As the '60s turned into the '70s, the carefree California scene quieted down and became more personal and introspective. That shift registered between Ronstadt’s 1970 album Silk Purse—a rollicking back-porch affair—and its eponymous follow-up, which feels more subdued and grown-up. As always, the album is driven by Ronstadt’s powers of reinterpretation. At a time when her songwriting peers were struggling to out-poeticize each other, Ronstadt could speak volumes through the simplicity of Woody Guthrie’s “Ramblin’ Round.” “I Still Miss Someone” and “Crazy Arms” get similarly spare acoustic readings, and nothing could be more effective for the material. For some, this was the first realization of the beauty and craftsmanship that lay underneath the gloss of Nashville. By including songs from California songwriters like Neil Young and Jackson Browne, as well as classic country tunes like “I Fall to Pieces,” Ronstadt bridged two generations of songwriters (and regions) that in 1971 were still pitted against each other. To Ronstadt, soul music was country music was folk music.

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