Karla Bonoff

Bonoff was so closely tied to Linda Ronstadt during the '70s singer/songwriting movement that many of her albums were tucked away in cut-out bins while her more famous interpreter made bundles of cash off her songs. Still, it's a testament to Bonoff's skill that she is tied to them at all. This 16-track career retrospective gathers the cozy and often slight highlights from an 11-year, five-album pool of intimate, L.A.-based recordings. It's missing a few core recordings, but the best of them here ("I Can't Hold On," "Baby Don't Go," and "Personally") characterize the era's/region's singer/songwriter society in all its warm-hearted, occasionally pleasant tedium. ~ Michael Gallucci, All Music Guide