Get Closer

Get Closer is the first pop album Ronstadt made after doing Pirates of Penzance--and it shows in her voice, full of more muscle and control than ever before. Especially affecting are the two Jimmy Webb ballads, the beginning of Ronstadt and Webb's long musical affiliation: the bitter "Easy For You to Say" and the pensive "The Moon's A Harsh Mistress." Ronstadt is in top form here. There's a powerhouse cover of "I Knew You When" with an octave jumping ending that just grabs you. Also touching is Ronstadt's "Mr. Radio" with its eerie arrangement and the imagery-laden "Talk to Me of Mendicino." A must for any Ronstadt aficionado.