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- Summary: Bettye LaVette covers Randall Bramblett songs with guest appearances by John Mayer and Steve Winwood.
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- Record Label: Jay Vee Records
- Genre(s): R&B
- More Details and Credits »
Score distribution:
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Positive: 7 out of 8
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Mixed: 1 out of 8
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Negative: 0 out of 8
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UncutJun 16, 2023LaVette remains at the peak of her considerable powers at the age of 77. [Jul 2023, p.37]
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Jun 16, 2023LaVette is the true focus, leading the fiery JB’s-esque funk of Mess About, and declaring “champagne and a joint would do me just fine” on Plan B. She’s glorious company, and when she croons sadly “I keep on rolling, but the thrill is gone” on See Through Me, the electric charge of her voice makes a liar of her.
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Jun 16, 2023The album is eminently funky. That sound works well for a while but begins to wear thin, rescued in the latter half by tracks such as “Concrete Mind,” “Not Gonna Waste My Love” and the superb closer “It’s Alright,” which do the best job of depicting LaVette’s endearing, pour-it-all-out and leave-nothing-on-the-floor-vocals. Of course, there’s a side benefit too – Randall Bramblett is likely to expand his number of followers as a result.
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MojoJul 19, 2023A profoundly satisfying album, unreservedly recommended. [Sep 2023, p.86]
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Classic Rock MagazineAug 29, 2023An hour in her company is still time well spent. [Sep 2023, p.79]
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Jun 21, 2023While she has a reputation for making familiar songs sound utterly new, here she finds a way to make Bramblett’s songs tell her story, to let them speak for her. She rewrites his songs simply by singing them.
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Jun 20, 2023Its songs, by southerner Randall Bramlett, don’t have the heft of Dylan or Simone, but prove a good fit for Lavette’s heart-on-sleeve vocals.