the "How Do I Make You" single? And come to think of it, where is "Lago Azul," the Spanish language version of "Blue Bayou"? I already own most of this collection in one format or another -- LP, cassette, 8-track tapes. For me, as I suspect it will be for other die-hard Ronstadt fans, it is Disc #4 that is the most interesting, since this is the disc containing the most previously unreleased material. I imagine that that it is an enormously ambitious undertaking to put together a box set that does justice to such an eclectic career as Linda Ronstadt's, and this one pretty much does the job. It's all here: the hits, the forays into other genres & languages, the duets & the movie themes. Please don't retire, Linda!

Linda Ronstadt's career has spanned over 30 years, with 35 released albums in folk-rock, country, rock, pop, Latino, and classic ballads.

This box set provides a great compilation of her great hits across all years and genres. The last (of 4) CD in the set is titled "Rarities," and includes unreleased material as well as some pieces released but little known. Among these are recordings of Randy Newman's musical "Faust" - a duet with Kermit the Frog - a haunting Phillip Glass/Suzanne Vega piece recorded with the Kronos Quartet - and songs recorded with the bluegrass band The Seldom Scene.

The collaborations with Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and Aaron Neville are extraordinary numbers of perfectly blended voices. Some of her later solo pieces have a soft, almost new-age sound to them. Quite entrancing is her lullaby rendition of Queen's "We Will Rock You."

For baby boomer fans from the '70's and '80's like me, there are dozens of songs by the Ronstadt "posse": Andrew Gold, Waddy Wachtel, Wendy Waldman, Anna & Kate McGarrigle, and Nicolette Larson.

There are almost 5 hours of music in this set. Only her 2000 Christmas album is not represented.

Caution: the liner notes [box set booklet] are a serious disappointment. No lyrics are given. The artist biography is anorexic. The information on the songs (composer and musicians) is printed in microscopic typeface.

Despite the drawbacks of the printed material, I heartily recommend this set. Ronstadt is a performer of astonishing talent and range.

One can certainly quibble about the song selection in this box set. For my part, I would have liked to see "I Knew You When", "When Something is Wrong With My Baby", "Someone to Lay Down Beside Me", "The Tattler", anything from "Don't Cry Now", and another of the amazing vocals from "Canciones de Mi Padre". That's just for starters - the point is, with as richly diverse a career as Linda Ronstadt's, you're not going to be able to put out a 4 CD retrospective and include every fan's favorites. Something's going to get slighted.

What this collection does do is provide a broad perspective of all the facets of her career. I don't see how one could listen to the 4 CDs start to finish and not gain renewed respect for her considerable artistry. I'm not saying everything she ever touched is perfect, by any means, but she has shown consistent versatility, intelligence and taste, not to mention a vocal gift from the Gods.

I had not heard a lot of the rarities on side 4, and they show fresh dimensions of her talent. Particulary, the selections from Randy Newman's "Faust", Philip Glass & Suzanne Vega's "Freezing" and the acapella version of the traditional "The Blacksmith" are haunting. And "Honky Tonk Blues" and "Lightning Bar Blues" are terrific unreleased country rockers from the mid-70's that its great to hear.

I admit I'm prejudiced - I fell in love with Linda's voice the first time I heard it ("Different Drum"). I've followed her career faithfully from then and enjoyed every unpredictable step along the way. I certainly hope she stops all this foolish talk of retirement. "Western Wall" proves she can keep making quality music for many years to come, and its my fervent wish that she will!

Could one box set ever hold the myriad manifestations of Linda's exceptional voice? I agree that there are a few omissions here: "Rambler Gambler," Spanish "Blue Bayou," "Desperado" (? ), duet with Smokey Robinson from Motown 25, but there are gems as well: Linda and Emmylou tearing it up on "Honky Tonk Blues"; a wonderfully raunchy live "Tumblin' Dice," a touching live "Keep Me From Blowin' Away" with the Seldom Scene. It's amazing to traverse the musical landscape Ronstadt has pursued: from wrapping her voice around the aging Sinatra in "Moonlight in Vermont" to the Nelson Riddle work, to Spanish excursions to Phillip Glass to Little Feat's raucous "All That You Dream." As this box set so clearly illustrates, there will never be another singer as versatile as Linda.

If you don't buy this collection for any other reason buy it for the excellent sound quality. It's a fairly comprehensive presentation of Ronstadt's material except the the sound in most cases is much better than on the original CD releases. Also included is a disc of unreleased rare material that makes this boxed set a must for any Ronstadt fan. The only negative thing is that there are no selections from the incredible Don't Cry Now album and not enough material from the #1 album Heart Like A Wheel, but well worth the price for anyone who loves Linda Ronstadt's voice.