Following the same formula as her early records,
Heart Like a Wheel
doesn't appear to be a great breakthrough on the surface. However,
Ronstadt
comes into her own on this mix of oldies and contemporary classics. Backed by a fleet of Los Angeles musicians,
sings with vigor and passion, helping bring the music alive. But what really makes
a breakthrough is the inventive arrangements that producer
Peter Asher
,
, and the studio musicians have developed. Finding the right note for each song -- whether it's the soulful reworking of
"When Will I Be Loved,"
the hit
"You're No Good,"
or the laid-back folk-rock of
"Willing"
-- the musicians help turn
into a veritable catalog of Californian soft rock, and it stands as a landmark of '70s mainstream pop/rock. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine