A genuinely beautiful album - makes me happy

During the 1970’s, I’ve listened to my share of Linda Ronstadt songs on the radio, but never felt compelled to go out and buy one of her albums.

Then, in 1987, Linda released Canciones De Mi Padre (“Songs of my Father”) and I was completely floored by her voice and the beauty of the songs she was singing. This is a compilation of traditional Mexican Mariachi songs and the album became a smash success in Southern California (I am not sure how well it was received nationwide).

I don’t rightly know how I learned about this album. I didn’t hear any songs on the radio; I probably read a Robert Hilburn review in the Los Angeles Times Calendar section. However I happened to fall upon this album... I am happy that I did. Although I only know about 10 words in Spanish, this is one album where Linda’s voice and emotive singing really captivated me. These Mexican ballads, which were her Mexican-born father’s favorite tunes, are absolutely beautiful to the ear. You don’t have to understand Spanish to know that these songs are about longing, heartache, the joys of simple life, devotion, and love.

Some friends from Switzerland visited me some time back, and when they heard this CD, they flipped for it, too. It truly is a “World Album” that I confidently recommend to all my friends. It certainly ranks as one of the 200 greatest CDs in my collection -- simply because of Linda’s beautiful singing. If you don’t have a Spanish language album in your collection, by all means seek this CD out. It is so good... I guarantee it. (This is great music to play while drinking beer and Tequila shooters. The album fits many moods: when you feel happy... and even when you feel sad.)