There really isn't any other female singer who is as adept at fusing rock and country together as Linda Ronstadt. Ever since she debuted in 1967 with the folk-rock classic "Different Drum", Linda has been an amazing inspiration for a whole slew of female singers. It was a long, slow climb to the top for her, but at the end of 1974, it paid off with the release of HEART LIKE A WHEEL, which perfectly illustrated her approach. Having been given all the support she needed by her producer Peter Asher, Linda came up with what I think is THE ultimate female country-rock album of all time. Here are the songs:

YOU'RE NO GOOD (Clint Ballard)--Linda's remake of this 1963 Betty Everett soul classic became her biggest hit, reaching #1 in February 1975, and it's easy to see why. Linda's rendition is appropriately husky and teasing, a model for any respectable female rock performer to follow. It is bolstered by fine string backing and a very tasty, almost Duane Eddy-style guitar break by Linda's long-time guitarist and arranger Andrew Gold.

IT DOESN'T MATTER ANYMORE (Paul Anka)--Linda's first Buddy Holly remake (of Holly's posthumous 1959 classic) is a country-influenced cut, with veteran L.A. steel guitar virtuoso Sneaky Pete's work very much in evidence. Linda's voice has a distinctive rural quality to it, as well as some sympathetic acoustic guitar work.

FAITHLESS LOVE (J.D. Souther)--Linda has recorded many of J.D. Souther's songs in her life, and this is one of those. It's a true heartbreak ballad, with Souther on harmonies and Herb Pederson on banjo, giving it a very rustic feel.

THE DARK END OF THE STREET (Dan Pennington/Wayne Moman)--This song from the Memphis/Stax Records catalog has been done countless times by everyone from Aretha Franklin to the Flying Burrito Brothers. But Linda puts a unique spin on this tale of deceit, secrecy, and heartbreak, putting her heart into every last word. Bob Warford contributes a twangy country-rock electric guitar break in the middle.

HEART IS LIKE A WHEEL (Anna McGarrigle)--Linda has covered the songs of Canadian sisters Kate and Anna McGarrigle many times, and this one gives a lot of reasons for this. A poignant, almost classical ballad, with simple piano and string backing, it is a song close to Linda's heart. She is aided and abetted on harmony vocals by Maria Muldaur, of "Midnight At The Oasis" fame.

WHEN WILL I BE LOVED? (Phil Everly)--To show how musically diverse Linda is, she takes this 1960 Everly Brothers hit and turns it in an updated rockabilly stomper with some tasty back-up vocals and twangy electric guitars. This became a #2 pop hit in June 1975, and also hit #1 on the country singles chart.

WILLING (Lowell George)--A real truck-driving song that one doesn't expect a woman to sing, but then Linda is obviously not just any other woman. She displays an awful lot of spunk in depicting her travails across the country, even willing to indulge in "weed, whites, and wine" (which may or may not be a drug reference).

I CAN'T HELP IT IF I'M STILL IN LOVE WITH YOU (Hank Williams)--Hank Williams was one of Linda's big childhood influences while growing up in Arizona, so it isn't too surprising that Linda should be faithful in updating this country standard for her audience. A #2 country hit that also netted Linda her first Grammy (for Female Country Vocal), the song is much closer to pure country than almost anything Nashville does today--and Linda recorded it in Los Angeles! She is aided on harmonies by her longtime pal Emmylou Harris.

KEEP ME FROM BLOWING AWAY (Paul Craft)--This bluegrass-tinged ballad, which Linda got from the Virginia-based bluegrass outfit the Seldom Scene, is a song about a woman adrift in love and life who prays to God to keep her in mind. The uncredited dobro work on the song is probably by the Seldom Scene's Mike Auldridge.

YOU CAN CLOSE YOUR EYES (James Taylor)--It fits that Linda should cover a good friend's song with the same kind of honesty she's done with everything else on this album. It doesn't hurt either that, along with her superb, relaxed country-rock soprano, she is helped out by two guys named Glenn Frey and Don Henley (on guitar and drums, respectively).

HEART LIKE A WHEEL is an album whose formula has been endlessly copied the last ten years in Nashville. But what Linda did with this 1974 country-rock classic is to fuse the spunky energy of rock and roll with the traditional spirit of country in such a way that it can NEVER be duplicated by anyone else. The album remains an obvious inspiration to the best singers of today, most notably Trisha Yearwood; and one listen to it will make it easy to see why this is so.

Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Reading or Studying