Bettye LaVette - Scene of the Crime

This is Rhythm and Blues Country

Whether you want to call this neo-soul or just straight ahead R&B, Bettye comes alive on this disk. Here is the voice of a mature woman in sound and spirit. She can set 'em up and knock 'em down. What is so astounding to me is the brilliant marriage of the Drive By Truckers with this independent lady. These are songs that can stand alone. When you start to worry that the creative well has run dry, put this CD on for a spin. It is a joy to listen to these well-produced and heartfelt songs. The country influences mix so well with Betye' voice and style. These songs are clean and bare enough to cut through any BS reviews.

I've lent the CD to a friend for an opening of his coffee house. So, I will save any song breakdowns for another time. Suffice to say that this is an exceptional collection of songs by a hopeful and accomplished singer with a tight and swingin' band. Here is the career maker album that has always alluded Bettye until now. What a joy to hear! This one stays in the CD changer.
July 13, 2008

Raw and gritty : her voice comes from so deep.

Though Bettye LaVette began her career 40 years ago, it never took off as it should, despite her being the only artist to record for Motown and Atlantic.
She didn't get major attention (and touring dates) until three years ago when she was rediscovered by the edgy Anti Records.
The company had the divine idea to match LaVette's vintage vocals to contemporary songs written entirely by smart women, from Joan Armatrading to Sinead O'Connor.
The resulting album I've Got My Own Hell to Raisestruck a perfect balance between historic depth and modern audacity.
Now she returns with "The Scene of the Crime", an almost autobiographical look back at the long hard road she has traveled, and for her more than worthy followup CD, Ms.LaVette covers songs entirely by men (except for one she co-wrote). Yet it gains a juicier theme, and backstory, from the place it was recorded in: Muscle Shoals Studio.
Her voice has matured to a crackling growl, rich in colour and fierce emotion. It's particularly effective on a heartrending cover of Elton John's "Talking Old Soldiers", and on the country lament "Choices".
Not all her song selections are this astute: much as the self-righteous, take-me-as-I-am lyric suits her, it's a road she screeches down too often.
Still, its magnetic moments make you glad she didn't just give up and get a day job.
She teams up with latter-day country-funk combo Drive-By Truckers, whose leader Patterson Hood is the son of the great Muscle Shoals sideman David Hood. The Truckers put LaVette in just the right stripped and sinewy setting. Hard guitars, dark bass and striking drums surround her.
Her vocals come from so deep in the gut. Yet Ms.LaVette's rip-roaring instrument also remains beauteous to behold.
The album also features Bettye's first songwriting credit, a cowrite with the Truckers' own Patterson Hood titled '"Before the Money Came (The Battle of Bettye LaVette)", a hard rocking tune that chronicles her struggles in a pointed, take-no-prisoners style, an autobiographical account of the many obstacles she has faced in her 40-plus years of trying to make it in the music biz.
The album was recorded in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, a city known for its legendary soul and pop recordings. It is also the town where Bettye recorded a masterpiece titled Child of the Seventiesback in 1972. For some reason, Atlantic Records shelved it. The CD didn't surface until nearly 30 years later - and only in France.
Bettye went back to Muscle Shoals to record this album, it was like returning to the scene of a crime.
This explains the title of the album.
The album highlights: "I Still Want to be Your Baby", '"The Last Time" and "Jealousy". July 10, 2008

She does it again - even BETTER!

After hearing her last effort "I've Got My Own Hell To Raise" I did not think that CD could be outdone. But right here it is. This collaboration is pure magic and puts Ms. LaVette right where she belongs...backed by great musicians with the freedom to be out front, and interperet the songs in her own magnificent style. What the likes of today's so called "singers" could learn here! Bettye, I'm so glad the money came in. You deserve every bit and more. May 9, 2008

More of the Same - And That's a Good Thing!

"I've Got My Own Hell to Raise" was a fabulous c.d. - one of the best of 2005. After 40 or so years, Bettye LaVette became an overnight sensation. And something this bright, this meteoric, of course begs the question: will the next recording be this good, or even better?

I've now listened to "The Scene of the Crime" about 4 times, and honestly, I don't know. It seems even more personal, even more confessional, than "Hell." I fully agree with Patterson Hood, the author of the terrific liner notes (and practically worth the price of the c.d. alone, for its historic insights): "Talking Old Soldiers" is this c.d.'s tour de force. Nearly that good as well is "Somebody Pick Up My Pieces," and the autobiographical "Before the Money Came" ("The Battle of Bettye LaVette").

But there is not a weak or mediocre track on this c.d. - and of course, not on "Hell," either. They are both terrific. Right now, Ms. LaVette is the "It Girl" of soul. She is on a roll, and can do no wrong. I really look forward to her next c.d. She looks and sounds like the youngest 61-year-old singer around. May her star shine brightly, and may she continue to turn out discs like this, for years to come. RC May 3, 2008

I love bettye

This is a great CD but my favorite is still 'I've got my own hell to raise' April 29, 2008

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