LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE

 This film wasn't really on my radar, but I ended up seeing it while recently visiting the 'rents.  They were going to see it at their local independent cinema, so I tagged along.

I was pleasantly surprised.

I have to admit that I didn't know much about LR other than that she dated Jerry Brown on his first go-around as Governor of California. Suffice it to say, she was a badass during her career. What a set of pipes. And her command of different musical genres was pretty unparalleled. She also seems like she was hella cool and not a spoiled diva, which was refreshing to see given her stature and level of stardom she achieved.

The film is a classic documentary in that it unfolds in a pretty linear fashion, starting with LR's birth, her upbringing in the Southwest, and continues on from there chronicling her meteoric career.

To this end, the film contains some fantastic archival footage and a host of great interviews from the likes of Dolly Parton, Don Henley, Ry Cooder, Emmylou Harris, and more. 

I had no idea how deep Ronstadt's career went nor about her connections to Neil Young, The Eagles, and others.

I also had no idea that she is just a singer (and a mightly damn good one), not a songwriter. She's like Sinatra, a vocalist with a signature voice that is heralded for her interpretations of other people's songs. She was also a maverick when it came to the course of her career (she literally flipped her script at least 5 times in terms of the genres of music she peformed).

The only minor off-putting element of the film is that it has a tendency to feel slightly maudlin when discussing why she retired from singing.

Still, if you are into popular music at all, this is completely worth watching for the classic footage and interviews with her peers.