Talk to Me of Mendocino by Linda Ronstadt

Here’s a fine song about dislocation and loss. Ronstadt’s 1982 version is okay, but I was first gripped by the McGarrigles singing their own creation (released in 1976). If I could sing,  I’d want to sing harmonies like this. Take a listen:

Given I’ve never been to Mendocino, I did a bit of research. Mendocino town itself is tiny, population about nine hundred (there’s a much bigger county with the same name). Mendocino minor has to have water brought in. It was rescued from ghost town status in the 1950s by artist and real estate developer Bill Zacha. He set up an arts centre and restored key buildings to heritage status. Zacha also got Mendocino twinned with Missa in Japan. If you happen to visit Mendocino, you can take a Skunk train (which once carried lumber) through the redwood forests. And you can even power yourself on the tracks via rail bike! Maybe I’ll do this one day, warbling Talk to Me as I go.