| Bitter Sweet Blues | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1999 | |||
| Genre | Blues | |||
| Label | Alligator | |||
| Producer | Rory Block | |||
| Gaye Adegbalola chronology | ||||
| ||||
Bitter Sweet Blues is an album by the American musician Gaye Adegbalola, released in 1999. [1] [2] Recorded for Alligator Records, it was her first solo album. [3]
The album was produced by Rory Block, who also played slide guitar. [4] [5] Adegbalola wrote or cowrote eight of its songs. [6] "Prove It on Me Blues" is a version of the Ma Rainey song. [7] "Images" is a cover of the Nina Simone song. [8] "She Just Wants to Dance" was written by Keb' Mo'. [9] "Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl" is a rendition of the song made famous by Bessie Smith. [10] "Nightmare" deals with child molestation. [11] "Nothing's Changed", cowritten by Block, examines the legacy of the civil rights movement. [12] "Front Door Blues" is about an attempt to come out of the closet. [13] Ysaye Barnwell sings on "Let Go, Let God". [8]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [11] |
| DownBeat |  [14] |
| Edmonton Journal | [12] |
| The Gazette | [8] |
| The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings | [13] |
| The Philadelphia Inquirer | [5] |
| Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | [15] |
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette deemed the album "emotional and heartfelt," writing that "Adegbalola combines her personal and musical life story into an adventurous and enjoyable package." [15] The Edmonton Journal wrote that "Adegbalola's voice—whether cheeky, conversational or even jazzy in parts—cuts to the real thing." [12] The Gazette determined that Bitter Sweet Blues "makes very effective use of timeless blues forms to deliver messages of feminist and African-American empowerment." [8]
The Asbury Park Press noted that "her lyrics are delightfully saucy and sassy, without being raunchy." [16] The Washington Post opined that "even if one agrees with her progressive politics, one might still wince at her heavy-handed approach." [17]
AllMusic concluded that "each song has either humor or power, sometimes both... The only thing that seems incongruous is the mixture of songs with wildly varying moods and topics." [11]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "She Just Wants to Dance" | |
| 2. | "Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl" | |
| 3. | "You Don't Have to Take It (Like I Did)" | |
| 4. | "Big Ovaries, Baby" | |
| 5. | "Nothing's Changed" | |
| 6. | "You Really Got a Hold on Me" | |
| 7. | "The Dog Was Here First" | |
| 8. | "Front Door Blues" | |
| 9. | "Only One Truth" | |
| 10. | "Prove It on Me Blues" | |
| 11. | "Jail House Blues" | |
| 12. | "Images" | |
| 13. | "Nightmare" | |
| 14. | "Let Go, Let God" |
Gaye Adegbalola is an American blues singer and guitarist, teacher, lecturer, activist, and photographer.
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