by Andreas Kessaris for Curtains Up!
“I think of music as dreaming in sound.”
-Linda Ronstadt
When Linda Ronstadt retired from show business in 2009 after five decades, countless hit records, multiple Grammy Awards, and over one hundred million albums sold, it signaled the end of an era when vocalists belted out lyrics that had depth, soul and real meaning; when emotions and talent mattered. She was one of the great female pop singers before the time of ridiculously over-the-top stage costumes and recordings so auto-tuned they sound like they were sung by R2-D2. By any definition, her career was a success, not just because of sales, acclaim, or sold out shows, but because of her commitment to her art. Ronstadt adores music and appreciates good songs in a way that today’s Divas will sadly never understand. And it is that very love and dedication that she writes about in her book Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir.
As the title suggests the author dispenses with most of her personal details, (she does for some inexplicable reason waste a number of pages on a pony she owned as a young girl that has nothing to do with any of her musical choices), instead focusing primarily on her professional career, and even then more on the creative than the business side. Reading the pages of Simple Dreams one realizes just how devoted she is to her craft, performing, and collaborating with others. Ronstadt keeps her sentences simple, but still manages to convey her passion in an easy-going, enjoyable manner with interesting anecdotes; a real treat for fans of that musical generation. I appreciate that she does not try to over-reach, and is never sloppy or repetitive; the material is well-organized and informative, (there is even a detailed discography at the end). While some passages are more interesting than others, the book is never boring.
Despite being written in an honest, direct style, Simple Dreams refrains from being mean and is not bitter or vindictive, even if the person in question might have deserved it, (like a slimy television producer she had the misfortune of crossing paths with). It is not a tell-all biography that digs up dirt, (and I am sure she has witnessed more than her share of dirt in her time, considering some of the people she hung around with in the ‘70’s), but rather a tribute to talented, hard-working artists from a bygone musical era.
When evaluating a movie, the late film critic Gene Siskel once asked: “Is this film more interesting than a documentary of the same actors having lunch?” While reading Simple Dreams, I couldn’t help but ask myself: “Is this book more interesting than listening to her recordings of all the songs she is talking about?” The answer is “No.” But it comes in a close second.
