In this, her eighteenth release, Raitt has even more control in that it is her first attempt at producing herself. There is no indication anywhere that there is a novice in the control room. The sound is crisp and clean, and the mix is spot on. It's a reminder of how rock and roll sounded before its love affair with mega base and electronic noise turned so much of pop music into mass-produced generic pabulum.
Her veteran savvy shows through in her knowledge that a solo artist is only as good as those surrounding her. She has played with the same band for most of the last decade. After hundreds of live shows, recording sessions, and just hanging around together, they seem to have come to an almost instinctual understanding of each other.
According to Raitt, their intent was to record each song on its first or second take to maintain spontaneity. You don't need her assurances that this happened; the results speak for themselves. They manage to obtain that ultimate of rock and roll oxymorons: seamlessly tight and wonderfully loose simultaneously.
From Raitt's seemingly effortless solos, the taut rhythms of the base and drums, and the interplay of keyboards and guitars the whole band is in perfect synchronicity. Whether a heartfelt ballad like the opening "I Will Not Be Broken" or the up tempo "God Was In The Water", there is never a note out of place.
For anybody who has ever had even the slightest doubt about the talent of Bonnie Raitt, if this latest release, Souls Alike doesn't persuade them of her genius, than they have to be deaf. While she may not get the recognition that some of her male contemporaries have garnered in the public eye, Bonnie Raitt is one of the premier rock/blues performers in North America right now.
Souls Alike will be in stores on September 13, 2005, and she will be launching a world tour in support on October 5th. For more information on tickets and tour dates go to Bonnie's web site.
Here the tracks "I Will Not Be Broken," "I Don't Want Anything to Change," "Deep Water" and "Two Lights In the Nighttime" for yourself here.
Article comments
1 - Jeff
Great review gypsyman, I've been able to listen
to this awesome new collection of songs
and was more than surprised at many of
these songs, not that I wouldn't for
a second think Bonnie Raitt was capable
of doing an excellent job whatever she
tackles, I was just felt, wow, here's a musican, a lady in her middle 50's who
has nothing to prove
to anyone. Shes put out great blues
tinged music since the 70's, I've grown up with her sounds, I heard neighborhood girls playing her music while in my teenage
years in the 70's, I knew what she could do and I heard the negatives from
older guys who just couldn't deal with
a chick who could play slide guitar so
well like many of their guitar heros.
I've been around her music & concerts
ever since and I've seen the little
things she adds to her blues/rock (funk,pop, regaee, SOUL), but now
she has really put out a collection
that plays up to many of her strengths and
shes uses so many sonics touches that
make her sound fresh yet very intimate,
like you're right in there whiles its
being played live. Exceptional bunch
of new songs from songwriters, many
of whom could use the exposure. It doesn't hurt to be playing with such a
talented bunch of musicans, especially
Jon Cleary from New Orleans who just
brings out the best of Bonnie. My
favorites, "God was in the water",(what a great swampy song)
"Trinkets",(off the wall lyrics but think of it from a kids perspective, the little thinks we carry with us
as kids into adulthood, "The bed I made",(what a beautiful vocal, grammy #10??) "Deep
water",(another eye opener),(Awesome groove, keyboards and slide) "So close"(I say SO SOULFUL, wow you just
don't hear music sung like this with
such confidence, soul, and so relaxing.
The new single, "I will not be broken"
is a great song, it has a sound we
have become familiar with Bonnie but
it has a great radio bounce to it and
most important it has something to
say about loss and hope. Bonnie Raitt
puts herself in the big leauges again
but she really never left there, shes
just been touring her butt of all these
years and having to deal with a culture
that see her as an aging woman blues/musican-activist
instead of the talented musican that most musicans can only
dream of being. Radio should give Bonnie's music a chance again, ageism
doens't belong there. All the guys
can get old and its no big deal(BBKING,
Eric Clapton, The Stones, etc. but
woman have to keep looking like chicks
or step aside?? Great Stuff from
Bonnie Raitt