Betty Davis ‎– Betty Davis

Betty Davis is more than Miles Davis’ wife. That much is crystal clear in this funk necessity of a self-titled record.

She’s a badass woman who made music that hits hard — like Parliament Funkadelic in their heyday hard. Opener of the 1973 debut LP, “If I’m In Luck I Might Get Picked Up,” like most every song which follows on Betty Davis, features her powerful voice, which rasps and moans and talks, guitars which soar and chicken-scratch, and bass which’ll make your hips twitch.

All of Davis’ album could be the walk-on music for every strong, confident woman I know. Davis takes control of herself and claims agency in each cut here, in a manner sure to make anyone listening completely aware that she’s not simply a muse, but a powerful force in her own right, and you damn well better pay attention.

Sweet Jesus, this sounds good. Light in the Attic releases always have amazing tone, but this LP absolutely blasts out the speakers with intensity. Betty Davis is remarkably vibrant, and it’s the sort of LP you can put on downstairs in one corner, then walk around the house, marveling at how robust it is. You can hear this quite clearly, no matter where you are, and the instant you start up “If I’m In Luck I Might Get Picked Up,” it’s abundantly clear this is going to be a fantastic listen.- N. Spacek modern-vinyl.com Aug. 2017