25 March : Silk Purse

In October 1977, when I first started at University and Edinburgh Theological College, the talk of the common room was an interview Linda Rondstadt had given to Time magazine the previous February in which she said her big fantasy was to seduce a priest. Every student in the college would have obliged, including the gay ones. That was later, of course, and Silk Purse is her second solo album after the demise of Stone Poneys.

In his Rolling Stone review of Silk Purse, Alec Dubro describes the album as ‘merely excellent’. I think that overstates it, but I’m not sure as I’m inclined to argue the point. He is correct that it’s Linda’s voice that carries the album rather than the strength of the material itself.

Although Dubro describes the album as Country-Rock, and the Time cover just refers to Rock, this sounds to me like straight up country music with the occasional LA twist, and all the better for that. And with 10 songs in 29 minutes it doesn’t outstay its welcome.

It’s fair to say her later work was more accomplished, but Silk Purse is a decent album that I’d be happy to play in the office or in the house.

I listened on Spotify, but it’s also a YouTube playlist.