Search - Betty Davis :: Is It Love or Desire

The All-Time Funk Seductress

Mike B. | 10/15/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Legendary 1970's funk goddess Betty Davis recorded her "Is It Love Or Desire" album in the summer of '76, but none of these tracks have been heard until now. The former Betty Mabry is mostly remembered as an ex-wife of jazz giant Miles Davis. Previously a prominent 60's fashion model, she introduced him to her friends Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone - and is widely credited with influencing Miles' "[...] Brew" era.



She personally favored heavy funk mixed with rock, and her debut album "Betty Davis" (1973) set the standard for what would follow. That's where you want to start your collection. Backed by members of Sly and The Family Stone, the Tower of Power horns, Neal Schon on guitar, members of Santana, and the Pointer Sisters on backing vocals - "Betty Davis" is arguably the greatest funk/rock album ever made. The follow-up album "They Say I'm Different" was almost as good.



I've never been able to decide which is better - her first album, or the third one - "Nasty Gal" (1975). By the time she recorded "Nasty Gal", she had traded all-star backing for a band comprised of cousins and friends. At the same time, she took her raunchy sex kitten act to new lyrical heights. The title track, "Talkin Trash", and "Gettin Kicked Off, Havin Fun" are so cartoonishly oversexed that you can't help but laugh. Really great.



"Is It Love Or Desire" carried on with this family band. Let me say here that I'm giving it five stars in honor of her earlier body of work. The first 3 albums are a must-have for funk fans. Many thanks to the Light In The Attic record label for reissuing them with wonderful bonus tracks. So please don't come down too hard on me for saying a few critical things about this long-awaited fourth CD, which her previous labels kept in legal limbo.



The truth is, this is good - but could be better. Betty produced this recording herself back then, but mixed her own vocals too low. She's drowned out too often by her band, and her male and female backing vocalists are intrusively dominating to an unprecedented degree. On her first 3 albums I could clearly make out the lyrics - this is the only one where I had to consult the booklet. Everything is either over-the-top or undercooked. There's a few standouts, most notably "Stars Starve, You Know", and the amazing "Bar Hoppin" - but the rest of the material isn't up to her normally high standards. As always, Betty squeals, purrs, and growls with ferocity.



In 1979 she recorded another album, which her manager ran away with and bootlegged. It's available under the titles "Hangin' Out In Hollywood" or "Crashin' From Passion", and is pretty much along the lines of what's found here, with some disco overtones. Feeling burned by the record industry, Betty retired and became as reclusive as Greta Garbo. She lives somewhere outside her native Pittsburgh, but is otherwise incommunicado. I still hope she'll make music again, but I'm not holding my breath. As it stands, these Light In The Attic reissues are her first paydays in many years. You should buy them!"

Pure raw true funk diva

MagicMan1969 | Rock Capital | 10/24/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"what can you say ...

so underrated as a artist

so ahead of her time

just for now (timeless music too)



So many owe there career to Betty

she broke down so many doors

for artist

some just imitate her (prince Madonna grace Jones endless list )listen that vocals and imagine prince as a lady sometimes ..

thou fall short -- (like Madonna )

she is the true fink diva goddess

her vocals and range and pure raw funk says it all

Must for true lovers of real funk ..

more later

been jamming on this since I got it

love you Betty

p.s one the tightest funk bands she assembled too

Funk house ..

"