August 1, 2016

The McGarrigle Sisters Go Beyond Cozy Love Songs

A reissue of their album “Pronto Monto” showcases the duo’s sensitive—and edgy—side.


Kate & Anna McGarrigle
Pronto Monto
Omnivore

Courtesy of Omnivore Recordings

The third longplayer from Canadian folkies Kate and Anna McGarrigle, 1978’s Pronto Monto found the sisters poised to enter the mainstream after two critically acclaimed, underexposed albums. With Anna’s composition “Heart Like a Wheel” about to become a success for Linda Ronstadt, the McGarrigles enlisted producer David Nichtern, who’d previously penned “Midnight at the Oasis,” a left-field hit for Maria Muldaur, in hopes of broadening their appeal. While Nichtern and a host of ace studio players muted the siblings’ eccentricities slightly to create a somewhat more mainstream product, a commercial breakthrough didn’t follow, alas. Regardless, Pronto Monto is an engaging and stirring work that gives full play to their thoughtful songs and tender, playful voices. But don’t be fooled into thinking that the McGarrigles are just sensitive softies. After savoring the cozy love song “Stella by Artois,” check out the caustic “Dead Weight,” which observes, “Your charm’s wearing thin and your voice rings like tin,” among other insults. Wicked!

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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A POSITIVE STORY—OR TWO?

“Great journalism really does make a difference in this world: it can even save kids.”

That’s what a civil rights lawyer wrote to Julia Lurie, the day after her major investigation into a psychiatric hospital chain that uses foster children as “cash cows” published, letting her know he was using her findings that same day in a hearing to keep a child out of one of the facilities we investigated.

That’s awesome. As is the fact that Julia, who spent a full year reporting this challenging story, promptly heard from a Senate committee that will use her work in their own investigation of Universal Health Services. There’s no doubt her revelations will continue to have a big impact in the months and years to come.

Like another story about Mother Jones’ real-world impact.

This one, a multiyear investigation, published in 2021, exposed conditions in sugar work camps in the Dominican Republic owned by Central Romana—the conglomerate behind brands like C&H and Domino, whose product ends up in our Hershey bars and other sweets. A year ago, the Biden administration banned sugar imports from Central Romana. And just recently, we learned of a previously undisclosed investigation from the Department of Homeland Security, looking into working conditions at Central Romana. How big of a deal is this?

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And it is only because Mother Jones is funded primarily by donations from readers that we can mount ambitious, yearlong—or more—investigations like these two stories that are making waves.

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