For much of the '90s, it seemed as if
Linda Ronstadt was avoiding pop music. She recorded only two pop albums, 1994's
Winter Light and 1995's
Feels Like Home, which seemed like diversions from the Latin and children's records that were occupying her time. In 1998, she returned with
We Ran, a full-fledged pop comeback produced by
Glyn Johns (
George Massenberg,
Peter Asher, and
Waddy Wachtel also produced a handful of songs) and featuring support from such '70s soft rock stalwarts as
Waddy Wachtel and
Bernie Leadon, as well as Heartbreakers
Mike Campbell,
Howie Epstein, and
Benmont Tench. The pedigree is in place, leaving it up to
Ronstadt and her songs to deliver the goods, which, more often than not, she does. Her voice remains strong and surprisingly robust, and her choice of songs, while not surprising, is quite satisfying. There are a couple of cuts that are a little bland and others, such as
Dylan's "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues," aren't suited for her polished delivery, but most of the album is quite enjoyable. It's nice to hear
Ronstadt tackle classics like "Ruler of My Heart," but the moments of
We Ran that truly capture the spirit of
Heart Like a Wheel are when she tries contemporary songs like
John Hiatt's "Icy Blue Heart"and
Bruce Springsteen's "If I Should Fall Behind." Granted,
Hiatt and
Springsteen are predictable choices -- she could have been more adventurous and sought out songs by such '90s songwriters as
Ron Sexsmith or
Aimee Mann -- but they are just contemporary enough to help make
We Ran a successful update of her classic '70s sound. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine