Album - Blame It on Me
Song - 32 Flavors
Date - September 23, 1997
Status - Acquired
The Beatles and Bob Dylan created the concept of the self contained musical unit. Song Writer and Performer in the same entity. Ever sense then we've tended to dismiss artist that didn't write the material that made them famous, and this is unfortunate because it means we've lost some small percentage of appreciation for the visceral. That which is real, that we feel and touch and taste.
I'm a big 60's R&B fan. At the time it was not uncommon to see multiple versions of the same song on the charts at the same time, Otis Redding Covering the Rolling Stones, or Creedence Clearwater doing a Booker T. and the MG's song. The challenge, as those highly competitive artists saw it, was to do a better version of the same material. There's a world of art, philosophy, and enjoyment in a performance, and breaking the convention of the self-contained unit and creating a team of experts can produce great results.
Ani Defranco wrote and record an amazing version of this song, but Alana Davis' recording is also very good and brings an entirely different air to the song. Her cover adds depth and breadth to the song. It expands its meaning.
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