Cuts to the Chase

Last updated
Cuts to the Chase
Cuts to the Chase (Richie Havens album).jpg
Studio album by
Richie Havens
Released1994
Genre Folk, rock
Label Forward
Richie Havens chronology
Résumé: The Best of Richie Havens
(1993)		Cuts to the Chase
(1994)		Classics
(1995)

Cuts to the Chase is an album by the American musician Richie Havens, released in 1994. [1] [2] It was distributed by Rhino Records. [3]

Contents

Havens intended to support the album by playing the Bethel '94 Woodstock reunion. [4] After it was canceled, Havens played shows with, among others, Pete Seeger and Don McLean, in addition to touring the United Kingdom. [5] [6] [7] "Old Love" was a minor radio hit. [8]

Production

Havens added more rock elements to his folk sound. [9] The album contains two parts. [10] The first seven songs are listed under "The Declaration"; the remaining six fall under "Independence". [11] "Old Love" is a cover of the Eric Clapton song. [12] "Comin' Back to Me" is a version of the Jefferson Airplane song; Havens had wanted to record it for decades. [13] "They Dance Alone" was written by Sting. [14] "Darkness, Darkness" was composed by Jesse Colin Young. [15] The only Havens-penned song on the album, "Young Boy", encourages urban young people to advocate for change. [16] Billy Perry played guitar on the album. [17]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [17]
Calgary Herald C [11]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [18]
MusicHound Folk: The Essential Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [19]

The Hartford Courant wrote that Havens's "guitar playing is enthusiastic and powerful and his lyric presentation often gives new shades of meanings to familiar songs." [6] The Boston Globe concluded that "this is a fine new album that restores luster to his career and proves his voice is still among the most stately, dignified vehicles in the field." [12] The Calgary Herald opined: "While the occasional song rises above the haze of decades passed ... Havens—even when backed by a band—remains, alas, more of a relic rather than a singer relevant to today." [11]

The Chicago Tribune stated that "Havens' heartfelt, distinctive vocal style and forceful guitar playing serve him well throughout." [11] The St. Petersburg Times deemed the album "a complex, compelling work that breaks away from the traditional, folk-heavy Havens." [9] The Christian Science Monitor called Cuts to the Chase "his best work in years," praising the "deep, sandpaper voice [and] propulsive guitar strumming." [20]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Lives in the Balance" 
2."They Dance Alone" 
3."My Father's Shoes" 
4."Darkness, Darkness" 
5."The Hawk" 
6."Young Boy" 
7."The Times They Are a-Changin'" 
8."Fade to Blue" 
9."Intro/Old Love" 
10."How the Nights Can Fly" 
11."Comin' Back to Me" 
12."Don't Pass It Up" 
13."At a Glance" 

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References

  1. ↑ Takiff, Jonathan (5 June 1994). "Summer's beginning heralds arrival of new discs". Orange County Register. Knight Ridder. p. F27.
  2. ↑ Bledsoe, Wayne (17 July 1994). "Music News". Knoxville News Sentinel. p. 2.
  3. ↑ "'Married' visit brings Havens new audience". The Philadelphia Tribune. 7 Apr 1995. p. 9E.
  4. ↑ Bird, Rick (23 June 1994). "Havens hasn't forgotten the message of Woodstock". The Cincinnati Post. p. 1.2.
  5. ↑ Sell, Jill (19 Aug 1994). "Music Legends Take Stage at Valley Festival". Friday. The Plain Dealer. p. 3.
  6. 1 2 Larcen, Donna (11 Aug 1994). "Cuts to the Chase Richie Havens". Calendar. Hartford Courant. p. 4.
  7. ↑ Denselow, Robin (18 Feb 1995). "Mud-caked survivor". The Guardian. p. 28.
  8. ↑ Weatherford, Mike (14 Apr 1995). "Politically active folk singer Richie Havens...". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 2E.
  9. 1 2 Zucco, Tom (12 Aug 1994). "Prime 'Cuts'". Weekend. St. Petersburg Times. p. 13.
  10. ↑ Geisel, Ellen (Sep 1996). "Richie Havens: Seeker of Change". Dirty Linen.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Muretich, James (17 July 1994). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald. p. E2.
  12. 1 2 Morse, Steve (16 June 1994). "Richie Havens Cuts to the Chase". Calendar. The Boston Globe. p. 19.
  13. ↑ Harris, Paul (19 Sep 1996). "Woodstock Roots". Get Out. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. 13.
  14. ↑ The Rough Guide to Rock (2nd ed.). Rough Guides. 1999. p. 449.
  15. ↑ McLennan, Scott (10 Dec 1995). "Havens' message evolves with the times". Datebook. Telegram & Gazette. p. 8.
  16. ↑ Honey, Charles (14 Aug 1994). "Havens still on road, still a child of Woodstock". The Grand Rapids Press. p. G1.
  17. 1 2 "Cuts to the Chase Review by Ron Wynn". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  18. ↑ Van Matre, Lynn (4 Aug 1994). "Richie Havens Cuts to the Chase". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 8.
  19. ↑ MusicHound Folk: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 352.
  20. ↑ "Folk". Music. The Christian Science Monitor. 23 Sep 1994.
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