Lush Life

About

<i>Lush Life</i> was nominated for Best Female Vocal Performance at the 1985 GRAMMY Awards, but one look at Linda Ronstadt’s competition that year (Madonna, Pat Benatar, Whitney Houston) shows just how bold her resuscitation of the Great American Songbook was at that time. The public wanted edgy females who specialized in danceable rock and R&B; the last thing it was looking for were songs from the '20s and '30s. And yet Ronstadt showed that those classic works could be made new if given the proper treatment. <i>Lush Life</i> was an antidote to the inhuman technology of the '80s. The songs are warm, lush, and hypnotically romantic. “Skylark” has as much to say about hope and loneliness as any Houston or Benatar song, while “I’m a Fool to Want You” and “You Took Advantage of Me” offer a far more complicated vision of sexual politics than Madonna’s “Like a Virgin.” The key element is Ronstadt’s authentic affection for the songs. Reviving the Great American Songbook would soon become trendy, but Ronstadt was among the first; these songs are illuminated because they're lit by the brightness of her adoration.

via Apple Music

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