The Best of Bonnie Raitt

Given Raitt's prolific nature and consistently solid output, it must have been a difficult task narrowing this collection down to just 18 songs, but ultimately it seems to flow well, illustrating that despite her increasingly mainstream status and sound, she has still written some kick-ass blues and rock & roll alongside the sugary ballads and saccharine pop hits. From the doo-wop flavour of "Something to Talk About", through torch songs ("I Can't Make You Love Me", "You", "Lover's Will"), raw blues numbers ("Love Sneaking Up on You", "Love Me Like a Man") and some booty-shaking rock & roll ("Rock Steady", "I Believe I'm in Love with You") this is a passionate and sensitive album, and a must for all Raitt fans. --Paul Sullivan

This compilation covers Bonnie's music on Capitol from 1989 to 2003. Overall, the music is slicker than Bonnie's Warner recordings - not so much as to put off long-standing fans but enough to attract a lot of new fans. Thus, there is more pop and rock but less blues in these recordings, while there is little or no folk that was so significant in some of Bonnie's seventies albums. However, there are other influences, most notably the final track (Hear me Lord), a Zimbabwean song that retains some of its African flavor.

The album opens with three tracks from Nick of time, which are followed by three from Luck of the draw, three from Longing in their hearts, three from the live album Road tested, two from Fundamental and four from Silver lining. Among the highlights are Thing called love, Something to talk about, I can't make you love me, Rock steady (with Bryan Adams) and the aforementioned Hear me Lord.

This is a truly magnificent collection of Bonnie's music. I still favor her Warner recordings, for which there is also a compilation (Bonnie Raitt Collection). Buy both if you can afford to.


The talented Ms Raitt   July 13, 2003
 24 out of 24 found this review helpful

This is a fantastic album. Bonnie Raitt seems to be little known over here, although she's well known and respected in the States. I first heard her on her Grammy-winning 'Nick of Time' album. This 'Best Of' album pulls together some fine songs.She has a voice that can pull off blues, rock, country, ballad and a pop-style.

The songs on this album are evocative, moving from tales of ageing and loneliness through finding love, losing love and accepting all that life throws at her. The stand-out track for me will always be the achingly beautiful but sad 'I Can't Make You Love Me' but I must confess to also loving the bluesy 'Love Me Like A Man' and the rock of 'Rock Steady' which sees her rocking with Bryan Adams. In fact, I could wax lyrical about the first 14 songs or so on this 18 track album.

If you've never heard Bonnie Raitt before, give this album a try. I sure you won't be disappointed.


She's SO under-rated!!   July 12, 2003
 9 out of 10 found this review helpful

When Bonnie Raitt collected four Grammies for her 1989 multiplatinum breakthrough Nick of Time, it offered sweet justification for fans that had followed her through years of great recordings but plenty of hard luck in terms of commercial success. The Bonnie Raitt Collection shows why those fans were right all along. From the early blues-mama stylings of "Give It Up or Let Me Go" and "Love Me Like a Man" to the increased pop sophistication she brought to songs like her funky reworking of Del Shannon's "Runaway" and Bryan Adams's straight-ahead rocker "No Way to Treat a Lady", the set offers a worthwhile sampling of the decade and a half she spent recording for the Warner Bros. label. Of special note are a pair of live recordings; a previously unreleased version of "Women Be Wise", featuring one of Raitt's primary mentors, Sippie Wallace; and a duet with John Prine on "Angel from Montgomery" that first appeared on the Grammy-winning Tribute to Steve Goodman. If you only recently discovered Raitt, this collection will help you decide which of her earlier works to sample next.


5 star artist just pick your favorites.....   June 1, 2003
 13 out of 13 found this review helpful

Putting together a Best of by Bonnie Raitt after a
decade of excellent musical adventures (Capitol years 1989-2003)
and touring the British Isles and Scandanavian countries this summer, should
bring Bonnie more worldwide fans and more regonition. With so few slide guitar/blues based female rock/pop artist out there with musical taste shes shone all these years,
Bonnie Raitt stand alones in the music world and the material on this new collection prove why Bonnie deserves to be more popular in Europe. There is just so much excellent kick ass material
and heartfelt songs one after the other and this barely hits
on what made Bonnie such a loved artist well before these
recordings. Bonnie expanded her sound during the 90's thanks to the talents of people like Don Was and company and Bonnie's finally believing in what she can do in the studio. From first rate songs as
"Thing called Love" and "Something to talk about" to her classic "I can't make you love me" to the smokin blues of "Love sneaking up on you", "Love me like a man" and "I believe I'm in love w/you"
to the newer stuff "Spit of Love", a great Bonnie original, the beautiful "Silver Lining" the
finger popping R&B class of "Time of our Lives" and the
stylistic gems "I can't help you now" and "Hear me Lord" Bonnie
Raitt continues to expand her musical boundries and is a pure
talented dynamite in a prefab 15 min fame world. Looking forward
to Best of Bonnie Raitt Vol.2 years.