles," "Only Mama That'll Walk the Line" -- between a couple of Dylan covers, Wayne Raney's "We Need a Lot More of Jesus (And a Lot Less Rock & Roll)," Fred Neil's "Dolphins," and Randy Newman's "Bet No One Ever Hurt This Bad." Similarly, the sound is part California, part Nashville and it's best when it doesn't reach for authentic twang: "Silver Threads" has real propulsion, "Bet No One" has a lithe, slinky sexiness, and "We Need a Whole Lot More of Jesus (And a Lot Less Rock & Roll)" strikes precisely the right blend of the two. Hand Sown…Home Grown might not quite hit the mark -- it not only has one foot in L.A. and one in Nashville, Ronstadt still has the folk affectations of the Stone Poneys -- but it's often entertaining to hear he stretch out and find her own voice, and its best moments point the way toward her future.

© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo