First Impressions: Live in Hollywood (Deluxe Edition) by Linda Ronstadt

This archival treat was originally released in 2019 in truncated form. I’m sure there were solid reasons for excising eight of the concert’s 20 songs, such as turning a pricey double-LP set into a more affordable single album, but it was a serious miscalculation. Live releases primarily appeal to established fans, after all, while archival delights appeal to an even slimmer subsection of aficionados, most of whom are long accustomed to shelling out big bucks for rare releases.

Six years on, however, and the wrong has been righted—at least in part. The “deluxe” edition, released late last month, captures the entire show that Linda Ronstadt filmed at the Television Center Studios in Hollywood on April 24, 1980, for HBO. It’s not available on vinyl or CD, however. It’s a streaming-only release.

As I noted at the time, the editing turned the initial 12-track version into a live best-of. It was, to quote myself again, “an impeccable representation of a singer at the peak of her powers.” It’s still that, of course, but now packs twice the punch. The “deluxe edition” mixes and matches Ronstadt’s classic hits, such as “You’re No Good,” “It’s So Easy” and “Blue Bayou,” with such radio staples as “Faithless Love” and “Willin’.” It also contains choice cuts from her then-recent Mad Love album, including “Look Out for My Love,” the title track and “How Do I Make You,” and features a rollicking rendition of the Knickerbockers’ “Lies,” which she’d record for her next album, Get Closer, in 1982.

If you’re a fan, you’re sure to enjoy the refurbished set.

Even better: The entire concert can now be streamed via YouTube. Unlike the washed-out videos that have circulated through the years and posted online, it looks pristine.