Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind
{{Infobox album
| name = Cry Like a Rainstorm,
Howl Like the Wind
| type = studio
| artist = Linda Ronstadt featuring Aaron Neville
| cover = Album_Cry_Like_A_Rainstorm.jpg
| alt =
| released = October 2, 1989
| recorded = March–August 1989
| venue =
| studio = Skywalker Ranch, Marin County
| genre = {{flat list |
| length = 43:02
| label = Elektra Records
WEA International
| producer = Peter Asher
| prev_title = Canciones de Mi Padre
| prev_year = 1987
| next_title = Mas Canciones
| next_year = 1991
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind
| type = studio
| single1 = Don't Know Much
| single1date = September 1989
| single2 = All My Life
| single2date = January 1990
}}
}}
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r16891|first=Stephen Thomas|last=Erlewine}}
| rev2 = Chicago Tribune
| rev3 = Los Angeles Times
| rev4 = Music Week
| rev4score = (favorable){{cite magazine|first=Robin|last=Katz|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1989/MW-1989-11-11.pdf|title=LP Reviews Extra|magazine=Music Week|date=11 November 1989|page=30|access-date=14 March 2023}}
| rev5 = Orlando Sentinel
| rev5score = {{Rating|2|5}}Abbott, Jim (27 October 1989). "Linda Ronstadt". Orlando Sentinel.
| rev6 = People Magazine
| rev6score = (favorable){{cite web|url=https://people.com/archive/picks-and-pans-review-cry-like-a-rainstorm-howl-like-the-wind-vol-32-no-17/|title=Picks and Pans Review: Cry Like a Rainstorm—howl Like the Wind|work=People Magazine|date=23 October 1989|access-date=5 March 2023}}
| rev7 = Rolling Stone
| rev7score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/cry-like-a-rainstorm-howl-like-the-wind-19900111|title=Cry Like A Rainstorm, Howl Like The Wind|magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=20 September 2017}}
| rev8 = Spin
| rev8score = (favorable){{cite magazine|first=Ken|last=Tucker|title=Spins|magazine=Spin|date=January 1990|page=77|accessdate=23 January 2023|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6Wf6jGc6xEcC}}
| rev9 = The Vancouver Sun
| rev9score = {{Rating|3|5}}Moya, Miquel (3 February 1990). "Linda Ronstadt makes an electric comeback to pop". The Vancouver Sun.
}}
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.
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, the 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 backup 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
The album received mixed reviews, despite its commercial success with the Gold-certified hit single "Don't Know Much". "Don't Know Much" and "All My Life", both duets with Neville, won Grammy Awards in 1990 and 1991 respectively for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. The album also earned Ronstadt a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female alongside Bette Midler, Bonnie Raitt, Gloria Estefan, and Paula Abdul. It reached number seven on the US Billboard 200, spending over a year on the chart and being certified triple platinum in the United States.
Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind became one of Ronstadt's three biggest selling studio albums 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
{{track listing
|title1 = Still Within the Sound of My Voice
|writer1 = Jimmy Webb
|length1 = 4:32
|title2 = Cry Like a Rainstorm
|writer2 = Eric Kaz
|length2 = 3:36
|title3 = All My Life
|writer3 = Karla Bonoff
|length3 = 3:36
|title4 = I Need You
|writer4 = Paul Carrack, Nick Lowe, Martin Belmont
|length4 = 2:52
|title5 = Don't Know Much
|writer5 = Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Tom Snow
|length5 = 3:35
|title6 = Adios
|writer6 = Jimmy Webb
|length6 = 3:36
|title7 = Trouble Again
|writer7 = Karla Bonoff, Kenny Edwards
|length7 = 3:19
|title8 = I Keep it Hid
|writer8 = Jimmy Webb
|length8 = 3:58
|title9 = So Right, So Wrong
|writer9 = Paul Carrack, Nick Lowe, Martin Belmont, J. E. Ceiling, James Eller
|length9 = 3:28
|title10 = Shattered
|writer10 = Jimmy Webb
|length10 = 2:54
|title11 = When Something Is Wrong with My Baby
|writer11 = Isaac Hayes, David Porter
|length11 = 3:52
|title12 = Goodbye My Friend
|writer12 = Karla Bonoff
|length12 = 3:44
|total_length = 43:02
}}
Personnel
= Musicians =
{{Div col}}
- Linda Ronstadt – lead and harmony vocals, backing vocals (4)
- Aaron Neville – lead and harmony vocals (3-5, 11)
- Jimmy Webb – acoustic piano (1), orchestral arrangements (6)
- Robbie Buchanan – keyboards (1, 3, 4, 7, 10-12), organ (2, 4)
- Don Grolnick – acoustic piano (2, 3, 5, 7-12), keyboards (6)
- William D. "Smitty" Smith – electric piano (4)
- Michael Landau – electric guitar (1-9, 11, 12)
- Dean Parks – electric guitar (1, 2, 4, 6-11)
- Andrew Gold – electric guitar (3), 12-string electric guitar (7), guitars (12)
- Leland Sklar – bass (1, 4, 5, 9, 12)
- David Hungate – bass (2, 3, 6, 8, 10, 11)
- Carlos Vega – drums (1-6, 8-11)
- Russ Kunkel – drums (7, 12)
- Michael Fisher – percussion (1, 5, 7, 9)
- Peter Asher – percussion (7)
- Tower of Power – horns (11)
- Marty Paich – orchestral arrangements and conductor (1, 2, 8, 10)
- Terrance Kelly – choir arrangements and conductor (2, 8, 9)
- David Campbell – orchestral arrangements (3, 5, 7, 12), conductor (3-7, 11, 12)
- Greg Adams – orchestral arrangements (4, 11), horn arrangements (11), conductor (11)
- The Skywalker Symphony Orchestra – orchestra (1-8, 10-12)
- Pavel Farkas – concertmaster (1-8, 10, 11, 12)
- Rosemary Butler – additional backing vocals (2), backing vocals (4, 7)
- Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir – choir (2, 8, 9)
- Jon Joyce – backing vocals (4)
- Arnold McCuller – backing vocals (4)
- Brian Wilson – backing vocals (6), arrangements (6)
{{Div col end}}
= Production =
- Peter Asher – producer
- Steve Tyrell – co-producer (Track 5)
- George Massenburg – recording, mixing
- Frank Wolf – additional recording
- Bob Edwards – assistant engineer
- Sharon Rice – assistant engineer
- Mike Ross – assistant engineer
- Jim Schelter – assistant engineer
- Doug Sax – mastering at The Mastering Lab (Hollywood, California)
- Ivy Skoff – production coordination
- 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
{{col-start}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+Weekly chart performance for Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind !Chart (1989) !Peak |
| {{album chart|Australia|11|artist=Linda Ronstadt|album=Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind|rowheader=true|access-date=September 13, 2022}} |
| {{album chart|Austria|24|artist=Linda Ronstadt|album=Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind|rowheader=true|access-date=September 13, 2022}} |
| {{album chart|Canada|6|chartid=6626|rowheader=true|access-date=January 21, 2025}} |
| {{album chart|Netherlands|13|artist=Linda Ronstadt|album=Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind|rowheader=true|access-date=September 13, 2022}} |
| {{album chart|New Zealand|41|artist=Linda Ronstadt|album=Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind|rowheader=true|access-date=September 13, 2022}} |
| scope="row"|UK Albums Chart{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/15729/linda-ronstadt/|title=LINDA RONSTADT - full Official Chart History - Official Charts Company|website=www.officialcharts.com|access-date=20 September 2017}}
|align="center"|43 |
|---|
| {{album chart|Billboard200|7|artist=Linda Ronstadt|rowheader=true|access-date=September 13, 2022}} |
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+ Year-end chart performance for Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind ! scope="col"| Chart (1990) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| scope="row"| Australian Albums (ARIA){{cite Ryan|page=239}}
| 70 |
|---|
| {{album chart|Canada|38|chartid=9145|rowheader=true|access-date=January 21, 2025|refname=CA_YE}} |
| scope="row"| US Billboard 200{{cite web|url=https://bestsellingalbums.org/year-end/Billboard_Top_Albums_1990|title=Top US Billboard 200 Albums - Year-end 1990|website=BestSellingAlbums.org|access-date=January 21, 2025}}
| 14 |
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind}}
{{Certification Table Entry|title= Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind|artist=Linda Ronstadt|type=album|relyear=1989|certyear=1990|region=Australia|award=Platinum|access-date=25 November 2021}}
{{Certification Table Entry|title= Cry Like a Rainstorm|artist=Linda Ronstadt|type=album|relyear=1989|certyear=1990|region=Canada|award=Platinum|access-date=10 December 2022}}
{{Certification Table Entry|title= Cry Like a Rainstorm - Howl Like the Wind|artist=Linda Ronstadt|type=album|relyear=1989|certyear=1989|region=United Kingdom|award=Gold|access-date=10 December 2022|id=1584-3548-2}}
{{Certification Table Entry|title= Cry Like a Rainstorm Howl Like the Wind|artist=Linda Ronstadt|type=album|relyear=1989|certyear=2001|region=United States|award=Platinum|number=3|access-date=10 December 2022}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}
Release history
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Release history and formats for Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind !scope="col"| Region !scope="col"| Date !scope="col"| Format !scope="col"| Label !scope="col"| Ref. |
| scope="row"| North America
| October 2, 1989 | {{hlist|LP|CD|cassette}} | Elektra Records | {{cite journal |last1=Ronstadt |first1=Linda |title=Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind (Liner Notes) |journal=Asylum Records |date=October 2, 1989 |id=9-60872-1 (LP); 9-60872-4 (Cassette); 9-60872-2 (CD)}} |
|---|
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Clear}}
{{Linda Ronstadt}}
{{Jimmy Webb}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Linda Ronstadt albums
Category:Albums produced by Peter Asher
Category:Albums arranged by David Campbell (composer)
Category:Albums arranged by Jimmy Webb
Category:Albums arranged by Marty Paich
Category:Elektra Records albums
Category:Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical