Who Says Rock 'N' Roll Is A Man's World? By Tom Danehy ONE OF THE things that amazes me about doing this column is the nature of the response I get for certain things I write. People respond in the strangest ways to the oddest things. For example, the most hate mail I ever got was after a column about Canada! And all I did was call it America Lite. Sometimes I'll expect hate mail and not get any; other times I'll write something which seems completely harmless and people will come at me from weird angles. Such was the case recently after I wrote a column on the one-year anniversary of the death of Tejano singing star Selena. People came out of the woodwork to dog me on that. It was the topic of conversation down at the gym for a couple hours one day, most of it coming in the form of "Why do you listen to (female recording artists)?" Some of it came close to being an assault on my manhood (such as it is). Too bad. I like listening to female artists. But not all female artists. I think Sinead O'Connor sounds like somebody is torturing a cat. P.J. Harvey released last year's worst album and fooled some people into thinking it was good. And as for Alanis Morrissette, I'd rather listen to Morrissey. And I hate that clown. Here are my 10 favorite albums by women, in no particular order. (No greatest hits collections allowed; that's too easy.) • Dusty In Memphis by Dusty Springfield. When I first heard Dusty Springfield sing "The Look of Love," I discovered some of the possibilities of life. For a teenage boy, her voice was the vocal equivalent of seeing Julie Newmar in the Catwoman suit. "The Look of Love" isn't on this album, but "Son of a Preacher Man" is. And if they had released the cut "Breakfast In Bed" in the '90s, it would have required a "Parental Advisory" sticker for the way she says, "Come in, Baby..." • Canciones de mi Padre by Linda Ronstadt. This labor of love was dismissed by Rolling Stone as a joke, but it added another layer of excellence and artistic integrity to her career. Just listen to that killer note she holds at the start of "La Charreada." This entire album is a timeless wonder. (But I had a hard time picking between this and her Caribbean-Latin album Frenesi, which features a killer rendition of "Perfidia.") • Lady Soul by Aretha Franklin. One of the first eight-track tapes I ever bought. She explodes into "Ain't No Way," with sister Caroline's soprano soaring in the background. If that was the only song on the album, it'd still be on my list. Classic Aretha. • Dreaming of You by Selena. This isn't a great album, but it's a haunting look at what might have been. From the pop-soul of "I'm Getting Used To You" to the somewhat-generic sweetness of "I Could Fall In Love," she showed she was ready to conquer the English-language market. I still prefer her Spanish stuff, like "Tu Solo Tu" and "Como Me Duele." (And I love "No Me Queda Más" from her Amor Prohibido album.) • Cheap Thrills by Janis Joplin. (It says Big Brother & The Holding Company, but we all know better.) I'm old enough to have seen Janis Joplin live (not to mention alive). I saw her at the Hollywood Bowl; a then-unknown Santana was the opening act. Some people prefer Pearl, with "Me and Bobby McGee," but the raw passion of "Piece o' My Heart" and "Summertime" can't be topped. • London Warsaw New York by Basia. Basia Trzetrzelewska is a Polish-born jazz singer with a degree in physics. Okay, so lots of people probably fit that description, but this one can really sing. Her voice is reminiscent of the breathy Astrid Gilberto at times, and bold and brassy at other times. Often compared to Sade, she is at her best on Bossa Nova-type tunes like "Cruisin' For Bruisin' " and the jazzy remake of Aretha's " 'Til You Come Back To Me." • Lush Life by Linda Ronstadt. Part of her big band trilogy with Nelson Riddle. When my daughter Darlene was 2 years old, she and I would hold hands and dance around the living room to "You Took Advantage of Me." A memory for all time. • Fantasy by Carole King. Her Tapestry album is the biggest-selling album of all time by a woman. I like Tapestry, but Fantasy is a bolder, more mature work. Standouts include the Latin jazz "Corazón" and "Haywood," a lament on a drug-ruined life. • Diamond Life by Sade. I can't help it; I love this album. "Smooth Operator" and "Your Love Is King" were huge hits, but I also enjoy the bouncy "Hang On To Your Love" and the sultry remake of "Why Can't We Live Together?" • Nick of Time by Bonnie Raitt. I really like Bonnie Raitt, from her devotion to the blues to her perseverance in a tough business. • The Carpenters' Greatest Hits. I know I said only 12 and no greatest hits collections, but it's my list. People dogged this group, and her brother Richard's string-filled arrangements are horribly overdone, but Karen Carpenter's voice was a treasure. If you can listern to her sing "I say goodbye to love, No one ever care if I should live or die..." without being moved, there's a position for you high up in the Republican National Committee. Oh, wait--I left out Gloria Estefan. And Annie Lennox. I need more space here. You don't like my list? Send me yours. If it's any good, I might mention it. Or not.

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