Linda Ronstadt's classic 1975 album Prisoner In Disguise has just been released by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab as an Original Master Recording, and on a pair of 180 gram, 45 rpm LPs. A previous MoFi reissue (from 2008) of Prisoner In Disguise arrived as a 33 rpm, 180 gram LP, and hearing the differences between their two versions would probably prove to be quite instructive. While there are those in the audiophile world who'll no doubt complain about the added expense and inconvenience of dealing with 45 rpm playback, the enhanced groove geometry offered by 45 rpm LPs allows for an elevated level of performance and significantly improved sound quality. I'll take that trade-off every time, and it's always been my experience that the 45 rpm LP version of any given title will offer superior sonics to an otherwise equivalent 33 rpm LP.
My introduction to Linda Ronstadt was hearing her sing "Different Drum" with the Stone Poneys, which was all over the airwaves and impossible to ignore from late 1967 and beyond. A year and a half later, when I caught her appearance on The Johnny Cash Show, I was bewitched body and soul. Not only was she absolutely gorgeous, but that astonishing voice—she could sing the menu from Katz's Delicatessen and I'd still be totally entranced. As a teenager, I was beginning to spend every available dime on LPs, but Linda's first few recordings had yet to light up my radar. But when I walked into a local record store in late January 1972 and saw Ed Caraeff's classic photo of Linda adorning the cover of the just-released Linda Ronstadt, I lost all control, and it's been downhill ever since. While her first few Capitol label albums didn't sell particularly well, her superb song selection laid the groundwork for her success over much of the next decade. Ronstadt's albums typically included a mix of folk-rock and Southern California country songs by her contemporaries (Neil Young, James Taylor, JD Souther, Jackson Browne), a Motown cover or two, and classic country music covers, which often included a take on a chestnut made famous by Patsy Cline. At the very least, a new Linda Ronstadt album was entertainingly diverse!
Prisoner In Disguise came on the heels of her number one hit Heart Like A Wheel, which reached multi-platinum sales in the US and dominated the airwaves for most of 1974. Other than MoFi's 2008 reissue and its inclusion in Rhino's Linda Ronstadt: The Asylum Albums (1973-1977) box set for Record Store Day in April, 2024, Prisoner In Disguise has been out of print domestically on LP since its 1975 release. Krieg Wunderlich used Asylum's 1/4 inch, 15 IPS analog original master tapes to remaster the new Original Master Recording. Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab's all-analog console was used throughout the process, using their proprietary GAIN 2 system. The remastered tapes were then transferred to DSD 256, with lacquers cut at Fidelity Record Pressing in Oxnard, California. Where Rick and Edward Hashimoto supervised all production processes for the 180 gram, 45 rpm LPs, which were pressed on high-definition vinyl. Stoughton Printing in California produced the heavy, tip-on album jackets, using art sourced from the original; both LPs arrived encased in MoFi-branded rice paper inner sleeves. Prisoner In Disguise is available as an individually numbered, limited-edition LP set; you can order one from MoFi's webstore HERE.
Linda Ronstadt, Prisoner In Disguise. (2) 45 rpm Mobile Fidelity LPs, $59.99 MSRP
Prisoner In Disguise was Linda Ronstadt's sixth studio album and her second for the Asylum Records label. Ronstadt had bolted from Capitol Records for Asylum following the lackluster sales of Linda Ronstadt, but her contract at Capitol was still owed an additional album. Her first Asylum album, Don't Cry Now, reached gold sales status, and she got significant airplay with a mix of classic tracks like "Love Has No Pride," Glen Frey and Don Henley's "Desperado," and "Silver Threads and Golden Needles." In 1974 she completed her remaining album for Capitol, Heart Like A Wheel, which was propelled to multi-platinum sales by the overwhelming strength of its powerhouse single, "You're No Good." Both the album and single reached number one on the Billboard charts, and her duet with Emmylou Harris on Hank Williams' "I Can't Help It If I'm Still In Love With You" also reached number one on the country music charts. Suddenly Ronstadt had tremendous cachet in the music industry, and with producer Peter Asher at the helm—who'd also overseen both Don't Cry Now and Heart Like a Wheel—she carved out an impressive run of eight platinum or multi-platinum albums over a decade (only 1982's Get Closer fell short of that mark). And a pair of greatest hits compilations also reached platinum or multi-platinum status—Linda Ronstadt was enroute to becoming the greatest female vocalist of her generation.
The sessions for Prisoner In Disguise took place at the Sound Factory in Los Angeles over a period of months beginning in February 1975, and the album was released later in September. Linda Ronstadt and Peter Asher assembled a stellar cast of musicians that were becoming mainstays of her albums, including multi-instrumentalist Andrew Gold, Dan Dugmore on pedal steel guitar, JD Souther on acoustic guitars, Kenny Edwards on bass, and Russell Kunkel on drums, among many others. Guest artists included Lowell George, James Taylor, Emmylou Harris, and Maria Muldaur. Peter Asher produced the album for Asylum Records; Val Garay engineered the recordings, and Doug Sax mastered the original at The Mastering Lab. John Kosh designed the gatefold album and Ethan Russell provided the photography. Prisoner In Disguise was a commercial and critical success, reaching number four on the Billboard album charts while also going platinum.
Linda's song selection for Prisoner In Disguise covered a range of eclectic choices; the lead single, Neil Young's "Love Is A Rose," was backed by the Holland-Dozier-Holland classic "Heat Wave." Pop and rock radio programmers typically played "Heat Wave," which quickly rose to number five on the Billboard singles chart, while "Love Is A Rose" made it to number five on the country charts. Her cover of Smokey Robinson and the Miracles' "Tracks Of My Tears" also charted well, reaching number 25 on the pop singles chart; it was backed with the folk duet with Emmylou Harris, "The Sweetest Gift," that reached number 11 on the country charts. While Linda's version of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" didn't chart, her power-pop rendition presaged the song's unbelievable popularity from Whitney Houston's 1994 version. Other album highlights include her versions of James Taylor's "Hey Mister That's Me Up On The Jukebox," Lowell George's "Roll ‘Um Easy" (featuring George on slide guitar), and superb performances of a pair of JD Souther tunes, with both the title track and "Silver Blue" featuring Souther on acoustic guitar and harmony vocals. Prisoner In Disguise—at least in my opinion—presents the finest distillation on record of Linda's ability to merge a diverse selection of songs into a cohesive statement.
Listening to Prisoner In Disguise
I bought Prisoner In Disguise the week it was released in 1975, and it's been in my regular rotation for five decades now. I had two LP copies on hand for comparison, my Asylum label original, and the 2024 Rhino Records RSD reissue that was part of the Linda Ronstadt: The Asylum Albums (1973-1977) box set that was remastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering—that version even featured the embossed gatefold jacket that duplicated the appearance of the original. Bellman's 2024 remaster trounced my catalog original in every way possible, with improved clarity and impressive dynamics. But Mobile Fidelity's Original Master Recording takes Prisoner In Disguise to another universe of goodness!
I haven't heard MoFi's 2008 33 rpm Original Master Recording, so I can't comment on how the 45 rpm LPs compare, but the improved groove geometry and better spacing of the album spread across two LPs allow the music to pour forth with astonishing clarity and a vanishingly low noise floor. That really low level of quiet allowed me to hear more deeply into the recordings, and to hear a greater level of fine detail, definition, and nuance than any previous version. The 45 rpm LPs from Fidelity Record Pressing were absolutely perfect, with zero noise of any kind present during playback, and they helped cast a soundstage that was deep and wide, with a level of realism that exceeded either of the legacy LPs I had on hand by a wide margin.
Prisoner In Disguise is an album of extreme sonic contrasts, from the folky elegance of "You Tell Me That I'm Falling Down," "The Sweetest Gift," and "Silver Blue," to the raucousness of "Heat Wave" and "Roll ‘Um Easy." Where Linda virtually screams the final chorus on the former, and Lowell George absolutely wails on slide guitar on the latter. On her duet with Emmylou Harris, "The Sweetest Gift," Emmylou's acoustic guitar accompaniment is sublime, and her crystalline voice blends exquisitely with Linda's—it's a perfectly magical moment I've listened to countless times, but it's never been rendered with the kind of you-are-there realism I'm hearing on MoFi's new reissue. Herb Pedersen's banjo in "Love Is A Rose" is eerily present in the soundstage, and David Lindley's fiddle turn in the song's center is sheer perfection—Neil Young would definitely approve of the performances here, and they're rendered with astonishing fidelity. The title track, "Prisoner In Disguise," features an orchestral accompaniment that spreads impressively across the soundstage—hearing MoFi's new 45 rpm set is almost like hearing this classic album for the very first time.
Mobile Fidelity's Prisoner In Disguise is now my new reference
If I thought I felt the love for Linda Ronstadt after seeing her on The Johnny Cash Show all those years ago, it only intensified after taking a deep dive into her catalog of albums over the decade that followed. And Prisoner In Disguise, at least for me, is perhaps the finest example of her work, showcasing Linda's superb vocal range and an excellent choice of songs that span a myriad of styles and emotions. Several tracks from this album are on digital playlists I use to show off various aspects of my audio systems, but as good as they sound in those applications, they pale in comparison to MoFi's new 45 rpm set. If they decide to offer this album as an SACD, it'll definitely be near the top of my list for future acquisitions!
Mobile Fidelity's new Original Master Recording of Prisoner In Disguise has become my new reference, and has guaranteed that this album will continue to remain in constant rotation here. Thanks to Bridget Citro Davis of Mobile Fidelity and Music Direct for helping to make this review possible; Prisoner In Disguise comes very highly recommended, and hopefully there'll be more goodness to come from Linda's classic catalog of albums!
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab
All images courtesy of Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab.
