LINDA RONSTADT, SIMPLE DREAMS — When I bend my ear to a singer's performance, I often try to track who... influenced him or her. For instance, I can hear Nat King Cole in early Ray Charles, Lefty Frizzell in early Merle Haggard,... Fats Domino in Randy Newman.
| A. | Tedious list; series of alternating invocations and responses in church | LITANY |
| B. | A teetotaler being named Boozer, say | IRONY |
| C. | Riddle that shaped music? | NELSON |
| D. | Bloom used medicinally by Aztecs | DAHLIA |
| E. | Bubble-blowing crooner of "Let Me Call You Sweetheart," in a 1937 "Our Gang" episode | ALFALFA |
| F. | Guy who directed "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" | RITCHIE |
| G. | Too high or low, pitchwise (hyph.) | OFFKEY |
| H. | Feat associated with batteries (hyph.) | NOHITTER |
| I. | One pursuing an uninhibited lifestyle | SWINGER |
| J. | Sound simulated by timpani | THUNDER |
| K. | Players of five notes in a 1977 Spielberg film | ALIENS |
| L. | Oversupply's opposite | DEARTH |
| M. | Imbued with pitch | TARRED |
| N. | Group inspired by the doo-wop hit "Get a Job" (3 wds.) | SHANANA |
| O. | Troops for seizing and holding ground | INFANTRY |
| P. | Imitation that's not flattering | MOCKERY |
| Q. | Port once plagued by corsairs | PENZANCE |
| R. | Drop delivering some relief | LOZENGE |
| S. | Role in ice hockey or the Mafia | ENFORCER |
| T. | Rural and folksy, as cooking or music (hyph.) | DOWNHOME |
| U. | Chorus lines | REFRAIN |
| V. | Use for Chopin's "Minute Waltz," per Victor Borge (2 wds.) | EGGTIMER |
| W. | Ascap but not BMI, for example | ACRONYM |
| X. | Parakeet's skill | MIMICRY |
| Y. | Ding-dong | SCREWBALL |