Back in April, I was too busy dealing with turning 30 to deal with Bonnie Raitt's newest (19th) release, Slipstream. But as the year when on, the drama piled on, and I sought out more quiet moments, I turned to old friends of my life who've been part of the fabric and on in the background since before I was born.
Slipstream is everything you want a Bonnie Raitt album to be-- complete with two Bob Dylan covers and some Bonnie Raitt versions of two songs by the album's producer, Joe Henry. Long held up as a critical darling, this North Carolina boy moved to Detroit at a young age and I think his sound has always been a fusion of those two local flavors. He's been married to Madonna's sister since the eighties and has bounced back and forth between Brooklyn and Los Angeles for years working with practically everyone. (Including Loudon Wainwright, also featured as a writer on this album.)
Joe Henry can write a simple, straightforward song like nobody's business. I thought this Thursday could use one. This one's my favorite. It's been picking up a lot of TV time lately-- not to mention, a Grammy Nomination-- and I think it's a perfect winter song. I love Joe Henry's rendition also. But I prefer Bonnie on almost any song almost any day.
I loved what Rolling Stone says about Slipstream:
"A loose and adventurous reminder of everything she does well... it's mood music with a razor edge, pain fronting as bliss, delivered by a vet who understands that the blues are often about just that."
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