Linda Ronstadt has been high on my list of favorites ever since her days with the Stone Poneys, when she had a hit with Mike Nesmith’s “Different Drum.” On Don’t Cry Now, her best album to date, she rocks on “The Fast One,” gives a country reading to “Silver Threads and Golden Needles,” and offers strong interpretations of Neil Young’s “I Believe in You” and Randy Newman’s “Sail Away.” With musicians like Chris Ethridge, John David Souther, and Sneaky Pete backing her up, it’s no surprise that the musicianship is as good as the vocalizing.