The Ronstadt fans on DL are over-the-top rabid, some are completely bonkers. Just like the Kate Bush fans who post here, Ronstadt's fans feel everything she does is brilliant. If anyone comes to a thread to critique her, you are immediately trashed.

I made an intelligent point re singer/songwriter Elvis Costello not enjoying Ronstadt's versions of his songs, then he's attacked as being an "ugly turd"? Bizarre, juvenile and typical.

At least Costello is a brilliant and extremely talented songwriter, many here might not enjoy his voice, but there is no denying his songwriting ability and the fact that he's a very prolific songwriter. How many brilliant and memorable songs has Ronstadt written?

Unlike Ronstadt, who seemed to have simply dabbled in other types of music, Elvis Costello has seriously worked in many genres of music. He's worked with and written songs with Burt Bachrach, Allen Toussaint, The Jazz Passengers, Los Lobos, The Brodsky Quartet and, well, too many others to list. He's even recorded traditional English folk music.

Costello has definitely worked in many musical genres compared to Ronstadt who hasn't embraced much except rock, big band, mariachi and folk. Ronstadt has never expanded her musical repertoire as Costello has.

The best argument her fans here can come up with is that Costello is "ugly"? If you have NO clue about his music, then don't comment on it.

ANY discussion about ANY subject needs to have valid information about BOTH sides for it to be an actual discussion. It's clear Linda's rabid fans here are not all that familiar with Costello's music, let alone the other musicians who have also recorded Cat Steven's "The First Cut Is the Deepest". PP Arnold's version was also pretty damn great, but I am pretty sure many here have not even heard of her!

To bring up Costello's looks is absurd, we are talking about MUSIC here...not his looks. Nowhere in MY post did I bring up that Linda is now obese.

Ronstadt's most bizarre collaboration, which I'm sure most of the people in this thread are not even aware of, was her singing on avant-garde jazz composer Carla Bley's "Escalator Over The Hill" album, which was recorded in the late 60s/early 70s. Cream's Jack Bruce also sang on this three LP set, the rest of the musicians were from the world of free jazz music.