We Ran

Thirty albums into her career, not much uncharted territory remains for Linda Ronstadt, who has shown herself willing, if not always able, to work in any genre. We Ran is a lush but earthy reexamination of material by Bruce Springsteen, John Hiatt, and Doc Pomus. If matching her with Dylan's "Tom Thumb's Blues" sounds like an exercise in futility, Waddy Wachtel's tremolo guitar, the Booker T.-like soulfulness of the band, and Ronstadt's sweetly weary voice suggest otherwise. Primary producer Glyn Johns (the Rolling Stones, the Who) makes smart choices--though George Massenburg and Wachtel turn "I Go to Pieces" into a breath-fest--and the musicianship of Bernie Leadon and the Heartbreakers keeps pace with Ronstadt's serene vocal ease. --Roy Kasten