Musical visionary. Social rebel. Introverted recluse. Total sex-pot. All are accurate descriptors of the mercurial funk goddess Betty Davis. You may have heard that Miles Davis was once married to this aggressive, punky funk testicle-crusher. That's enough to make her an interesting character. You may have also heard that she released albums of her own. Yep, it's true.
Davis' self-titled debut is an energetic jam featuring a jaw-droppingly tight band consisting of Sly & the Family Stone's Larry Graham and Greg Errico, plus Santana's Neil Schon and Douglas Rodriguez. And if that weren't enough, there's the Tower of Power horns as well. But it's Davis' bluesy screams and sultry moans that command your attention, as a woman on the prowl, singing with raw sexuality.
"Anti Love Song," "Your Man My Man" and "Game Is My Middle Name" typify the blistering acid funk, peppered with sexually assertive lyrics, that defines the sound of her first release.
If it sounds too grating and violently feminist to you, that's okay. She wouldn't have wanted it any other way. You can just shake to the magnetic beats and riffs. It's dirty, mean funk, and it snaps and pops like no other. Even the kinkiest fiend finds time for a post-coital smoke. |