Give It Up (Bonnie Raitt album)

Give It Up was recorded in June 1972 at Bearsville Studios in New York, with producer Michael Cuscuna.[1] It is an amalgamation of several music genres, including folk, blues, R&B, and soft rock.[2] The ten tracks on the album are a mix of soft sentimental ballads and fast-paced folk rock pieces.[3][4] Some of the faster tracks are accompanied by brass instrumentation, which is played in the style of a New Orleans brass band. This sound is demonstrated on the opening track "Give It Up or Let Me Go". It begins with an acoustic guitar, but then transitions into an explosive sound of a brass band, reminiscent of Dixieland music.[3] Give It Up features many guest musicians, most of which were from the area around Woodstock, New York. Among these are future politician John Hall, multi-instrumentalist Freebo, and blues singer Paul Butterfield.[1] Overall, Give It Up has a smoother, more polished sound than its predecessor Bonnie Raitt.[1]

Raitt wrote three songs for the album.[5] The other seven songs are covers of songs by musicians like Chris Smither, Jackson Browne, and Joel Zoss.[4][6] Lyrically, Give It Up revolves around Raitt's femininity, relationships, and being comfortable with herself.[4] According to biographer Mark Bego, Raitt sounds more confident while singing on this album when compared to her vocal performance on Bonnie Raitt.[1] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic wrote: "Raitt can be earthy and sexy, but she balances it with an inviting sensuality that makes the record glow".[2] Raitt herself would later criticize the vocals, and said: "I sound like Mickey Mouse!"[7]

Retrospective professional reviews

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[2]
Christgau's Record Guide	A[8]
Entertainment Weekly	B+[3]
MusicHound Rock	3.5/5[9]
The New Rolling Stone Record Guide	[10]

Give It Up was released in September 1972 by Warner Bros. Records.[2] It sold moderately well, and was Raitt's first album to reach the Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart, where it peaked at number 138.[7][11] It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1985, denoting shipments of 500,000 copies.[12] The song "Too Long at the Fair" was released as a promotional single to radio stations, although it did not reach any music charts.[13]

Give It Up received positive reviews upon release. A critic for Billboard magazine wrote: "Bonnie Raitt is presented in her second album for the label and it should be a big one. Her unique vocal treatments and guitar style on 'Stayed [sic] Too Long at the Fair' and the title song should do a lot to sell the album."[14] Record World described Give It Up as "an exceptional effort. The choice of material, from the self-penned numbers to a stunning Jackson Browne tune, is excellent and the musicianship and production could hardly be better."[15] Rolling Stone critic Jon Landau also praised the album, writing that "the best thing about Bonnie Raitt is her singing, and the best thing about Give It Up is that she sings great from beginning to end; in doing so, she successfully handles a far greater range of styles and material than on her first album and has produced a more interesting and satisfying record in the process." Landau highlighted the three original songs, and called "Love Has no Pride" the perfect summation of Raitt's musical abilities.[16]

Retrospective appraisals have also been positive. In The New Rolling Stone Record Guide, critic Bart Testa wrote: "Give It Up [comes] closest to perfecting her approach: she [mingles] her blues resources with a variety of contemporary and folk-oriented songs, coming up with classics in 'Been Too Long at the Fair' and Eric Kaz's 'Love Has No Pride'."[10] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic noted how singers like Sheryl Crow and Shelby Lynne were likely inspired by Give It Up, and ultimately described it as "one of the great Southern California records."[2] In a review published for Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau commended Raitt's maturity and intelligence in both her style of play as well as her lyrics.[8] Christgau later ranked Give It Up at number 31 on his decade-end list of the best albums of the 1970s.[17]

In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked Give It Up at number 495 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, calling it "gorgeous folksy blues".[18]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the 1972 release. Each number denotes which track features the musician and instrument.[19]