Best Of Bonnie Raitt CD

Personnel includes: Bonnie Raitt (vocals, acoustic, electric & slide guitar, piano); Johnny Lee Schell (vocals, acoustic guitar); Arthur Adams, Michael Landau (guitar); Benmont Tench (Hammond C-3 organ); Bruce Hornsby, Scott Thurston (keyboards); James "Hutch" Hutchinson, Roy Rogers (bass); Ricky Fataar, Curt Bisquera (drums); Tony Braunagel (timbales, percussion); Paulinho Da Costa (congas); Debra Dobkin (percussion); Arnold McCuller, Sir Harry Bowens, David Lasley, Sweet Pea Atkinson (background vocals).
The Heart Attack Horns: Bill Bergman (alto saxophone); Marty Grebb (tenor saxophone); Greg Smith (baritone saxophone); John Berry Jr., Dennis Farias (trumpet).
Producers: Bonnie Raitt, Don Was, Mitchell Froom, Tchad Blake.
Includes liner notes by Alan Light.
Personnel: Bonnie Raitt (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide guitar, piano, background vocals); Johnny Lee Schell (vocals, acoustic guitar); Michael Landau, Andy Abad, Arthur Adams (guitar); Mark Goldenberg (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, oud); Richard Thompson (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Stephen Bruton (acoustic guitar); George Marinelli (electric guitar, background vocals); Roy Rogers (slide guitar); Paul Brady (gut-string guitar, background vocals); Jeff Scott Young (gut-string guitar); Jimmy Roberts (saxophone); Bill Bergman (alto saxophone); Marty Grebb (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Joe Sublett (tenor saxophone); Greg "Frosty" Smith, Steve Berlin (baritone saxophone); Darrell Leonard, B.S. Bull, Dennis Farias, John Berry, Jr. (trumpet); Nick Lane (trombone, euphonium); Mitchell Froom (piano, harmonium, Clavinet, reed organ, keyboards, Moog synthesizer); Benmont Tench (piano); Jon Cleary (keyboards, background vocals); Scott Thurston, Bruce Hornsby (keyboards); Buell Neidlinger (acoustic bass); Tony Braunagel (drums, timbales, percussion); Ricky Fataar (drums, percussion, background vocals); Pete Thomas (drums, percussion); Curt Bisquera (drums); Gary Gold (snare drum); Alex Acuña (congas, talking drum); Paulinho Da Costa (congas, percussion); Debra Dobkin (percussion); David Lasley, Renee Geyer, Arnold McCuller, Sir Harry Bowens, Sweet Pea Atkinson, Tommy Sims, Bernard Fowler (background vocals).
Audio Mixers: Ed Cherney; Tchad Blake.
Liner Note Author: Alan Light.
Photographers: Ann Cutting; Dana Tynan; Marlene Rosenberg.
Unknown Contributor Roles: Heart Attack Horns; Texicali Horns.
Arranger: Bob Jr. Thiele.
The Best of Bonnie Raitt on Capitol 1989-2003, its 18 tracks handpicked by the artist herself as a portrait of her renaissance years, are indicative of the high-quality work ethic she has imposed on herself. Sometimes these songs reveal the queen doing a definitive read, such as on John Hiatt's "Lovers Will" (a song that deserves far, far more than it got -- the ache in her voice is the real grain of somebody who has been on both sides of love's hot broken arrow and still has faith enough to sing) or "Thing Called Love." Sometimes she's bringing the songs of Paul Brady ("Not the Only One"), Bonnie Hayes ("Love Letter" and "Have a Heart"), or even David Gray ("Silver Lining") and Richard Thompson ("Dimming of the Day") to the masses in ways that define them for a different audience. And sometimes, it's simply Raitt playing her own songs ("Nick of Time" and "Spit of Love") full of a poetic, sensual ferocity that oozes tenderness and commitment. And throughout it all is her trademark bottleneck slide, coaxing love notes or razored snarls out of her Stratocaster. There aren't any unreleased tracks here, but for the money you get the best of the best and her own comments on each song as well as a short essay about what this music means to her. Given that you don't have that box set (yet), that means this is worth whatever you happen to pay for it -- but don't forget about getting some of those Warner albums (Give It Up is a great place to start). Here is the astonishing range, from deep blue-eyed bluesy