The Stone Poneys – Evergreen, Vol. 2

So, yes, of COURSE the reason to include this is to hear Linda Ronstadt sing Different Drum. It’s just an exquisite song, with a great backstory. A quasi-feminist anthem written by a male quasi-legit musician, taken over completely by a quasi-feminist artist, and delivered like a great big cannon salvo from the heart of quasi-hip Laurel Canyon aimed quasi-squarely at the quasi-prepared ears of quasi-mainstream American.

Put another way, it’s West Coast folk-rock perfection, carried on the wings of one of history’s great voices.

“I ain’t sayin’ you ain’t pretty
All I’m sayin’s I’m not ready
for any person, place, or thing
to try and pull the reins in on me”