Out of Print! Only 1 copy available!
45rpm Double LP Plus CD!
Lavette is known for her deeply personal interpretations of songs, even changing lyrics to personalize the songs to her life and world. Her "Thankful N' Thoughtful" album features Bettye's take on the classic folk tune "Dirty Old Town", made famous by the Pogues plus songs by the Black Keys, Sly Stone, Tom Waits, Neil Young, and Bob Dylan, and you have Bettye's grittiest, funkiest album to date.
Bettye Lavette has received glowing accolades for her album "Thankful N' Thoughtful" which was released in celebration of her 50th Anniversary in the music business.
Thankful N’ Thoughtful opens with the funk injected Bob Dylan cut “Everything Is Broken” and when Bettye moans and howls the title refrain you have no doubt as to the trouble she’s seen. The entire album turned out to be a companion piece to her autobiography as while she was writing the book, she was also recording the songs on TN’T. On Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy,” she slows it down just a tad, then wrings every drop of sweat and blood from each and every syllable till your spine tingles, with “Dirty Old Town” (The Pogues/Rod Stewart), Bettye reworks the lyrical setting to Detroit—singing about her first love at Northern High and the Detroit race riots. Meanwhile, when she takes on The Black Keys’ “I’m Not The One,” the sensual grit of the song sizzles with her all-knowing rasp.
"Bettye LaVette gets classified as an R&B singer, which she is, of course, but her newest album, the Craig Street-produced Thankful N' Thoughtful, finds her taking her blues, gospel, and soul-influenced singing style into deep, swampy, and edgy American roots territory, and she makes it all work with a sting and bite to her phrasing that ranks her as one of the best living soul singers. She gives Neil Young's "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" a little jump of joy, moving the song away from being plaintive and lonely to something closer to anxious homesickness. Tom Waits' "Yesterday Is Here," complete with brass and reeds, loses some of its clang and becomes a poignant blues. The most stunning track here is LaVette's reinvention of the old folk song "Dirty Old Town," best known in the version by the Pogues. She fills it with disgust and ominous menace -- there's also a slower version of "Dirty Old Town" that lets a measure of sadness creep back in at the close of the album. Thankful N' Thoughtful is a solid outing from an outstanding singer who knows how to growl, croon, grumble, praise, and jump for joy with her vocal phrasing -- whatever makes the song live and breathe. She is still a marvel." - Steve Leggett, allmusic.com
Features:
• 45rpm Double LP + CD
• Mastered at Sterling Sound by Greg Calbi
• Pressed at Rainbo
Selections:
LP1 - Side A:
1. Everything Is Broken
2. I'm Not the One
3. Dirty Old Town
LP1 - Side B:
1. The More I Search (The More I Die)
2. I'm Tired
3. Crazy
LP2 - Side C:
1. Yesterday Is Here
2. Thankful N' Thoughtful
3. Fair Enough
LP2 - Side D:
1. Time Will Do the Talking
2. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
3. Dirty Old Town (Slow Version)
45rpm Double LP Plus CD!
Lavette is known for her deeply personal interpretations of songs, even changing lyrics to personalize the songs to her life and world. Her "Thankful N' Thoughtful" album features Bettye's take on the classic folk tune "Dirty Old Town", made famous by the Pogues plus songs by the Black Keys, Sly Stone, Tom Waits, Neil Young, and Bob Dylan, and you have Bettye's grittiest, funkiest album to date.
Bettye Lavette has received glowing accolades for her album "Thankful N' Thoughtful" which was released in celebration of her 50th Anniversary in the music business.
Thankful N’ Thoughtful opens with the funk injected Bob Dylan cut “Everything Is Broken” and when Bettye moans and howls the title refrain you have no doubt as to the trouble she’s seen. The entire album turned out to be a companion piece to her autobiography as while she was writing the book, she was also recording the songs on TN’T. On Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy,” she slows it down just a tad, then wrings every drop of sweat and blood from each and every syllable till your spine tingles, with “Dirty Old Town” (The Pogues/Rod Stewart), Bettye reworks the lyrical setting to Detroit—singing about her first love at Northern High and the Detroit race riots. Meanwhile, when she takes on The Black Keys’ “I’m Not The One,” the sensual grit of the song sizzles with her all-knowing rasp.
"Bettye LaVette gets classified as an R&B singer, which she is, of course, but her newest album, the Craig Street-produced Thankful N' Thoughtful, finds her taking her blues, gospel, and soul-influenced singing style into deep, swampy, and edgy American roots territory, and she makes it all work with a sting and bite to her phrasing that ranks her as one of the best living soul singers. She gives Neil Young's "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" a little jump of joy, moving the song away from being plaintive and lonely to something closer to anxious homesickness. Tom Waits' "Yesterday Is Here," complete with brass and reeds, loses some of its clang and becomes a poignant blues. The most stunning track here is LaVette's reinvention of the old folk song "Dirty Old Town," best known in the version by the Pogues. She fills it with disgust and ominous menace -- there's also a slower version of "Dirty Old Town" that lets a measure of sadness creep back in at the close of the album. Thankful N' Thoughtful is a solid outing from an outstanding singer who knows how to growl, croon, grumble, praise, and jump for joy with her vocal phrasing -- whatever makes the song live and breathe. She is still a marvel." - Steve Leggett, allmusic.com
Features:
• 45rpm Double LP + CD
• Mastered at Sterling Sound by Greg Calbi
• Pressed at Rainbo
Selections:
LP1 - Side A:
1. Everything Is Broken
2. I'm Not the One
3. Dirty Old Town
LP1 - Side B:
1. The More I Search (The More I Die)
2. I'm Tired
3. Crazy
LP2 - Side C:
1. Yesterday Is Here
2. Thankful N' Thoughtful
3. Fair Enough
LP2 - Side D:
1. Time Will Do the Talking
2. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
3. Dirty Old Town (Slow Version)
