Bonnie Raitt is an artist I frequently hear about online, but have never taken the time to listen to her until tonight. Raitt is ranked in both of the Rolling Stone’s list of 100 greatest singers and 100 greatest guitarists of all time, and plays with a bluesy Americana style. This album, Give It Up (1972), is her second studio album, which spans genres between folk, soft rock, and blues. The album was well-received upon its release, reaching #138 on the charts, and was certified gold in 1985. I”m pretty excited to check out this album, so with that said I’m going to jump on into the music.
Oh wow, “Give It Up Or Let Me Go” starts out with some super tasty classic delta blues sounding acoustic slide guitar. Holy smokes, another acoustic guitar comes in with a bass and some drums to nearly give the tune a bit of a country folk sort of sound. Oh wow, some horns come into the soundscape and it feels like the tune seems to take some cues from New Orleans based r&b/rock and roll of the time period. Oh wow, the piano brings a ton of flavor that nearly makes has an old ragtime meets western saloon meets Mardi Gras sound. Wow, this tune is sweet. Oh wow, this jam at the end of the tune is great. Holy smokes, great track and a great way to start the album.
“Nothing Seems To Matter” starts out with some super deep bass notes that’s joined by a blues-tinged folksy acoustic guitar. Oh wow, this is super sweet; the tune almost reminds me a bit of Bert Jansch. Oh wow, the saxophone brings some really tasty jazz-inflected flavors while the jangling of the acoustic guitars keeps the tune traveling on; the combination of these two styles seems to land the tune at a super sweet r&b style meets a bit of singer/songwriter. The simple percussion in the tune of just what sounds to be some blocks tapping or possibly bongos of some sort really only adds to the sweetness in the tune. Great tune.
“I Know” starts out with a bit of studio chatter before jumping into a super tasty bluesy New Orleans rollicking sort of sound between the flavorful congas/bongos with the twangy slide guitar and the bluesy melt of the electric guitar, while piano has a playful rollicking sound and the bass smoothly bops the tune forward. Holy smokes, I really dig this soundscape a lot. The background chorus vocals nearly add a gospel-like sound into the mix and adds even more range of sound/genre in the tune. Great track.
Oh wow, “If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody” starts out with a slow, smooth, and bluesy ballad-like sound with the weighty playing of the piano combined with Raitt’s patient vocal delivery, all while a clean electric guitar nearly melts some bluesy licks into the tasty tune. Oh wow, a saxophone joins the tune and adds even more passion into the tune, and seemingly picks the playing up from the band as things start to verge on a rollicking bluesy rock and roll sort of sound. Great tune.
Holy smokes, “Love Me Like a Man” starts out with some super tasty bluesy acoustic guitar and is soon joined by a classic 12 bar blues sounding backing instrumentation with the steady bass line and the sturdy beat of the drums; super sweet. Oh wow, this is one flavorful tune. Great track.
Oh wow, “Too Long At the Fair” brings things back to more of a folksy sound with the acoustic guitar and is soon joined by a massive country sounding bass guitar and some sharp and tasty cymbals on the backbeat. Oh wow, there’s a bright and twangy electric guitar that adds a few accentuations here and there as the tune continues along. Oh wow, there’s also an orchestral string part that plays along with the piano in this tune as well. Holy smokes, the electric guitar solo has a super great and very light fuzz that almost sounds like the 60s British Invasion sort of blues meets some folk rock from the early 1970s. Wow, great tune.
“Under the Falling Sky” starts out super hot with a grooving and rollicking sound from the acoustic and electric guitars, piano, bass, and drums, while a tasty saxophone plays some super tasty notes that are reminiscent of a sort of jazz rock you might hear in someone like Allen Toussaint’s music. Holy smokes, this tune is super tasty as things come to a blues tinged rock and roll crescendo of sorts near the end of the track. Oh wow, that jam kept giving until the last second. Great track.
Oh wow, “You Got To Know How” starts out with a bluesy rollick on the piano that nearly has a bit of a devilish olde-tyme sound to its playing style, which is soon joined by a strong backbeat, a trudging bass line, a tasty gentle jangling of an acoustic guitar, and a really flavorful bluesy saxophone all while Raitt seems to to sing a bluesy New Orleans-inflected rock vocal line. Holy smokes, this tune is super tasty. Great tune.
“You Told Me How” starts out with some super tasty licks on a couple of electric guitars and a bass line that’s just as tasty with a massive presence in the background of the tune, which both combine to get things into a tasty groove that seems to have a softer rock and roll sort of sound. Oh wow, the different flavors from the drums are nearly exotic, while the woodwind instruments add a ton of bluesy jazz sound. I really dig that you can hear the plucks and picking of the strings on the guitars, which seem to add a flavorful bit of grit to the already super tasty blues-inflected soundscape. Wow, the jam at the end of the tune is pretty sweet. Great track.
Oh wow, “Love Has No Pride” has such a flavorful and delicate sound between Raitt’s caressing vocal performance and the gentle twangs of the acoustic guitar combined with the warm and inviting piano that nearly seems like it’s walking you home after a long walk through a southern countryside of sorts. The bass line adds such a big presence in the background that seems to drive the weight of the tune forward with ease, especially as things come to a close. Wow, super sweet track and a great way to end the album.
Wow, I’m certainly glad to have finally checked out some of Bonnie Raitt’s music. I’ve heard about her for a while on the internet, and I can understand why. Raitt really captures a sound that is simultaneously folk rock as well as r&b, while giving the songs a bit of a blues rock twist that seamlessly integrates the genres together to give the album a sound that displayed her chops as a songwriter and musician. I’m excited to check out more of Raitt’s work in the near future. If you enjoy folk rock, r&b, and blues rock, you might want to consider checking out this album. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I sincerely do hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A