Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind

Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind is a studio album by American singer/producer Linda Ronstadt, released in October 1989 by Elektra Records. Produced by Peter Asher, the album features several duets with singer Aaron Neville — two of which earned Grammy Awards — and several songs written by Jimmy Webb and Karla Bonoff. The album was a major success internationally. It sold over three million copies and was certified Triple Platinum in the United States alone.

Cry Like a Rainstorm,
Howl Like the Wind
Studio album by
Linda Ronstadt
ReleasedOctober, 1989
RecordedMarch–August 1989
StudioSkywalker Ranch, Marin County
Genre
Length43:02
LabelElektra Records
WEA International
ProducerPeter Asher
Linda Ronstadt chronology
Canciones de Mi Padre
(1987)		 Cry Like a Rainstorm,
Howl Like the Wind
(1989)		 Mas Canciones
(1991)
Singles from Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind
  1. "Don't Know Much"
    Released: September 1989
  2. "All My Life"
    Released: January 1990
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [1]
Chicago Tribune [2]
Los Angeles Times [3]
Rolling Stone [4]

Composition

Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind is a diverse collection of songs in the rock, R&B, and pop genres. In addition, the album contains a few ballads, most notably Jimmy Webb's "Adios". Of the twelve tracks, Ronstadt included four duets with Aaron Neville, of Neville Brothers fame. In addition, the album is noted for its big production values including backing musicians the Skywalker Symphony, Tower of Power horns, and the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir. There are also tracks by songwriters Jimmy Webb, Karla Bonoff, and an appearance of Brian Wilson, as back up singer and musical arranger on Ronstadt's fourteenth Top 10 Adult Contemporary single "Adios". The album's arrangers include Marty Paich, David Campbell, Jimmy Webb, Greg Adams, and Terrance Kelly.

Reception

Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind received critical acclaim and put Ronstadt back at top of the charts with the #1 Gold-certified hit single "Don't Know Much", one of the duets with Neville. "Don't Know Much" and "All My Life", another chart-topping duet with Neville, won Grammy Awards in 1990 and 1991 respectively for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. The album earned Ronstadt a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female alongside Bette Midler, Bonnie Raitt, Gloria Estefan, and Paula Abdul. The album reached #7 on the US Billboard 200, spending well over a year on the chart, and selling over three million copies in the United States alone (certified triple platinum).

Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind stands as one of Ronstadt's three biggest selling studio albums of all-time in the United States (along with Simple Dreams and What's New). It is also one of her biggest selling albums worldwide, especially in Australia and the United Kingdom, selling over 100,000 copies (certified gold). This album is currently out of print but is still available online for download and streaming.

When the album reached the Billboard Top 10 in late 1989, Ronstadt became only the second female recording artist in history to achieve ten Top 10 albums, following Barbra Streisand.

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Still Within the Sound of My Voice"Jimmy Webb4:32
2."Cry Like a Rainstorm"Eric Kaz3:36
3."All My Life"Karla Bonoff3:36
4."I Need You"Paul Carrack, Nick Lowe, Martin Belmont2:52
5."Don't Know Much"Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Tom Snow3:35
6."Adios"Jimmy Webb3:36
7."Trouble Again"Karla Bonoff, Kenny Edwards3:19
8."I Keep it Hid"Jimmy Webb3:58
9."So Right, So Wrong"Paul Carrack, Nick Lowe, Martin Belmont, J. E. Ceiling, James Eller3:28
10."Shattered"Jimmy Webb2:54
11."When Something Is Wrong with My Baby"Isaac Hayes, David Porter3:52
12."Goodbye My Friend"Karla Bonoff3:44
Total length:43:02

Personnel

Musicians

Production
  • Peter Asher – producer
  • Steve Tyrell – co-producer (Track 5)
  • George Massenburg – recording and mixing
  • Frank Wolf – additional recording
  • Bob Edwards – assistant engineer
  • Sharon Rice – assistant engineer
  • Mike Ross – assistant engineer
  • Jim Schelter – assistant engineer
  • Ivy Skoff – production coordination
  • Doug Sax - Mastering
  • John Kosh – art direction, design
  • Robert Blakeman – photography
  • Cathy Kerr – personal assistant
  • Janet Stark – personal assistant
  • Charles Barber – assistant to Marty Paich
  • Jeff Beal – orchestra musical coordinator
  • Greg Sudmeier – orchestra musical coordinator

Charts

Album

Chart (1989) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA Charts)[5] 11
UK Albums Chart[6] 43
US Billboard 200 7

Singles

Year Single Chart Peak
position
1989 "Don't Know Much" Adult Contemporary 1
Billboard Hot 100 2
1990 "Adios" Adult Contemporary 9
"All My Life" Adult Contemporary 1
Billboard Hot 100 11
"When Something Is Wrong with My Baby" Adult Contemporary 5
Billboard Hot 100 78

References
  1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind at AllMusic
  2. "Linda Ronstadt Cry Like a Rainstorm-Howl Like the..." Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  3. WILLMAN, CHRIS (1 October 1989). "A Treat From Ronstadt : LINDA RONSTADT (FEATURING AARON NEVILLE) JOE ELY "Cry Like a Rainstorm--Howl Like the Wind." Elektra ***: Albums are rated on a scale of one (poor) to five (a classic) stars". Retrieved 20 September 2017 – via LA Times.
  4. "Cry Like A Rainstorm, Howl Like The Wind". Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  5. "LINDA RONSTADT - full Official Chart History - Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  6. "LINDA RONSTADT - full Official Chart History - Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
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