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Bonnie Raitt
Decades Rock Live: Bonnie Raitt and Friends
(Capitol)
First Appeared in The Music Box,
October 2006, Volume 13, #10
Written by Randi Whitehead and
George Weiss
"What is freedom if I can’t be me" sings Bonnie Raitt on her new CD/DVD
collection Decades Rock Live: Bonnie Raitt and Friends. The program was
filmed in September 2005 at a concert held in Atlantic City, New Jersey as part
of VH-1 Classic’s Decades Rock Live series. In addition to the original
broadcast, the package includes previously unseen performance footage as well as
interviews with Raitt and her all-star cast. Beginning with Unnecessary
Mercenary, a song that was written by keyboard player Jon Cleary, who
recently joined her backing band, the set understandably focuses primarily upon
material from her latest outing Souls Alike. The subsequent tune I
Will Not Be Broken echoed Raitt’s inner spirit.
After Gnawin’ on It (from 2002’s Silver Lining), Raitt’s
friends began to appear in single file, thereby making her wish list of duets
come true. Alison Krauss added fiddle and vocals to You and Papa Come
Quick, the latter of which is one of Raitt’s favorites from Luck of the
Draw. On both cuts, the duo’s voices melded with an ethereal beauty. Raitt
announced, "I tried and I tried but I can’t get over you," as Keb’ Mo’ joined her
for No Gettin’ over You, while Love Letter allowed Raitt to
demonstrate her tremendously good slide guitar style.
After several more tunes from Souls Alike sans guests, the sound of
Ben Harper’s lap steel and voice fused with Raitt’s on Two Lights in the
Nighttime. Harper drove the show onward with Well, Well, Well, a
spiritual that was written by Bob Dylan and Danny O’Keefe, which he had
resurrected for his collaboration with The Blind Boys of Alabama. Raitt then
turned to her back catalogue to deliver the audience-pleasing Something to
Talk About, and following the gospel touch of Hear Me Lord, Norah
Jones appeared to lend harmonies and keyboards to I Don’t Want Anything to
Change as well as the Peewee King/Redd Stewart-penned standard Tennessee
Waltz.
Although the myriad of special guests helped to uplift Decades Rock Live:
Bonnie Raitt and Friends, the selections that Raitt plucked from her past
are what fared the best. Perhaps, in time, the songs from Souls Alike
will find deeper resonance, but it’s hard to beat the group sing-along that
occurred during Love Sneakin’ Up on You.  ½
Decades Rock Live: Bonnie Raitt and Friends is available
from Amazon.com. To order, Click Here!
For Canadian orders, please
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For UK orders, please
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Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2006 The Music Box
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