Bonnie Raitt - Slipstream

[KenB]

No use reaching back to compare Bonnie Raitt’s latest “Slipstream” because according to the sticker on the cellophane, it’s been 7 years since her last studio album. I checked to discover that she is touring this summer to promote this, her latest 2012 release. I think these 12 songs will make for a fan-friendly live presentation. White blues singer guitarists are not in short supply, but good ones are. I always thought Bonnie was one of the better ones. Still do.

The reasons I like this album form a short list.
1] A great mix of slow and upbeat material without ever being overpowering. Slide guitar work can grate sometimes on my poor old ears. No worries here - it's all very tasty with an acoustically pleasing blend IMO.
2] Bonnie’s vocals dominate and work by others seems properly subordinated, even restrained at times.
3] Standout tracks IMO - Standing in the Doorway by Bob Dylan
- Ain’t Gonna Let You Go by Al Anderson and Bonnie Bramlett
Plus the Reggae track - Right Down the Line by Gerry Rafferty (remember Baker Street)

A couple of Bonnie Raitt facts:
- has 9 Grammies,
- this album is recorded on her own label, Redwing Records
- Bonnie Raitt produced this album though a couple of tracks were produced by Joe Henry

[craig]

Thanks for the review Ken .. how the hell have ya been son ?? always like Bonnie really liked her early stuff ,. for some reason streetli9ghts always seems to get a lot of play time on my cd .. if i ever get back to a music store ... do they still have music stores ?? well if i do i will pick this up !

[KenB]

Doing OK thanks Craig. Good to hear from you and you’re right to ask if we still have music stores, the bricks and mortar kind. We have a few very large virtual store retailers pushing them out of business. Our local HMV store just moved into a smaller retail space but stayed in the same mall. I guess we’re stuck with online sales from some point in the near future.