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REVIEWS




                                           Bonnie Raitt—Just Like That…—Redwing Records  ASIN  :
                                           B09SSR58KV

                                           For Bonnie’s latest album she’s changed things around a bit —
                                           her rhythm section of James ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson (bass) and
                                           Ricky Fataar (drums) remain but in come Kenny Greenberg
                                           (guitar) and Glenn Patscha (keyboards) with Bonnie herself
                                           producing alongside recording and mixing engineer Ryan
                                           Freeland. The album was recorded in summer 2021 in
                                           Sausalito, CA – 50 years after her debut album!

                                           We start with ‘Made Up Mind’ a nice mid-tempo song by

                                           Canadian retro rockers The Bros. Landreth but I wasn’t too
    keen on ‘Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart’ a rather dull AOR ballad. We are back on track
    with ‘Livin’ for the Ones’ a Stones-style rocker with Bonnie’s strong vocals and slide guitar, she
    co-wrote the song with her long-time guitarist George Marinelli who also guests on the track.
    The title track is a lovely, poignant, heart-breaking Bonnie ballad with her always perfect voice
    backed up by nice touches of organ and lead guitar and while ‘When We Say Goodnight’ is a
    typical modern Bonnie track I did like its light touch and sympathetic backing.

    ‘Waitin’ For You To Blow’ is funky and jazzy with nods to Mose Allison, more jazzy sounds with
    the moody blues ballad ‘Blame It On Me’ with Bonnie’s keening vocals being just wonderful
    and Toots Hibbert’s perky, reggae song ‘Love So Strong’ should have been a duet but he died
    before he could record his part. A slight reggae feel also bleeds into ‘Here Comes Love’ a loping
    mid-tempo song, while ‘Down the Hall’ is an acoustic-ish original ballad about a prison hospice
    program that demonstrates Bonnie's continuing social activism. Although Bonnie is one of my
    all-time favourite artists I’ve been critical of her recent albums feeling that they are often too
    generic when compared with her work from the 70s and 80s but here the new band members

    have brought new inspiration and songs like ‘Just Like That’ and ‘Blame It on Me’ are as good
    as anything that she has ever recorded. And then there is THAT voice which can still rock and
    emote as good as ever and long may she continue to sing for us.

    Graham Harrison

                                           Ann Peebles—Live in Memphis—Memphis International
                                           ASIN  :  B09QCYTBSN

                                           Ann Peebles’ single ‘I Can’t Stand the Rain’ was a breath of
                                           fresh air when it was released in 1974 amid the Bay City
                                           Rollers, glam rock and general pop pap that was around at the
                                           time. It was catchy but had the classic Hi Records sound that
                                           mixed Memphis’ soul and blues roots.

                                           This live album was recorded in Memphis in 1992 (Ann was
                                           supporting fellow Hi artist Otis Clay) and her nine-piece band
                                           features some of the Hi musicians who played on ‘Rain’ —
                                           Howard Grimes (drums), Leroy Hodges (bass) and Charles
    Hodges (keyboards) together with other Hi associates.
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