Prisoner in Disguise

Last updated
Prisoner In Disguise
Prisoner In Disguise cover.jpg
Studio album by
Linda Ronstadt
ReleasedSeptember 15, 1975
RecordedFebruary–June 1975
Studio Sound Factory (Los Angeles)
Genre Rock, country rock
Length35:57
Label Asylum, Rhino
Producer Peter Asher
Linda Ronstadt chronology
Heart Like a Wheel
(1974)		Prisoner In Disguise
(1975)		 Hasten Down the Wind
(1976)
Singles from Prisoner in Disguise
  1. "Love Is a Rose"
    Released: August 19, 1975 (Charted on September 6)
  2. "Heat Wave"
    Released: September 2, 1975 (Charted on September 20)
  3. "Tracks of My Tears"
    Released: December 2, 1975 (Charted on December 20)

Prisoner In Disguise (1975) is Linda Ronstadt's sixth solo LP release and her second for the label Asylum Records. It followed Ronstadt's multi-platinum breakthrough album, Heart Like a Wheel , which became her first number one album on the US Billboard 200 album chart in early 1975.

Contents

History

Ronstadt chose songs from friends and songwriters such as James Taylor, Lowell George of Little Feat, JD Souther and Anna McGarrigle as well as one written and originally recorded by Jimmy Cliff and an interpretation of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You". The album features string arrangements by David Campbell. Among the guest musicians, Emmylou Harris joined Ronstadt on the standard "The Sweetest Gift".

The original vinyl album release was a gatefold design, and the center section featured a photo of various sheets with written lyrics to the songs, most of which were in the original songwriters' own handwriting.

Trisha Yearwood cited Prisoner in Disguise as an inspiration, bringing the album to her producer at the start of her career saying, “This is the kind of music that I want to make." [1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [2]
Christgau's Record Guide B [3]
Rolling Stone (mixed) [4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [5]

Steve Simels in Stereo Review's December 1975 issue described Ronstadt's singing on Parton's "I Will Always Love You" as "absolutely gorgeous, full-bodied and intense". [6] The album peaked on the Billboard album chart at #4. [7] It also reached #2 on the country album chart, [8] and has been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

"Heat Wave", a rockified re-make of the 1963 hit covered by Martha and the Vandellas, peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Its B-side, a countrified version of Neil Young's "Love Is A Rose", generated its own airplay and peaked at #5 on the Hot Country Songs chart. [9]

The double-sided hits "Tracks Of My Tears", a re-make of a 1965 hit by the Miracles, and "The Sweetest Gift", an older country standard then most recently recorded by the Seldom Scene, [10] also made it to the Country singles chart, peaking at #11 and #12 respectively in early 1976. "Tracks" also peaked at #25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #4 on the adult contemporary songs chart. An album track composed by Lowell George, "Roll Um Easy", was very popular on the burgeoning AOR (album-oriented rock) format.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Love Is a Rose" Neil Young 2:46
2."Hey Mister, That's Me Up on the Jukebox" James Taylor 3:56
3."Roll Um Easy" (featuring Lowell George on slide guitar)Lowell George2:58
4."Tracks of My Tears" Warren "Pete" Moore, William "Smokey" Robinson Jr., Marvin Tarplin 3:12
5."Prisoner in Disguise" (featuring JD Souther on harmony vocals) JD Souther 3:54
6."Heat Wave" Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, Eddie Holland 2:46
7."Many Rivers to Cross" Jimmy Cliff 4:05
8."The Sweetest Gift" (featuring Emmylou Harris on harmony vocals)James B. Coats3:00
9."You Tell Me That I'm Falling Down" (featuring Maria Muldaur on harmony vocals & James Taylor on acoustic guitar)Carol S. Holland, Anna McGarrigle 3:17
10."I Will Always Love You" Dolly Parton 3:00
11."Silver Blue" (featuring JD Souther on harmony vocals)JD Souther3:03
Total length:35:57

Personnel

Production

Charts

Chart (1975/76)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [11] 76
United States (Billboard 200)4

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [12] Platinum1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release history and formats for Prisoner in Disguise
RegionDateFormatLabelRef.
North AmericaSeptember 15, 1975
  • LP
  • cassette
Asylum Records [13]

Related Research Articles

<i>Heart Like a Wheel</i> 1974 studio album by Linda Ronstadt

Heart Like a Wheel is the fifth solo studio album by Linda Ronstadt, released in November 1974. It was Ronstadt's last album to be released by Capitol Records. At the time of its recording, Ronstadt had already moved to Asylum Records and released her first album there; due to contractual obligations, though, Heart Like a Wheel was released by Capitol.

<i>Trio</i> (1987 album) 1987 studio album by Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris

Trio is a collaborative album by American singers Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Emmylou Harris. It was released on March 2, 1987, by Warner Bros. Records. The album has platinum certification in the U.S. for sales of one million copies, and has total worldwide sales of approximately four million. A second collaborative album, Trio II, was released in 1999.

<i>Another Passenger</i> 1976 studio album by Carly Simon

Another Passenger is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Carly Simon, released by Elektra Records, on June 5, 1976.

<i>Trio II</i> 1999 studio album by Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt

Trio II is the second collaborative studio album by Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt. It was released on February 9, 1999, by Asylum Records.

<i>Evangeline</i> (Emmylou Harris album) 1981 studio album by Emmylou Harris

Evangeline is the eighth studio album by Emmylou Harris. It was composed mostly of leftover material from past recording sessions and which did not fit into any of her other albums. Songs included a remake of "Mister Sandman", "Evangeline", which she had previously performed with The Band, Rodney Crowell's "Ashes By Now", and a cover of John Fogerty's "Bad Moon Rising". Though it received mixed reviews upon its release, the album was yet another commercial success for Harris. It was certified Gold in less than a year after its release. A single release of "Mister Sandman" did well on the charts, though neither Ronstadt's nor Parton's record companies would allow their artists' vocals to be used on the single, so Harris rerecorded the song, singing all three parts for the single release. Rodney Crowell's "I Don't Have to Crawl" was released as the album's second single.

<i>Stumble into Grace</i> 2003 studio album by Emmylou Harris

Stumble into Grace is the twentieth studio album by American singer/songwriter Emmylou Harris, released on September 23, 2003 by Nonesuch Records. It peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard country albums chart. Like its immediate predecessor, Red Dirt Girl, the album contained a significant number of Harris' own compositions.

<i>Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind</i> 1989 studio album by Linda Ronstadt featuring Aaron Neville

Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind is a studio album by American singer/producer Linda Ronstadt, released in October 1989 by Elektra Records. Produced by Peter Asher, the album features several duets with singer Aaron Neville — two of which earned Grammy Awards — and several songs written by Jimmy Webb and Karla Bonoff. The album was a major success internationally. It sold over three million copies and was certified Triple Platinum in the United States alone.

<i>Get Closer</i> (Linda Ronstadt album) Album by Linda Ronstadt

Get Closer is the eleventh studio album by singer Linda Ronstadt, released in 1982.

<i>Hasten Down the Wind</i> 1976 studio album by Linda Ronstadt

Hasten Down the Wind is the seventh studio album by Linda Ronstadt. Released in 1976, it became her third straight million-selling album. Ronstadt was the first female artist to accomplish this feat. The album earned her a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female in 1977, her second of 13 Grammys. It represented a slight departure from 1974's Heart Like a Wheel and 1975's Prisoner in Disguise in that she chose to showcase new songwriters over the traditional country rock sound she had been producing up to that point. A more serious and poignant album than its predecessors, it won critical acclaim.

<i>Simple Dreams</i> 1977 studio album by Linda Ronstadt

Simple Dreams is the eighth studio album by the American singer Linda Ronstadt, released in 1977 by Asylum Records. It includes several of her best-known songs, including her cover of the Rolling Stones song "Tumbling Dice" and her version of the Roy Orbison song "Blue Bayou", which earned her a Grammy nomination for Record of the Year. The album also contains covers of the Buddy Holly song "It's So Easy!" and the Warren Zevon songs "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" and "Carmelita".

<i>Living in the USA</i> 1978 studio album by Linda Ronstadt

Living in the USA is the ninth studio album by American singer Linda Ronstadt, released in 1978. The album was Ronstadt's third and final No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (Linda Ronstadt album) 1976 greatest hits album by Linda Ronstadt

Greatest Hits is Linda Ronstadt's first major compilation album, released at the end of 1976 for the holiday shopping season. It includes material from both her Capitol Records and Asylum Records output, and goes back to 1967 for The Stone Poneys' hit "Different Drum."

<i>The Song Remembers When</i> 1993 studio album by Trisha Yearwood

The Song Remembers When is the third studio album by American country music artist Trisha Yearwood. The album was released October 26, 1993, on MCA Nashville Records and was produced by Garth Fundis. It was Yearwood's third collaboration with Fundis, who also produced her 1992 album, Hearts in Armor which received wide critical acclaim, as well as her platinum-selling eponymous debut. The title track was the album's lead single, becoming a major hit, peaking at #2 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in 1993.

<i>Real Live Woman</i> 2000 album by Trisha Yearwood

Real Live Woman is the eighth studio album by American country music singer Trisha Yearwood, released on March 28, 2000.

<i>Western Wall: The Tucson Sessions</i> 1999 studio album by Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris

Western Wall: The Tucson Sessions is a 1999 duet album by American singer, songwriter, and producer Linda Ronstadt and singer, songwriter, and guitarist Emmylou Harris, who had previously collaborated on two albums with Dolly Parton.

<i>We Ran</i> 1998 studio album by Linda Ronstadt

We Ran is a 1998 rock album by American singer Linda Ronstadt. The disc featured back-up from three members of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. It spent two weeks on the Billboard albums chart, peaking at #160.

<i>Winter Light</i> (Linda Ronstadt album) 1993 studio album by Linda Ronstadt

Winter Light is an album by American singer Linda Ronstadt, released in late 1993 to critical acclaim and commercial disappointment.

<i>Feels Like Home</i> (Linda Ronstadt album) 1995 studio album by Linda Ronstadt

Feels Like Home is a studio album by American singer Linda Ronstadt released in 1995. It reached #75 and lasted 12 weeks on the Billboard album chart. It received excellent critical reviews upon release. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the disc sold 188,815 copies in the United States. This album is now out of print physically, although it is available digitally and five of its tracks were remixed and subsequently included on Trio II.

<i>PrizeFighter: Hit After Hit</i> 2014 studio album (re-recording) by Trisha Yearwood

PrizeFighter: Hit After Hit is a re-recorded studio album by American country artist Trisha Yearwood. It was released on November 17, 2014, via Gwendolyn Records and RCA Records Nashville. The album marked Yearwood's first release of new material since 2007's Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love.PrizeFighter contained six new songs as well as ten re-recorded versions of her hits. Two singles were released to radio, including the title track, which became a charting single on the Billboard country chart. The album received mixed reviews from critics upon its release.

<i>Whats Wrong with This Picture?</i> (Andrew Gold album) 1976 studio album by Andrew Gold

What's Wrong with This Picture? is the second album by the singer-songwriter Andrew Gold. It was released in 1976 on Asylum Records. It includes the hit single "Lonely Boy" which peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard singles chart featuring Linda Ronstadt on backing vocals.

References

  1. ↑ "100 Greatest Women / #8 Trisha Yearwood". CountryUniverse.net. 24 June 2008. Retrieved 2012-12-15.
  2. ↑ Allmusic review
  3. ↑ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: R". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved March 12, 2019– via robertchristgau.com.
  4. ↑ "Prisoner in Disguise". Rolling Stone . 30 September 1975.
  5. ↑ Brackett, Nathan; Christian Hoard (2004). The Rolling Stone Album Guide . New York City, New York: Simon and Schuster. p.  701. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8. rolling stone linda ronstadt album guide.
  6. ↑ "Album Review / Linda Ronstadt- Prisoner in Disguise". Ronstadt-linda.com. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
  7. ↑ "Linda Ronstadt Top Pop Albums". Ronstadt-linda.com. 1946-07-15. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
  8. ↑ "Prisoner in Disguise > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". Allmusic . Retrieved 2012-03-05.
  9. ↑ "Linda Ronstadt Top Country Singles". Ronstadt-linda.com. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
  10. ↑ "Act Two". Allmusic . Retrieved 2012-03-05.
  11. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 258. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  12. ↑ "American album certifications – Linda Ronstadt – Prisoner in Disguise". Recording Industry Association of America.
  13. ↑ Ronstadt, Linda (September 15, 1975). "Prisoner in Disguise (Liner Notes)". Asylum Records . 7E-1045 (LP); TC-51045 (Cassette).
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.