"Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook"
Something Old is Something New (Review)
"The musical arrangements, and more importantly LaVette's reading of each song, is so wonderfully different from the way these songs have been hammered into our consciousness as to be startling. It is one of the most interesting and entertaining listens I have had in a long time. I for one am surprised that after all these years of listening to LaVettes terrific interpretations of a variety of material that it took this record for me to truly appreciate what I may have taken for granted for so long: that is; Bettye LaVette is one of the truly great vocalists of my generation.
LaVette's instrument has lost little of the intimacy and urgency of her 1960's recordings. Like most artists of her considerable talent (there aren't many in her league by the way) she continues to develop a unique and effective set of choices to inform the listener. She gives these familiar lyrics true emotional impact that may be lacking in the more traditional readings of these songs. There is nothing nostalgic about this record. These old songs are new. LaVette delivers to the listener the power of words whose potential hadn't been realized until now."
David Mac - BLUES JUNCTION Productions
On her new CD, Bettye brings the British invasion home to its American R&B roots, looking to the past for inspiration and uncovering common ancestry in seemingly divergent musical avenues. Throughout the new album, her performances are a revelation, inhabiting each song so completely as to make them her own. To that end, Bettye made some changes to the lyrics on a number of songs including the track, “Salt of the Earth”, whereby she modernized “strange beauty shows” to “reality shows” and “polio” to “HIV.”
Fittingly, Keith Richards has given Bettye some advance praise, noting: “When you hear a voice like Bettye LaVette’s there’s a sense of transportation (NOT to a penal colony!), but a certain freedom of movement and emotion, which is rare. Especially to me and I suspect other Englishmen who were so fascinated by the music that is so natural to Bettye while we were still getting our feet wet. The ‘hands across the pond’ aspect gives me a warm feeling. A connection! A great record. Put me in the fan club! How did Bettye LaVette slip thru the net for so long?”
Meanwhile, Joss Stone, who has shared the stage with Bettye, declares: “What a voice and what a soul to compliment such a talent. I believe every word, as does everyone that has had the pleasure of hearing Bettye LaVette sing. She’s inspired a lot of great music. You can hear clearly that her influence is all over the new music today”.
The Beatles’ pre-psychedelic Rubber Soul classic “The Word” takes on an almost religious fervor, while Paul McCartney’s “Maybe I’m Amazed” is transformed from a majestic pop song into a stark, almost desperate expression of devotion. Profound alienation becomes intense longing on Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” and the wistful naiveté of The Moody Blues’ “Nights in White Satin” matures into a deep and unshakeable lament. Bettye inhabits these songs, revitalizes them and exposes the humanity that makes these 13 tracks not just pop songs, but enduring works of art.
Such mastery hardly comes as a surprise to at least one legend featured here. Elton John (whose “Talking Old Soldiers” appeared on The Scene Of The Crime) offers this endorsement of Bettye’s impassioned take on “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”: “Bettye LaVette has always been a wonderful singer – I have been a huge fan for many years. To my delight and surprise she recorded an amazing version of ‘Talking Old Soldiers’ – a song that nobody else has covered – and made it her own. Now she has recorded ‘Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me’ and has done exactly the same – but this time with a much more familiar song. I am truly touched by her picking these songs and can only hope that this album brings more attention to this incredible artist.”
Bettye LaVette Tours With Robert Plant
Robert Plant's invitation to Bettye to open his July Tour followed her rendition of the Led Zeppelin classic, "All of My Love". The invitation to join the legendary Zeppelin vocalist is not so much a notch in Bettye's belt as another link in the chain. Her latest work is an impassioned dissertation on the much-documented influence that American blues and soul had on British rock n' roll - but more than that, it's an exploration of how those echoes from a foreign shore in turn influenced and reshaped American blues and soul.
Photo Phil Bardi
Listen to a LaVette version (not from CD) of the Led Zeppelin song ‘All My Love’.
This version will give you a whole new appreciation of the song!
Performing with 'The British Invasion' in NYC
Bettye LaVette joined Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Eddie Vedder, Moby and Donovan, among others performing at Radio City Music Hall for the David Lynch Foundation's "Change Begins Within" Benefit Concert.
