Let Us All Herald the Arrival of Linda Ronstadt’s Duets

If you’re bummed at the news that Linda Ronstadt’s health is such that she’s had to bow out of attending her own induction at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, that’s certainly your right as a fan, but if it helps ease the pain a bit, she actually seems more excited about her new compilation, Duets, than the HoF honor…or at least that’s how it sounds in her interview with Randy Lewis in today’s L.A. Times:

"It's nice," she said apprehensively from her home in the Bay Area, then sheepishly explained, "It's just something I never gave one thought to. Other people seem to be way more interested [in the Hall of Fame induction] than I am. It's like other awards that have come my way: I'm delighted to get them, and I'm very grateful. But I didn't work for that reason."

When Lewis gets Ronstadt talking about Duets, however, he can barely stop her…but, really, can you blame her? To take a look at the track listing of the album is to see more than a few folks who’ve seen the upper reaches of the charts at least as often as Ronstadt herself, including Dolly Parton, Don Henley, James Taylor, and Bette Midler. Fans of her work with Ann Savoy on 2006’s Adieu False Heart will be pleased to see that the collection leads off with a trio of tracks from that album, including their sublime take on the Left Banke’s “Walk Away Renee,” and there are also contributions on the compilation from Carl Jackson, Laurie Lewis, J.D. Souther, and Frank Sinatra.

Oh, and lest you be concerned, we haven’t forgotten about the inclusion of Ronstadt’s work with Emmylou Harris, Aaron Neville, or James Ingram. We just thought we’d close by offering up a performance of Ronstadt and Harris dueting on “I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still In Love with You),” followed by the videos for “Don’t Know Much” with Neville and “Somewhere Out There” with Ingram.

Here’s hoping you enjoy the flashbacks…and if you do, then be sure to run straight to your favorite retailer to pick up a copy of Duets! (Did we mention that it’s available now? Because it is.)

Linda Ronstadt with Emmylou Harris, “I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still in Love with You)”

Linda Ronstadt with Aaron Neville, “Don’t Know Much”

Linda Ronstadt with James Ingram, “Somewhere Out There”