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BONNIE RAITT - Slipstream (Release 10th April 2012 - Redwing Records)

"If you've got a good management team and you can find a good distributor and a great PR company, it works better than being at a label. If somebody's not working out, you can change it, which you can't always do on a label." - Bonnie Raitt

Slipstream is Bonnie Raitt’s 19^th album, most of which she produced in tandem with songwriter and producer Joe Henry released on her own label.  After personal upheaval she emerges with an album almost cathartic in documentating all the anguish and rumination that follows loss.  She says "I picked these songs so I could play them live, so I can have that [elegiac ballad] groove, or I could play a James Brown song."

Bonnie bounces back recharged from a long release seven year hiatus with Slipstream which features some cover tracks.  Gerry Rafferty’s Down the Line is treated to a little reggae twist.  The cover is a  Hammond B3 driven affair, it’s a brave soul that would attempt to trump the owner of this gem but she pulls it off with confidence and grace. Bob Dylan’s Million Miles from his  1997 Time out of Mind album is a low slung blues track.  Her full throated outpourings are perfect for these numbers.

You Can’t Fail me Now was written by Loudon Wainwright and Joe Henry and you can tell it was specifically written for Bonnie.  It is reminiscent of the iconic and  wonderful ‘I can’t Make you Love me’.  She closes the album with Standing in the Doorway – a fabulous  snare drum driven track that showcases her distinctive voice.  Finally, she closes off with God Only Knows – just Bonnie and a piano.

Low slung blues, raucous rock, skanking reggae - she can’t do any wrong really!

LUDDITES IN LOVE

ANALOG MAN – JOE WALSH

Decca – Release Date June 5^th 2012

 Analog Man is Joe Walsh’s first solo album since his 1992 release, ‘Songs for a Dying Planet’.  It’s an offering from the bass playing Eagle that doesn’t seem to stretch him in any direction from his current place of super-stardom as part of one of the greatest bands of all time.

Joe’s scratchy voice delivers a message about the digital age that we all find ourselves in.  Title track 'Analog Man' bemoans the lack of something interesting on the telly with 100 channels, awash with commercial and nothing decent on.  I would have to agree with him on this point.  Even Joe Walsh can’t find anything decent to watch on a Saturday night!

Old patterns die hard for Joe and you can hear his old hit ‘Life’s Been Good’ in almost every track on the album.  Joe’s a storyteller with a complete narrative in his lyrics.  'Lucky that Way' pulls no punches describing the way he perceives his fortunate lifestyle.  'Funk 50' has great instrumentation but Joe’s sense of fun sometimes oversteps the mark with the addition of a comedy voice.

Produced by Jeff Lynne and having brother-in-law Ringo Starr guest drum on this album is a hook he probably needs on this one.  He’s got a lot to say and this appears to be his avenue.  It has some good moments but all too formulaic at times.