Album: Give It Up
Artist: Bonnie Raitt
Release Date: September, 1972
Genre: Folk
Length: 0:36:04
Label: Warner Bros. Records
Producer: Michael Cuscuna
Rolling Stone Top 500 (2012): #495
Rolling Stone Top 500 (2020): N/A
I will never not see Bonnie Raitt's name and think it says Bonnie Ratt...
The second studio released by folk singer, Bonnie Raitt, Give It Up gives a look into her career before her songwriting prowess. When the album was released it didn't sell overwhelmingly well but it also was not a flop. It reached #138 on the Billboard Top LPs and Tapes and would eventually go on to be certified gold.
The songs on Give it Up range from styles like folk, country, and even a New Orleans Big Band feel. Bonnie is able to use her voice in a way that makes the listener understand that she was put on the planet to sing, and a lot of country artists now try to mimic her voice, but it's easy to see the authenticity Raitt has in her singing. "Too Long at the Fair" showcases this natural talent perfectly, but also puts the datedness of the album front and center. It's obvious when this album was recorded they didn't have a very effective way to filter out a lot of the sibilance (the natural popping, or sound of your voice using letters like "t","p", and "s") coming from her voice. While this album is not poorly produced at all, and far from it, it's hard to enjoy it to the maximum potential solely because sometimes her voice bleeds into your eardrum and pierces it. On the contrary, this album sounds good for a folk album minus that hiccup due to the balance between her voice and the instruments. The way producer, Michael Cuscuna, set her up to have her voice as the most prominent feature and only blast the instruments louder during solo's, help perfectly complement her beautiful twang.
For an artist that became so well known for not only her voice, but also her songwriting ability, it's shocking to see an album with only three original songs. These three songs ("Give It up or Let Me Go", "Nothing Seems to Matter", and "You Told Me Baby") are where Raitt really shines and while the seven covers aren't bad, it almost sounds like she's scared to sing them. Multiple times in "If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody" it almost sounds like her voice starts to quiver, which doesn't show in her originals as much. I understand Raitt was still young at the time Give it Up was released, so the nerves of covering songs she loves isn't something to be unexpected. I almost find it endearing in a way to hear her confidence boost when she's singing songs she created. While this album isn't amazing, and I don't recommend listening with headphones because you may pierce your eardrums, there are some solid folk songs on the album, and any chance to hear beautiful, authentic female country vocals is a chance no one should pass up. Not even metalheads...
Favorite Song: "Give It Up or Let Me Go" Least Favorite Song: "Under the Falling Sky"
Production Quality:
Mix = 7.5/10 (would've been higher without the sibilance)
Innovation = 5/10
Songwriting Quality:
Arrangement = 9/10
Lyricism = 8/10
Instrumentation Quality:
Vocal Timbre = 8/10 (Would've been a 9.5 without the annoying sibilance)
Instrumental Timbre = 9/10
Group Chemistry = 9/10
Overall Likability:
My Personal Rating = 8/10
Overall Rating: 7.9/10
Any confusion on how the rating is weighted/calculated, please look at the "About" page.
Remember this is all my opinion! Let me know if you agree, disagree or have any comments!
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