Multiple Grammys and accolades in her rearview mirror, Bonnie Raitt never abandoned her R & B roots. She’s remained the same soulful and sassy singer and slide guitarist she set out to be. A student and confidante of such blues greats as Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker, Raitt has continually stuck to her guns with a keen sense of integrity and repose. Even as the production became glossier and the tangents almost cerebral, the melodies never stop blossoming over with her angelic voice, sodden of breezy commentary. For her 16th album, 2002’s Silver Lining, Bonnie Raitt tapped into some funky beats and intercontinental flavorings, to say the very least. Though it didn’t take home the bacon or rack up platinum sales like 1989’s Nick Of Time and 1991’s Luck Of The Draw, two songs from Silver Lining earned Grammy nominations.
The album’s single “I Can’t Help You Now” is pretty straightforward pop, highlighting Raitt’s penchant for snappy choruses and easy-going tempos. The title track — which, like most of the songs, was not written by Raitt — is actually a more cognitive departure, incorporating an assortment of textures stirred up by her and her band — longtime guitarist George Marinelli, bassist James ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson and drummer Ricky Fataar, along with newcomer keyboardist Jon Cleary, who also wrote two of the disc’s tunes. It’s difficult to not appreciate the Memphis soul of “Time Of Our Lives,” while “Gnawin’ On It,” a crispy rocker featuring blues guitarist Roy Rogers would make the Glimmer Twins blush with its Sticky Fingers crunch. A party atmosphere kicks in for “Monkey Business” before giving way to the transcendental infusion of “Wherever You May Be.”
Oliver Mtukudzi, a Zimbabwe-based Putumayo recording artist and previous collaborator, co-wrote and plays on “Hear Me Lord,” a joyful African-flavored romp with a Graceland feel that tightens the grip while loosening the reins. The entire landscape softens up to a rustic, organic shine during “Back Around,” co-written by Raitt with yet another Putumayo recording artist and collaborator, Habib Koite. Somehow, both songs get a full detailing, chockful of rich embellishments and interludes. They certainly add to the dimension of the record, which, at times, meanders through some rather ordinary areas. Still, there’s no denying that Silver Lining was another winner for one of music’s most enduring and influential figures.
~ Shawn Perry
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