_Entertainment-—
Bonnie Raitt LP doesn't capture live energy
By Rick Heyman
Emerald Contributor
Bonnie Raitt — Nick of Time
Thank God Bonnie Kaitt is
back, and Nick of Time gives
plenty of reasons for giving
thanks But before 1 praise
Nick. 1 have a few reservations
which must bo exorcised first.
Only those who have soon
Bonnie live know what a fero
_Record Review_
cious performer she is. Though
her albums have always been
good, no producer has man
aged to capture her live energy
on vinyl.
Nick does little to change
that longstanding weakness.
The songs that kick the hardest.
John Hiatt's "Thing Called
love" and Jerry Williams'
"Real Man" are fiery, but 1
have a suspicion that they'd lie
come flamethrowers in concert.
With the production throttled a
bit. they could have been tran
scendent rock 'n' roll, but in
stead we have to settle for the
merely excellent.
The same can be said for
much of Nick. It's not clear
why Bonnie sounds so tenta
tive. It could be because in
1982 she delivered to Warner
what was probably her best re
cord in a decade. Green Unlit.
on which she was backed up by
a dangerous band — only to be
dropped by the label the next
year. They picked her up to re
lease her last record. Nine
Lives, but rejected the original
tapes and forced her into mak
ing a patchwork LP.
She's finally on a label that
recognizes and respects her
(and lets her play some slide
guitar for the first time in much
too long). Nick, in some ways,
sounds like the kind of album
Bonnie made back in the early
'70s. before Warner tried to
turn her into another Linda
Ronstadt. She's playing blues
based rock again, picking ex
cellent songs (mostly by un
knowns), and working with a
Core uf sympathetic musicians.
Maybe the desire to get her ca
reer back on track resulted in
the conservatism of the play
ing
Enough quibbling I'm
making it sound as if I don't
like this album I love it. The
clarity of Bonnie's voice is ab
solutely breathtaking, as al
ways.
The songs she's pic ked are
absolutely perfect, and she
makes them her own (as any
cover singer must) You cover
John Hiatt at your own risk but
Bonnie and longtime co-con
spirator Johnnie Lac Schell
make that sucker growl At oth
er times, though, the vulnera
bility in her voice gives you
shivers
Finally, even though Don
Was’ (of Was (not Was)) pro
duction didn't kick up the in
tensity as high as I would have
liked, it is stilt exceedingly
pleasant: Bonnie is never up
staged. and the soulful backups
used throughout are perfect
complements.
So hey. what do you do? You
deliver a superb album and re
viewers nitpick about how it
could have been better Bonnie
must know that it comes with
being an artist of her caliber,
and must also know that all the
superlatives in the world
couldn't describe how great it
is to have her back.
Madonna — Like A Prayer
1 can no longer stand to live .1
lie. I’m ready to admit some
thing of which many of my best
friends have not the slightest
clue. I am an unrepentant Ma
donna fan.
I've always admired her
knack for controversy, for her
screw - you - I'll - do - what
I - want attitude, but most of
all. for her grooves.
At first. I though I might la
able to kick (hi; habit with l.ikr
A Prayer. Madonna singles
usually are like crack they
grab you so mercilessly that
you become their lifelong
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slave. The hit song "Like A
Prayer" is a bit more complex,
and took .1 while to work its in
sidious magic, as did much of
the record
Like A /’racer is much more
adult that votir average Madon
na record
The dam eabtlitv of the songs
is still emphasized, but tin* Ivr
it s arc a notch above the usual
"Open - your - heart and -
shake vour booty" fare
"Express Yourself" is a call for
men to open up, while "Prom
ise to Trv" and "Oh Father"
canonizes and castigates her
mother and father, respective
ly The album’s tour-de-force,
however, is "Till Death Do t’s
Part." an account of her
love hate marriage w ith Sean
Penn. The lyrics are poignant
- "Our luck is running out of
time You're not in love w ith
me anymore I w ish that it
would change, but it won’t if
you don’t" hut the music is
still infectiously danceahlc
The biggest surprise of this
album is her duet with Prim e
Prince’s bluesy funk totally
overpowers Madonna his
fingerprints are all over the
song; you'd Ire hard pressed to
identify that it's Madonna
who's singing with him It's
strange that one of the most
strong-willed performers of the
'80s would include a song on
her own alburn where she is so
clearly overshadowed
like A /’rater still has a good
boat, you can still dance to it.
hut Madonna has allowed her
self to grow up n bit. That alone
may make other closet Madon
na fans openly admit their ad
diction
House of f reaks — Tantillu
House of Freaks, who open
tonight for the Mangles at the
Hull Tenter, are the Itest root
rix k. band I've heard since the
Ho I Vans The songs are hook
laden and the production is ab
solutely razor sharp The hand
consists only of a guitarist and
a drummer but do they ever
use that to their advantage The
guitars (acoustic and electric)
are thickly layered and the
drums are strung hut not ob
noxious Huy this record you
mil not be disappointed!
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