Betty Davis

Betty Davis & They Say I’m Different

Light In the Attic

originally published May 9, 2007

Lithe ‘70s funk queen Betty Davis didn’t just get butts moving in time to her lusty soul grooves. Rather, she owned 'em. Briefly wed to jazz legend Miles Davis, she combined the raw sensual force of Tina Turner and an Amazon-esque image that Grace Jones would also mine, resulting in some of the most hormonally charged, hardest-hitting funk records ever made. Her first two releases, 1973’s Betty Davis and followup They Say I’m Different, are a couple of entries in the Davis (born Betty Mabry) catalog that’ve been brought back into circulation by indie label Light In the Attic after too much time spent in the dark.

Davis’ self-titled debut wastes no time with coyness or trepidation. She tears into “If I’m In Luck, I Might Get Picked Up” with drive and determination, every bit the equal of a Marvin Gaye or James Brown. Pared with a tight session band that included several Sly & the Family Stone expatriates like future Grand Central Station bassman Larry Graham, as well as Journey guitarist Neil Schon, the album never hits a lull as Davis croons, pants and slays mere playas with her sharpened tongue on tracks like “Game Is My Middle Name” and “Steppin’ In Her I. Miller Shoes.” This and its follow-up should be mandatory for anyone who’s ever done the spastic whitey to a Red Hot Chili Peppers record, with or without appendage-flattering sock attached.

Davis didn’t tame her game down with They Say I’m Different, from 1974. Instead, she cranked the lust-o-meter up a notch. Davis produced herself and hired a different band, which only adds to the album’s gritty and sensual flavor. Fat ‘n’ juicy organ and clavinet parts back tracks like the opening “Shoo-B-Doop and Cop Him” and the gleefully headstrong title track, some courtesy of hired session players like Merl Saunders and Tony Vaughn.

As the reissued Davis album notes point out, the digital era has overlooked and underestimated the former Mrs. Miles. These days, Davis resides outside the music biz on meager means. Her first two releases, though, are nighttime funk done right; two essential statements from a woman whose resume was boosted and legitimized by nothin’ but dead serious g-a-m-e.

Michael Andrews

Dolly Parton

Jolene, My Tennessee Mountain Home & Coat of Many Colors

RCA/ Legacy

originally published May 9, 2007

Three early high-water marks from Miss Dolly appear in new packages. Jolene, the autobiographical My Tennessee Mountain Home and Coat of Many Colors together paint a consummate portrait of Parton - humble but strong, determined and, most importantly, real, honest-to-goodness country.

Though some of Parton’s earlier works sound quaint and a little sappy compared to today’s pop or insurgent country crop, it’s her delivery that most always seals the deal. One of the genre’s most effective and natural communicators, she makes it awfully difficult for you not to care what happens in her songs. Be it the nervous belle of “Jolene,” the bashful mountain child of “Coat of Many Colors” or even the homely dog hero of “Crackerjack,” Parton’s authentic and comforting way with her songs, even if some of them border on simple or potentially trite, speaks volumes.

All three releases have been remastered, amended with bonus tracks and new notes. Taken as a whole, the tough situations and raw sentimentality presented on these records give a more substantial reason why Lee Hazlewood once sang of a longing to be reborn as Dolly Parton’s guitar.

Michael Andrews

Jerry Butler

The Iceman Cometh / Ice On Ice

Collector’s Choice

originally published May 9, 2007

Before he began a second career as host of a late night Time-Life infomercial, urbane R&B crooner Jerry Butler was better known as The Iceman. The Iceman Cometh, from 1968, includes Butler’s biggest and most well-known hit, the grand two-and-a-half minute “Only The Strong Survive.” Elsewhere, Butler appears to be headed down Al Green highway with suave snippets like “Hey, Western Union Man” and “How Can I Get In Touch With You” that never quite reach the fever pitch personified by the good reverend. Ice on Ice, the second entry in this two-for-one package, sets a similar tone as its predecessor with leisure-suited Butler belting out textbook man-pleads-to-woman R&B cuts like “Moody Woman” and “Walking Around In Teardrops.”

Both discs show that Butler wasn’t much of a threat to any perceived king, queen or godfather of soul at the time. His voice is more conversational than visceral, and his songs often lacked the hooks and solid arrangements needed to get them over. This twofer, though, is a most convenient way for soul archivists to pick up more than the man's hit “Strong” single… but, it’s not necessarily a must-have, either.

Michael Andrews